Author Topic: hutch stem help! (Read 2145 times)

raddad · « **on:** October 13, 2014, 09:20 PM »

Hi all, can someone help me here....I've had this Hutch stem for a few years now, its genuine but the stem shaft is not pressed into the lower stem body 100% in line. I know these are pressed in using terrific pressure and I also know that it hasn't become unseated and spun around (as if the bars were knocked out of alignment. There is no damage to the wedge part either. I just wondered if the bodies on some stems were produced out of alignment or if anyone else had one like this? It doesn't affect the stems performance at all. I was just curious...could it be second?
I would love to post a pic but I cant for the life of me work out how to do this!!!
I'm planning on selling it so would like all the facts...
Cheers
Jim

Jaan · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2014, 10:18 PM »

Jim

Hutch weren't the best manufacturer of parts - i've come across a few anomalies myself. I can't quite picture what you're describing - are you saying that the shaft is misaligned with the stem? If thats the case the stem won't sit flush on the headset would it?

Get some pictures up. To do that you'll need a Photobucket account, which is free. Upload your photos, select them and click on the IMG link to the right of the image. Your PC will automatically copy the link to the image that you then need to paste into your post on RAD.

Good luck
Chris

raddad · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2014, 10:55 PM »

Hi and cheers Chris, the stem itself is seated normally its just that the shaft and wedge assembly aren't tidily aligned. Imagine the quill stem is rotated within the lower of the stem body. Or you've twisted the stem shaft within the body.

I will attempt to get photo savvy for ease of description! Like I say, the thing is a runner, its just been pressed together on a friday at about 4.45 pm....when most Hutch parts were made...especially the chroming...

Cheers
Jim

raddad · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2014, 11:14 PM »

Still learning so not sure if an image is attached to this yet!

raddad · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2014, 11:17 PM »

Wow! It worked! Cheers Chris! Not sure if the issue I'm describing is visible but the here's the stem.......well, the in the post above....

J

CustardLips · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2014, 11:29 PM »

Do you mean the angular cut at the bottom of the shaft is sat skew wiff with the top of the stem.

Jaan · « **Reply #6 on:** October 14, 2014, 12:08 AM »

I can see what looks like an ellipse shaped gap between the bottom of the quill and the wedge. If it doesn't affect performance i.e. the stem stays solidly in position then i'd mention something like "the machining at the bottom of the quill isn't quite straight however this doesn't affect installation" and leave it at that.

raddad · « **Reply #7 on:** October 14, 2014, 09:57 PM »

Hopefully this pic tells the story a little clearer. The stem/shaft/wedge are configured slightly to the right of straight....the shaft is firm in the base of the stem.....any ideas....I just wanna sell the bugger!

Jim

hokuspokus74 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 14, 2014, 10:13 PM »

I'll give you £5 for the stem if your happy with it no charge to you in the paypal

worth a try though

raddad · « **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2014, 10:22 PM »

I couldn't do it to you, the quality of the chrome is too low.....

CustardLips · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2014, 11:13 PM »

Nothing at all wrong with that mate.

raddad · « **Reply #11 on:** October 15, 2014, 07:44 PM »

Cheers all! I just wondered if anyone had seen any other Hutch stem oddities...I will now sell it along with other gubbins.......anyone got any ideas how much a pair of Hutch beartraps with freestyle inserts go for?

Cheers,
Jim

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #12 on:** October 15, 2014, 08:27 PM »

think I get it now.. your querying the fact that the shaft is not machined off 90 degrees square (for the wedge) to the body of the stem... i.e it's off of the centre line

hope that makes sense.

raddad · « **Reply #13 on:** October 15, 2014, 09:31 PM »

Hell yeah brother! Its bloody hard to describe for some reason though isn't it.? Alls well with the stem but I reckon its a factory second or simply up to the usual Hutch quality control...don't get me wrong I love and drool after Hutch as much today as I did in '83 but they aint leaders in consistent high standards....just high prices.
A bit like Alfa Romeo.

In fact new thread alert...if BMXs were cars........Hutch-Alfa, Mongoose-Ford, S.E-Chrysler....etc...

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #14 on:** October 15, 2014, 09:44 PM »

I've got 4 or 5 Hutch stems(bought brand new, many, many years ago).. they're all like that. Doesn't matter of the alignment in this instance.. you don't see it and doesn't affect the stem in any way.

DY85262 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 15, 2014, 09:58 PM »

Yes I think you have it Dave

Lets imagine the stem has three parts Top cap, middle section and then the shaft. If you were to take the underside of the middle section (where the shaft exits) and at 90 degrees to this horizontal, draw a vertical centre line (in the centre of the shaft) then you are saying that the bottom of the shaft is not on this centre line like the top is

If thats the case then the machining of the middle section is out. So as we all know the Deep H stems were macined to angle the stem down over the front.

It may be that on this certain Friday at about 16:45 in a dusty American township that some fella or for that a "lady" did not line it up 100% and it actually slopes to the side.

Of course this is accentuated over the full width of the bar when one bar end is lower to the ground than the other.

So with that rational take a set of Hutch Pro bars that were made on the same day, same time by the same person and all should be OK because they are probably bent wrong.

I would be interested in how much difference it makes to the bar end heights.

raddad · « **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2014, 10:28 PM »

Ahh, no, thought we had it there for a second. Imagine the shaft was produced perfectly normally with no probs. But when it was pressed into the lower of the stem it was rotated about 15 degrees. Try to imagine the stem in the bike/fork and the handle bars being kicked out of alignment to the right....the stem is square to the body (as normal) just twisted slightly out of alignment......like you turned the handle bars to the right but the forks kept pointing straight. Lovely drawing by the way.

MRD-MG.
JMC-AC Cobra.

hokuspokus74 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:19 AM »

So you like you hutch's rad? you got any pics of them,i was looking a hutch stem a week or 2 ago but ended up going for a tuf neck

,i wouldnt mind a black hutch f&f if i could get a cheapy

DY85262 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 16, 2014, 06:50 PM »

OK
Now I see.
Yes Dave you were right.

So everything aligned correctly when pressed in. The issue is the fact that the shaft is rotated aprox 15 degrees (See the plan view of the shaft). Hence when you look at the stem from behind and if we had see through headstocks and sterrer tubes we would see the apex of the wedge of to the right or left by that rotated amount.

Is that right or is it a

Of course this does not matter at all as the sterrer is round with no split its just a method of "wedging".

raddad · « **Reply #19 on:** October 17, 2014, 09:45 PM »

Loving the art! Thanks for all the replies felas. I'm going to stick this stem in the for sale area then.