# Cane Creek 40 Loose Fit Steer Tube



## quick_2 (Apr 19, 2009)

I bought a brand new cane creek 40 headset

Cane Creek 40
Top: 1.5 ZS cup, to 1 1/8 steer
Bottom: 1.5 Traditional

Using a '11 RS Lyrik RC2DH Coil Tapered Steer

got the headset pressed at my lbs

the headset knocks side to side and back and forth quite bad regardless of how tight the top cap is.. it doesnt seem to be an issue of pressure but the steer tube seems loose in the top portion of the headset, it jiggles around and the headset seems too big... i know this isnt normal i took it back to the shop and they said that they had a similar instance with the same headset only the tapered version.. would it hurt to put some tape of something around the steer tube to make it fit tighter?

i email cane creek and will see what they say. im unsatisfied about the whole thing.


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## equalme (Sep 8, 2010)

Have you tried taking the top part apart to make sure your LBS didn't forget any parts (mainly the compression ring and the gold washer/gimbal)?


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## sasquatch35 (Jun 8, 2010)

anthonylokrn said:


> Have you tried taking the top part apart to make sure your LBS didn't forget any parts (mainly the compression ring and the gold washer/gimbal)?


Good call. Definitely check the comperssion ring... I've made that mistake before. Also, check the crown race... if there is a minor amount of play near the race, there will usually be substansially more in the top. The wrong crown race can often cause problems like what you've described


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## quick_2 (Apr 19, 2009)

a quick call to cane creek and they are sending a new one and i will return the one i have when the new one comes.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

Make sure your steerer isn't too long. If it is, it doesn't matter how tight the top cap is, the headset will still have play.


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## mtbfan2 (Aug 10, 2010)

Yup. I got the same issue right now. No matter how much pressure you put on it when tightening the headset it seems to always slightly shimmy. The shimmy is where the top and bottom cap go over the bearing(right where the blue stripe is. I don't think you can get this resolved by adjusting... I'm buying a different headset.


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## mtbfan2 (Aug 10, 2010)

By the way, I didn't notice you were getting another from Cane Creek. Well, was the new one doing the same thing after you installed it? Wondering if its just luck that I got a crap one too.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

mtbfan2 said:


> Yup. I got the same issue right now. No matter how much pressure you put on it when tightening the headset it seems to always slightly shimmy. The shimmy is where the top and bottom cap go over the bearing(right where the blue stripe is. I don't think you can get this resolved by adjusting... I'm buying a different headset.


Make sure you have enough spacers and the top cap is not bottoming out on the steer tube.

Have also seen people forget to loosen the stem bolts before adjusting the headset.


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## pwu_1 (Nov 19, 2007)

bumping old thread. Any resolution to this?
I recently got a 40 series mixed taper headset and I hear knocking no matter how tight I tighten the top cap.


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## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

pwu_1 said:


> bumping old thread. Any resolution to this?
> I recently got a 40 series mixed taper headset and I hear knocking no matter how tight I tighten the top cap.


proper amount of spacers, compression wedge, bearing orientation


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## SoCal-Rider (May 25, 2009)

Interesting thread. I installed my first headset last night (CC 40 series) and have the same issue. I just thought I did something wrong and was going to tear it back down to look closer at each piece. Maybe it's not me.


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## nafrod (Oct 30, 2012)

Hey, I'm going to resurrect this thread. I'm having issues with my Cane Creek 40 as well. I couldn't get it tight enough and there would be play. Then, after trying a few combinations of different spacers and stem caps, I managed to tighten it so that there is no play, but the headset feel too stiff, or over-tightened. So it's either a stiff or with play...Not too happy about it. I'm using mixed tapered 1 1/8 top 1 1/2 on the bottom. Thinking about sending the headset back to Competitive Cyclist and picking up a King or (cheaper) FSA of some kind. Any one experience this?


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## shenny88 (Sep 24, 2009)

I just installed this same headset on my Voodoo Bokor (straight 1-1/8"), went together snug without a problem... Im not sure how there could be wiggle room if everything is assembled in the proper place/order, especially the compression ring. 

Someone post detailed pictures, especially of the length of your steer tube versus the stack height of your stem and spacers.


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## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

The only time I have ever had an issue like this in the past was when my headtube was not properly faced. Got that done and the problem went away. It's something I'd suggest getting done, although it seems like the main problems exist with tapered headtubes, so I don't know what would be causing that if the bearings are internal (right?).


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Just a heads up here - I have a CC 40 and got the same problem.

Culprit: The top cap! 

I know, sounds silly, but I was installing and trying to use minimal spacers, and I couldn't dial out the perceived headset play. The length of the top cap -specifically where it intrudes down into the spacer, seems to be longer than my other top caps. This was preventing it from cinching up the system, as it was bottoming out.

Just throwing it out there for those of you scratching your heads, I know that it won't be the solution for all of them, but I know I'm not the first to have encountered this specific scenario.


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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

Two things that can cause a headset that won't tighten up. 

1: you don't have enough stack and the top cap is bottoming out on the steer tube. Solution to this is to add a spacer, 2.5 or 5 will work. 

2: the head set dust cover is bottoming out on the cup. There seems to be a pretty big tolerance for how much height there is between the bearing and the upper dust cover. This is what those shinny thin washers in the headset packaging are for. Place them in between the upper race and the dust cover. This will increase clearance between the dust cover and the upper cup.


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## spankye (May 7, 2007)

I've seen where even though it feels like you are tightening the adjuster bolt, the star nut is actually slipping in the steerer tube. it will feel tight until you ride it, but loosen and knock. a new star nut would be the solution there and fix you up.


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## kolt (May 5, 2007)

I have the same problem with the Cane Creek Forty on my Salsa Mukluk 2.
When I tighten the preload bolt so there is no play, the top-cover is not turning anymore. Instead the stem turns on the aluminum of the top-cover which causes a lot of friction. On any other headset I know, the top-cover turns with the stem.
If I loosen the preload bolt just a little, the headset has a play.

Since my headset has all parts shown here:
canecreek.com/resources/products/headsets/forty/manuals/40%20IS%20Instructions.pdf
I don't think that it is a spacer problem, since there are no spacers shown in the manual...


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

kolt said:


> I have the same problem with the Cane Creek Forty on my Salsa Mukluk 2.
> When I tighten the preload bolt so there is no play, the top-cover is not turning anymore. Instead the stem turns on the aluminum of the top-cover which causes a lot of friction. On any other headset I know, the top-cover turns with the stem.
> If I loosen the preload bolt just a little, the headset has a play.
> 
> ...


Common sense overrides the manual. If you steerer tube is long enough that the preload bolt is bottoming out on it, then you need a spacer.


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## Hoban (Oct 14, 2012)

Or just file/grind down the steer tube a touch. Need 3-4 mm to clear the Cane Creek cap.


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## kolt (May 5, 2007)

CharacterZero said:


> Common sense overrides the manual. If you steerer tube is long enough that the preload bolt is bottoming out on it, then you need a spacer.


Haha, nice try. I've been working with threadless headsets when you were still riding your tricycle 

Turned out they confused the upper and the lower head tube race when it was assembeld. You can still put everything together, but the topcover will sit slightly on the upper race then.

So one have to add to reptilezs' solution:


> proper amount of spacers, compression wedge, bearing orientation


*Check if upper and lower race are switched.*


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Thanks! Some people would reference the manual like it is the bible (which makes me wonder - people actually believe some of the stuff in the bible?!).

Just trying to offer up some guidance, glad you got it worked out.

I thought all ST were threaded back when I was on a trike! I was on a bike by 1984.


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## finny7 (Jun 7, 2013)

fixed this issue on my CC 40, play in the headset was caused by the top cap bottoming out on the stem, i added an extra 1mm space and followed below official cc youtube video and voila, no more play in headset.

Threadless Headset Adjustment - YouTube


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## Michaelk (Jul 29, 2010)

I just looked up this forum as I was having the same problem. My two spacers were not higher then the steerer tube so it was not tightening properly. Found an old 5 mm spacer and sat that on top. Undid the stem and tightened down the top cap and it was all good.
Probably not a long term solution as probably a 2 or 3 mm spacer is all I would have needed.


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## zuuds (Jan 30, 2004)

nafrod said:


> Hey, I'm going to resurrect this thread. I'm having issues with my Cane Creek 40 as well. I couldn't get it tight enough and there would be play. Then, after trying a few combinations of different spacers and stem caps, I managed to tighten it so that there is no play, but the headset feel too stiff, or overtightened. So it's either a stiff or with play...Not too happy about it.


Another resurrection. I have a 40 on my bike (ZS lower, IS upper), and no problems for 2 years. I recently took my fork off for service. I went to re-install it and ran into this exact same problem. When I removed the fork, the compression ring was stuck to the dust cover assembly, so I separated the two. (I noticed on Cane Creek's YouTube video, they slide the compression ring by itself on to the steeer tube after installing the upper bearing.)

When I re-installed it, I ensured all of the upper and lower bearings were fully seated, put the compression ring around the fork steerer tube, installed the top cover assembly, spacer, and stem. I have at least 3-4mm of clearance between the top of the stem and the steerer tube on top and I'm certain the top cap is not bottoming out on the steerer tube. I can tighten it to the point where there is no lateral play in the headset, but same problem as nafrod - that results in too much preload on the bearings and stiff steering.

I noticed that the compression ring sits completely flush with the top edge of the upper bearing race. I wonder if the spring metal washer (the one with the blue dust seal around the outer edge at the bottom of the dust cover assembly) is not applying pressure to the compression ring (thereby not making the compression ring hold everything in place). I don't recall any shims coming with the headset, but that was 2 years ago. I'm going to dig in my parts bin to see...


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

well 2 years for a headset is pretty good for me, and they are cheap enough to replace. i have cc40 on 2 bikes and they have been great. 1 is traditional the other zero stack and both straight 1 1/8


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## snapster10 (Aug 29, 2011)

Man, I feel dumb; a bottoming-out top cap was the problem for me. I was trying different headset spacers, in the process of trying to banish creaking from the cockpit; I didn't realize the new spacers I tried were a little shorter...


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## jjames0302 (Apr 26, 2013)

I had a loose upper on my Cane Creek 40 (tapered). I had just installed a new fork. I took it apart and after watching the Cane Creek headset install video, I realized I carelessly installed the shim seal before the compression ring, so the ring wasn't fully seating causing the loose upper. So it is: bearing, compression ring, shim seal, top cover.
I also believe that the shim seal is seated with the rubber lip (there is one on the 40 shim seal) on the seal facing upward, but the video doesnt depict this.

I find the video is more detailed than the downloadable instructions....


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

Still rocking the 40s. Issues I've had with headsets were a result of incorrect spacers. So you may need to play around a bit and see what works. Get a nice set with many sizes.

I've had the starnut come up as well from overtightening, though I find I do want to tighten the topcap bolt a decent amount. Installing a new starnut can help alot. Jenson has a tool for $10 that makes it a breeze and installs perfectly. My homebrew approach probably caused some issues in the past.


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