# Headset topbolt spinning...



## blackagness (Mar 1, 2005)

What the HECK!!! The topbolt on my headset that screws into the starnut will niether tighten or unscrew? It just spins. I was on the trail today when I realized there was some play, so I went to tighten it down (first loosening the stem bolts of course) and it woudn't tighten, but it would not come out either! I could NOT for the life of me figure out what was going on! I even stopped by the LBS near the trailhead to have him take a look, and the only guy they had on duty couldn't figure it out either!!!! :madman: :madman: :madman: 

Does ANYBODY have any CLUE what the heck is going on, and what the ever lovin HELL I can do to fix it? :madman: :madman: :madman: :madman: :madman: :madman:


----------



## SteveUK (Apr 16, 2006)

See if you can get a thin screwdriver (or knife) under the top-cap (using another tool to act as the fulcrum, if necessary) and lever it carefully up-over while loosening the bolt.


----------



## GLIDE (Jan 28, 2008)

Ditto. Somehow get the topcap off (another idea - pop the underside of the stem with a rubber mallet once or twice -- with all bolts loose of course). I'd venture a guess that the bolt is seized in the starnut and the starnut has begun to spin in the steerer. 

Inspect the bolt. Install a new starnut.


----------



## blackagness (Mar 1, 2005)

Yeah, I guess I'm gonna just have to knock it off somehow. I'll try the rubber mallet right now. I tried getting a screwdriver or something underneath the topcap... no go. I drilled a tiny whole in the topcap, and stuck a small allen in it trying to leverage, and still no go. Also, it'seems the star nut is not spinning!    

Thanks both of you, I'm gonna go hit it with a hammer now. :madman:


----------



## RJG (Jun 17, 2004)

I'm not sure what this will do to the inside of the steerer tube but you could try this. Get a wooden dowel rod close to the inside diameter of the steerer, flip the bike over and see if you can pound the entire starnut/bolt mechanism right out the top. Alternatively you could try drilling out the bolt and removing the top cap, then pounding the starnut out the bottom with the same technique described above. Sounds like the starnut or the bolt are stripped, or both.
Good luck
R


----------



## wonky57 (Dec 1, 2007)

I've seen this same thing before, the threaded sleeve was loose in the stars. If the fork is $$$, drill the bolt head off, drill the old SFN out or punch it down, and install new one. I have (don't recommend) knocked out the SFN, top cap, and bolt from the bottom up of an old, STEEL steerer tube with a 1/2" pipe. Good luck!


----------



## blackagness (Mar 1, 2005)

*Problom Solved!*

You guy's arn't gonna believe this one. So last night I cut my stearer tub, and reinstaled the fork... so that's how this came about. What I ended up doing is dremeling the topcap, but I couldn't quit get it cause I wanted to salvage the bolt, and I was damn curiouse as to what was going on. So I dremeled off the spacer (very delacite), and managed to wedge a screwdriver in there with a hammer.

To make a long story sort, it seems I hadn't pounded the star nut deep enough into the stearer tub therefor the screw had gone down "past" the threads. :madman: :madman: :madman:

Mystery solved... I suck.


----------



## RJG (Jun 17, 2004)

*That rules!*

That's awesome. In retrospect, I think that A) I would make sure I leave enough steerer tube to allow for a spacer on the top between the stem and the top cap. B) You could just hack saw the steerer tube, bolt cap and spacer right off the top, push the existing star nut into the tube or out the bottom and reinstall a new one. Problem solved.
R


----------



## chinaman (Jun 8, 2007)

blackagness said:


> ... You guy's arn't gonna believe this one ... seems I hadn't pounded the star nut deep enough into the stearer tub therefor the screw had gone down "past" the threads ...


cheers ,,, at least we know if that happens to us ...


----------



## was98strat (Jul 10, 2007)

blackagness said:


> To make a long story sort, it seems I hadn't pounded the star nut deep enough into the stearer tub therefor the screw had gone down "past" the threads. :madman: :madman: :madman:


I'd replace the bolt if you haven't already. What you're describing is a bolt with "rolled" threads which is usually an indicator of really really really poor quality hardware. threads are normally "cut" meaning when the shaft of the bolt is the same diameter as the threaded section. normally you can't spin a nut down past the threaded section. It will jam at the end of the threads.


----------

