Yeah so Im an idiot. Ive got a stripped headset. Somehow. It looks like someone tried to tighten it whith the stem not being loose. The bolt spins and stays tight. Im kind of fucked. I dont want to ruin anything. Ive got limited tools. What should I do? And no bike shops referals.. thats not what im looking for.
go to bike shop get new star nut and pound it in
what he said, you have just pulled your star nut out, not stripped it.
stinky starnut
Go get a new starnut. Pound the old one out the bottom of the fork, insert new starnut.
….The bolt spins and stays tight.
eventually u will need to go to a shop to buy and replace the star nut… but to remove the bolt try removing it by rotating counterclockwise while pulling on the bolt to help it come off. if it's really not coming off then pound the hell out of it from the bottom of the steertube. u will be going against the bend on that starnut so it might be a little tough. the silver part is what's stripped most likely.
if u manage to remove the bolt then just knock the old one from the top (easier)… and install new one. the bolt doesn't have to be very tight, just snug pulling the headset together.
Is the stem and cap still stuck on because the top bolt just spins inside? If that's what I'm reading, you'll need a long steel rod, maybe a screwdriver, even a strong wooden dowel to insert in the bottom of the steer tube and pound the crap out of it until the bits come out the top. Then scurry down to the LBS for the new parts you need.
Debate? Bikes are made for riding not pushing.
note that all the top cap and starnut do is adjust the headset bearing tension.After you tighten the bolts in the stem the starnut/cap do NOTHING …you could even take them out after you have tightened the stem pinch bolts
Yeah my stem was stuck on with the bolt on there. I ended up hitting it with a hammer for a couple minutes… then decided the thomson stem had seen enough punishment. Took an allen key to the bolt and just spun it for about 2 minutes in either direction til it would slide out. Tricky sonofabitch. Now I can replace the star nut.
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