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Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
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I wasn't paying close attention to the headset on my winter bike, it loosened up a little and then the carbon fiber steerer tube developed a groove where it was rocking back and forth into the (sealed) bearing housing. S#it. This really sucks. I can't snug it up anymore and a new fork can be many multiples of what I want to spend on this bike. Maybe JB Weld to the rescue?
Blue tape applied to help contain the mess and reduce the sanding.


After the epoxy dried, I removed the tape.


I then reapplied fresh tape to either side of the patch; I'm going to sand the tape all the way down to the c/f tube and no further in an effort to keep the tube concentric with no flat spots.
I started with 180 grit self stick paper attached to a new paint stick.


I'm down to 400 grit here, and I'll final polish it with some 1000 grit.


This groove was only the thickness of a piece of paper or two, but it caused the fork to rock a little no matter how carefully I adjusted the bearings. No bueno for any bike, scary on a plastic bike.
I'm very pleased with the results. I can't feel any groove with my thumbnail and since most of the force on a headset is at the fork crown where the steerer meets the blades, I think this should work out OK. Time will tell, but the bike is back together and the headset is snug but the bars turn smoothly.
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Old 02-21-2023, 01:20 PM
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