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Ive got a set of 2011 Fox 36's (Talas) fitted to my Covert and want to stop the shite getting in the headset from below as well as avoiding the shortcommings of star nuts.
I ride it all winter and get a lot of water in the steerer, so some way of avoiding this would be good. After a few months I need to regrease the headset. My mate sticks a cork up there, which I could do, or I could dump the star nut and use a headlock thing.
Will this solve the water issue, do they work, or should I just stick a cork up there ?
It seems they range in price from £17.99 for a USE one to £125.00 for the Chris King Nothreadset !
Trimix - Member
Ive got a set of 2011 Fox 36's (Talas) fitted to my Covert and want to stop the shite getting in the headset from below as well as avoiding [b]the shortcommings of star nuts.[/b]
Which are?
Well they seem fragile, and last time I tried to remove one it had siezed up, then fitting the replacement one took ages. Sure, if I stoped water getting in and lubed it up it would work. But Im after something I can leave in place till the headset bearings die. Then I want something easy to fit/replace.
They just look like a bodge of a job, rather than the more secure looking headlock.
But Im open to experienced opinion. What do you reckon ?
well i have an azonic one that is heavy but never budges and does keep out the gunk
i had the use one too and it was very light but i messed up cutting down teh bolt and knackered it 😳
lubing a star nut? Really? I'd prefer mine not to budge at all!. Stick a cork from a wine bottle in the bottom of your fork if it stresses you out.
Gaffer tape over the bottom
Full nelson.
Trimix - Member
Well they seem fragile,
They are only under stress for a few seconds while you apply pre-load to the headset bearings - how strong do they have to be?
and last time I tried to remove one it had siezed up
Apply a little grease to the bolt before fitting. If that still doesn't work, simply knock a new one in.
, then fitting the replacement one took ages
The correct tool costs around £8 and needs one blow with a soft mallet. About 10 seconds work.
But Im after something I can leave in place till the headset bearings die. Then I want something easy to fit/replace.
See above.
As the SFN is under no stress, how "secure" does it have to be?They just look like a bodge of a job, rather than the more secure looking headlock.
For the cost of the alternative, buy the tool and learn how to use it.But Im open to experienced opinion. What do you reckon ?
Yearggggghhhh!
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Druidh, good points - once you put a bit of preload on the star nut then clamp up the stem, do you back off the preload on the bolt, or does the star nut stay in under the load ?
how would a headlock stop water from getting into your headset bearings? the bearings are on the other side of the steerer tube - if water's getting through that you've got bigger issues i fear...
Kesa Gatame
The only reason to deviate from a traditional star nut is because of how the alternatives look.
As Druidh says, they are by far the best and cheapest solution for the problem.
OK, you have convinced me. I will put a cork in the bottom and lube the nut going into the star.
Water / mud gets in there from riding through puddles and from washing the bike.
[url= http://www.muckynutz.com/index.php ]One of these bad boys[/url] works for me, if you can stand the shame of having a teeny mudguard. Better than servicing your bearings every other month!