arrrgghhh - stem points to left

[02GF74]

On one mountain bike, stem looks like it is pointing to the left when I go in a straight line.

I have line up the stem as best as I can by eye and am pretty good at this so it is in line with the front wheel so what can the reason be?

Ideas? and what/how to measure to find the culprit?

Fox suspension forks BTW.

 

[walker]

loosen headset, straighten forks/stem. tighten headset

 

[andy_wrx]

Then it'll point to right.

Adjust again.

It'll now point left again. Or still to right.

Adjust again.

Repeat until either you get it right or you persuade yourself it's so nearly right that you've had enough !

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Why don't manufacturers put a centre line on the steerer and another on the stem? No matter how accurate you think you have set the thing on the workstand, when you ride the bike it is always out.

Ditto seatposts.

 

[piedwagtail91]

how do you sight the stem to line it up?
some people try to line it up with the top tube,or as an extension of the top tube. but i've found it easier to look down from over the top of the bars and line the front egde of the bars up with the centres of the qr skewer or axle bolts if it's non qr.

 

[fossyant]

Use one eye and line up using the axel !

 

[Alcdrew]

Why don't manufacturers put a centre line on the steerer and another on the stem? No matter how accurate you think you have set the thing on the workstand, when you ride the bike it is always out.

Ditto seatposts.

Tell me about it. I decided my seat needed moving forward slightly, but messed the angle up, by sight it looked level but as soon as I started riding it was horible, pointing downwards felt like it was at such an angle I can't believe I thought it was straight

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Tell me about it. I decided my seat needed moving forward slightly, but messed the angle up, by sight it looked level but as soon as I started riding it was horible, pointing downwards felt like it was at such an angle I can't believe I thought it was straight

Maybe it's your a**e that's not level?

 

[Alcdrew]

Maybe it's your a**e that's not level?

well of cause it's not level, my a**e as you put it, is a perfectly formed peach shape. Frim and sexy

 

[02GF74]

dunno if I have fixed it as not ridden it but got the old set sqaure out and placed it against the fork stanchions as the refernece.

lots of measuring, eyeing up and I find the stem is tapered - thicker at the bar end so lined it up allowing for this. (doesn't seem to be enough for the off centre steering I was getting).

another point of reference is the brake disc - its edge should line up with the stem, ofcourse only works if stem is constant width.

I used a rod in the fork drop outs and could see any thing wrong with the forks so it can opnly be the stem.

I was wondering if the tyres if not seated cetraly could be pulling to one side or maybe if I was pedalling harder on one side that would push the bike to one side but pretty sure the latter is nto the case as the steeering was off when free wheeling.

 

[walker]

Why don't manufacturers put a centre line on the steerer and another on the stem? No matter how accurate you think you have set the thing on the workstand, when you ride the bike it is always out.

Ditto seatposts.

some, not all, frames have a slight cut out so you can line the numbers on your seat post so they appear in the hole, thus it points in the right direction