Screw on headset cap

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wiremoons

New Member
Location
Wales. UK
Hi

I have a Boardman ASR 8.9. The cap that screws into the top of the headset / stem has a hole that takes an allen key to unscrew it. This cap does not appear to serve any other purpose other than to covered up the in side parts of the top of the headset.

All other headset caps I have seen (and what my LBS gave me as a replacement) is a cap with a bolt that passes through the top of the cap, and bolts into the top of the headset. There is no bolt with my headset cap as the underside of my headset cap is threaded, and so screws on directly itself.

My questions are:

1) what is this type of screw on headset cap called? All the ones I can find on the Internet are the cap and bolt type.

2) my LBS told me that to get a new cap I would need to buy a new set of forks - sounds a bit expensive and excessive to me — just to get a new or different screw on cap. Anyone know where I can buy just a new screw on cap?

3) The reason I was interested to know all the above was as I was concerned water (or sweat) could enter through the allen key whole on the cap, and collect inside the top of the headset. Again the LBS told me they are designed to allow water in, and it will drain via the forks. While this is hopefully true, my preference would be to get a different cap without an open whole, or at least a plug of some type to stop any water getting in at all.

Have attached two photos in case it helps!

Thanks

Simon
 

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I could be wrong but it doesn't look like there's a thread to screw a regular cap into the bolt would be too long too. IMO if you are concerned about water/sweat (which a regular cap/bolt doesn't fully stop) you'd be better to bung up the hole. I would suggest a frame protector sticker and it could be peeled off if you need access.
 

wisdom

Guru
Location
Blackpool
Blanking grommet from a decent car shop or the bay should sort it .You just need the size of the hole and it will push in.
 
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wiremoons

wiremoons

New Member
Location
Wales. UK
I could be wrong but it doesn't look like there's a thread to screw a regular cap into the bolt would be too long too. IMO if you are concerned about water/sweat (which a regular cap/bolt doesn't fully stop) you'd be better to bung up the hole. I would suggest a frame protector sticker and it could be peeled off if you need access.

Hi

Thanks for your reply!

You are correct that there is no thread to to allow a regular cap bolt to screw into the headset top. I guess this design simplifies things by just having a cap that screws into place directly itself. Not sure if there are any other differences though, as my knowledge of headsets is failrly limited - as you may have guessed :smile:

If no one can help with any alternative cap options (there appear to be loads of alternatives with clocks, compasses, beer bottle tops etc for the ‘normal’ cap and bolt kind!) — then I will resort to plugging the hole with something for every day use, or cover it up as you have suggested.

Simon
 
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wiremoons

wiremoons

New Member
Location
Wales. UK
Blanking grommet from a decent car shop or the bay should sort it .You just need the size of the hole and it will push in.

Thanks for the suggestion—I have the allen key size in mm for the hole in the cap, so that should give me an rough idea of a blanking grommet size hopefully. I didn’t know you could get such a item from a car shop, so will give that try!
 

Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
1. This is a compression bung. They are used in canon forks where a star nut would cause damage.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/..._dt|pcrid|161824956629|pkw||pmt||prd|470492UK

2. Get a new LBS, they are talking rubbish. Worse case buy something like I linked above.

3. You actually need the top cap, that is pre loading the stem before you tighten the stem bolts. In theory after the stem is tight you could remove the top cap.

I would not worry about water ingress, if you really worry, just shove a blob of grease in there.
 
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wiremoons

wiremoons

New Member
Location
Wales. UK
Thanks everyone for your help and great suggestions—much appreciated!

I will get a replacement rubber bung either from the part linked by @Milkfloat or @wonderloaf depending on p&p prices etc :smile:

Probably worrying over nothing that a bit of grease would fix, but there you go... job done.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
I maybe wrong....
My old boardman has similar and the bolt in the mddle of the expanding bung is the headset pre load bolt that goes through your headset cap screwing into the bung


FSPXFBUMK2_P1.jpg
 
You pull the headset components together, to whatever torque your steerer requires, with the Allen bolt. Then you ‘freeze’ that applied tension in with the stem bolts, then you can do what you like with the top cap, take it off and bin it if you want to. It’s the same with HT 2 type cranksets. You tension it using the little plastic bolt in the Center, then ‘freeze’ the tension using the Allen bolts on the crank arm, then you can do what you like with the little plastic bolt.
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
Is that top cap screwing onto the threads on the outside of the expander bung? Do you have a photo of the bottom of the top cap?
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Is that top cap screwing onto the threads on the outside of the expander bung? Do you have a photo of the bottom of the top cap?
looks to me like the screw that goes through the top cap is already screwed into the bung, needs taking out, threading through the top cap and re torquing

396917-66df121f0ce3c89a71446cae5db1d18c.jpg
 
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