This advice all applies only to threaded forks (all Rivs except Gus and tandem): 1. Use as many spacers as necessary so that the lock nut (top nut) is fully engaged with the threads but doesn't bottom out. 2. Most (or all) threaded forks have a key groove in the steer tube, cutting vertically through the threads (it is barely visible at 4:23 in the video you linked). A lock washer goes on the stack above the bottom nut (which is the top bearing's inner race), with a tab or "key" that fits in this groove. As a result, the lock washer cannot spin relative to the steer tube. Thus, friction from the spinning of the locknut and spacers above this lock washer cannot cause the bottom nut to spin. So that bottom nut will stay where you left it, even though you may crank down the top (aka lock) nut with just one wrench. 3. There is an ideal tightness to which you will set the bearing. But the lock nut works by stretching the steel of the steer tube (just a tiny bit!) until the threads don't engage the bottom nut (this is why the bottom nut doesn't work loose over rough terrain). Stretching the steer tube elongates it, so the bearings get looser. Therefore, you must adjust the bearing to be too tight before the locknut goes on, so that the stretching brings the bearing to ideal tightness. Accomplishing this requires a feel that develops over time. Or you could just get a sealed-bearing headset, which allow much more leeway in bearing adjustment without feeling loose or tight (because a sealed bearing headset squeezes the bearing races, not the balls.)
Hope this helps! -Wes On Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at 8:33:48 AM UTC-7 maxcr wrote: > There was a conversation on the Roadini thread > <https://groups.google.com/u/5/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/tAas6urcOwg> about > adjusting the headset after fork removal. This is something I've wondered > for a while - some say you need to wrenches others one, my experience is if > I tighten and back a bit I can move the nut with my hand. > > Does anyone have a solid explanation of how it's done? When installing one > of my forks on a new bike I had found this video > <https://vimeo.com/143667109>from Rivendell where you can see the process > but I'm still unsure of how tight I should go? Should I use a wrench or is > it enough to hand tighten? > > Also, how many spacers should one use when setting up a fork? > > Thanks > Max > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/67d5fd0d-0add-487d-8231-266b5f7b0daen%40googlegroups.com.
