Star nut not centered?
- Thread starter Eliadn
- Start date
RickBullotta
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
If the headset moves freely without play, I wouldn't mess with it. Also, unless you're a total weight weenie, if you ever need to replace a star nut, you can leave the other one in and just drive it down further into the steerer tube. Of course you can knock it out also, but obviously be sure to go out the bottom not the top! Lastly, a star nut setting tool is worth it - cheap and you'll get it centered and at the proper depth every time.
The star nut is there so you can preload the upper and lower headset bearings with the top cap pressing stem/spacers to make sure no play in the headset, after that a properly tightened stem does the work of keeping the bars and fork facing the same direction. I'm guessing slightly off center shouldn't affect it.
Depends how much stuff bothers you really, you’ve already got some metal fragments presumably from the top cap bolt screwing in at an angle, but that’s no biggie.
As mentioned, it’s only job is to preload the headset bearings whilst you torque up the stem and after that you could remove it to fit a garmin mount or something.
I’d leave it as is until you decide you want to get a steerer multi tool or similar, which also tensions the bearings.
It's fine. It's just a stamped out piece of junk that is so sloppily made that you should have no expectation that it will be perfectly centered. As long as you can install the screw and it doesn't look all crooked and goofy, let it be.
Amber Valley Guy
Well-known member
Looks to me like someone has hammered a screwdriver or similar into it by the the tool marks that go half way around it. It probably wasn't sitting square so they hammered one side down with said screwdriver, putting loads of tension on one side and naff all on the other. I wouldn't trust it, hammer it out and fit a new one it's not worth the risk for an essential but not expensive (ie dirt cheap) item like star nut.
It is difficult to judge from the photograph, because the camera lens was not exactly above the centre of the fork steerer.
As @RustyIron said the star nut is a stamped out piece of junk. There is a gap between the thread in the star nut and the top cap, so any slight misalignment will be easily compensated for. I have tried fitting a star nut without a star nut setting tool and I had to give up. As @RickBullotta said, they are cheap and you will get it installed perfectly every time. It is a fairly safe bet that a setting tool was used originally on your bike.
PS: Ancient proverb: "Don't fix what isn't broken!"
As @RustyIron said the star nut is a stamped out piece of junk. There is a gap between the thread in the star nut and the top cap, so any slight misalignment will be easily compensated for. I have tried fitting a star nut without a star nut setting tool and I had to give up. As @RickBullotta said, they are cheap and you will get it installed perfectly every time. It is a fairly safe bet that a setting tool was used originally on your bike.
PS: Ancient proverb: "Don't fix what isn't broken!"
Hopefully it holds. But if it doesn't then life could get VERY 'interesting'PS: Ancient proverb: "Don't fix what isn't broken!"
Another ancient proverb is "A stitch in time saves nine!"Hopefully it holds. But if it doesn't then life could get VERY 'interesting'
Two contradictory pieces of ancient wisdom. What are we suppoosed to do?
Look again. The tabs are bent more on one side that the other.It is difficult to judge from the photograph, because the camera lens was not exactly above the centre of the fork steerer.
As @RustyIron said the star nut is a stamped out piece of junk. There is a gap between the thread in the star nut and the top cap, so any slight misalignment will be easily compensated for. I have tried fitting a star nut without a star nut setting tool and I had to give up. As @RickBullotta said, they are cheap and you will get it installed perfectly every time. It is a fairly safe bet that a setting tool was used originally on your bike.
PS: Ancient proverb: "Don't fix what isn't broken!"
I agree that they are, but the key thing to look at is whether the centre of the top cap thread is in the centre of the fork steerer and it looks to be very close. As @RustyIron said the star nut is a cheap thing. It doesn't matter how bent it is, it matters whether it is central.
Knock it through and put a new star nut in with the proper tool. YKIMSAnother ancient proverb is "A stitch in time saves nine!"
Two contradictory pieces of ancient wisdom. What are we suppoosed to do?
- Thread starter
- #15
It looks centered, but can be off by a mm. It's hard to eyeball. I will probably get around to changing it at one point, I like tinkering around the bike.
You can see how far off centre it is by hand screwing a bolt loosely into it. Suspect the bolt will be off centre by a surprising amount. Post a pic?
If it would make you happier, just do it. Amazon has eight star nut's for $5.99. If you're not sure if you can drive it in straight with conventional tools, you can get a star nut with the installer tool for $5.24. For the price of your morning Weetabix, you can solve your dilemma and live happily ever after.
If it was me.
This ^^^^
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And this^^^^^
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This ^^^^…Ancient proverb: "Don't fix what isn't broken!"
This ^^^^…errrr…I mean WHAT THE…
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Don’t leave us hanging man…what’d you end up doing???
Bontee
Active member
It isn’t a stressed component,other than initial setting of the headset compression ,out of centre will make no difference at all.You wont pull this out any easier than one which is perfectly central .
Non of mine on any of my bikes ,ever have been perfectly centred going back to the dawn of time ( 1988)
Non of mine on any of my bikes ,ever have been perfectly centred going back to the dawn of time ( 1988)
All you really need to do is knock the old star nut completely out of the bottom of the steerer tube, or at least far enough down so that it doesn't interfere with the new star nut or stem bolt.I ordered new nuts with the tool. Drilling the old nut out and inserting a new one should be pretty straightforward
RickBullotta
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Don’t driill it. Just drive it out the bottom of the steerer.I ordered new nuts with the tool. Drilling the old nut out and inserting a new one should be pretty straightforward
RickBullotta
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Just hit it harder then.
- Thread starter
- #29
Who the heck knows, it was some Reddit thread or pinkbike forum.Interesting.
What brand or type of fork would that be?
Ok
. There are several members on here that have likely faced this issue before. They have some good suggestions or solutions. I have some experience also when installing new forks, installing stems, or inserting the tool option into the steering or fork tube.
When the star-nut isn’t necessary for a tubular shaped tool insert, (Allen key, quick links, etc) I simply tap the star nut thru the fork/steering tube until it drops out of the bottom (near the fork crown). The tubular toolkit then becomes a replacement for the star nut. Or sometimes you can reinsert the star nut correctly, if its not damaged too much.
Sometimes a plug can be used at the crown area (larger bearing) to keep debris out of the tube. Not necessary though but that area, or void, can be used to hide stuff; ie AirTag, Money, Condom etc. (I’m giving away secrets here)
