Levo SL Gen 1 Headset Issues

[Junior]

I have had some various creaking in the headset on my Levo SL, but the most recent one is not going away with a deep cleaing/regreasing of the headset bearing surfaces. Yesterday I pulled it all apart for the third time and detached the brake caliper off the fork, so I could really clean out all the surfaces without balancing an attached brake cable and the bike stand.

Anyways, I cannot get this hard creak to come out. Greased all the headset spacers, headset, stem, swat tool threads, swat tool interface. I just pulled the wheel off and managed to get the creak by pushing the fork into a rug I have.

I am wondering if anyone has had any issues with ovalizing their headset faces on the headtube? Its gotta be either that or the fork upper is creaking. Bike has about 1000 miles on it with maybe 300 on the new Lyrik fork I threw on. Running the fork at 150mm still.

 

[Junior]

Well if it’s a Lyric I doubt it’s creak from the fork. Sometimes it’s super hard to locate a noise on a carbon bike. With the swat tool I noticed I needed to tighten it more than I’d normally. I think mine is usually at about 5nm before I tighten the stem. Check that first. But of course you tighten once and move handlebars all the way left you can go and all the way right it can go that way it forces your bearings flush. Then re torque.

if this doesn’t fix it then it has to be something else.....seat tube, cranks, rear triangle. The door to the house. A ghost?!?

I know my way around a bike well. I pulled the wheel and pressed the fork into the rug by the main triangle and it makes the sound. I figured that eliminated any thing other than the fork/headset. I just went down to the shop and picked up a new headset since it was only 25 bucks, but the sound persists. I needed the headset for my 2018 enduro anyhow.

I know the Lyrik is pretty bomb proof in the crown, but I figure it’s a possibility.Hopefully it’s not the frame as last frame component that got warrantied got replaced with a raw carbon component. Now my seat stays are different than the frame!

 

[Junior]

To me it’s down to just the crown then. If it’s that crack noise that a bad crown makes.... have you been bombing your bike?

Yeah a crack sound describes it well. I definitely ride hard and fast and I am a fairly hefty dude at 6’4 and 210 pounds. Wouldn’t be the first fork I’ve had issues with!

 

[Rosemount]

I have had some various creaking in the headset on my Levo SL, but the most recent one is not going away with a deep cleaing/regreasing of the headset bearing surfaces. Yesterday I pulled it all apart for the third time and detached the brake caliper off the fork, so I could really clean out all the surfaces without balancing an attached brake cable and the bike stand.

Anyways, I cannot get this hard creak to come out. Greased all the headset spacers, headset, stem, swat tool threads, swat tool interface. I just pulled the wheel off and managed to get the creak by pushing the fork into a rug I have.

I am wondering if anyone has had any issues with ovalizing their headset faces on the headtube? Its gotta be either that or the fork upper is creaking. Bike has about 1000 miles on it with maybe 300 on the new Lyrik fork I threw on. Running the fork at 150mm still.

I hired a Levo in Derby earlier this year .
The crown / stanchions creaked . Took it back to the bike shop. As it was distracting me . The mechanic said it was not uncommon as he had the same problem on his bike . Isolate the fork and check ?

 

[Junior]

I hired a Levo in Derby earlier this year .
The crown / stanchions creaked . Took it back to the bike shop. As it was distracting me . The mechanic said it was not uncommon as he had the same problem on his bike . Isolate the fork and check ?

yeah CSU assemblies are known to creak. Much bigger issues with fox than RS. It is certainly distracting

Luckily I kept all the parts I replace on my bike, so I’ve got the stock fork to run for backup if it needs to go back. I’ll pull the fork and throw it in my neighbors vice and see if I can get it to creak without the rest of the bike involved.