How-To: Dialing stem/fork install, w/o 'compression cap'

Wait do you not have the compression bolt?
Also remember to tighten the compression bolt before you tighten stem bolts

there's no female-hole for it in the fork (fork's steerer tube was cut too-low)

I swear I've been able to do this w/o compression bolts very simply in the past, but I just cannot get this close to firm..

pics

it's a steerer tube that protrudes past the stem's height, if you cannot visualize that you're unlikely to be of any use offering suggestions.

[to be sure: the steerer tube, which is the fork's "top half", is taller than the frame's head-tube; at the same time, the fork's steerer-tube does NOT have a female-slot for a compression bolt (which it should), because, at a prior time, the fork's steerer-tube was cut-down (for aesthetics), and when it was cut, the welds that held the steerer's female-slot (for the compression nut) were removed during the cut. So there's no female compression-bolt receptor.) Hope we're on the level now, i mean really i can take a pic but if you don't get this from txt then it's sure that you won't be of help anywas yknow?]

it's easier to just say "I'm allergic to using compression bolts, and must secure a stem/bars to a fork, using ONLY the stem-bolts that interface with the steerer tube"

Why you or somebody else would cut a fork past the threads in the first place is beyond me...

tap threads into the fork, buy a compression cap like so

Should the steerer tube protrude beyond the top of the stem? Just wondering since everyone's stack height is different.

ak_guero wrote:

Should the steerer tube protrude beyond the top of the stem? Just wondering since everyone's stack height is different.

ak_guero wrote:

Should the steerer tube protrude beyond the top of the stem? Just wondering since everyone's stack height is different.

...more

no it shouldnt
if it does, the compression cap cant compress the stem down to prevent bearing wobble

yeah if your steerer isn't as tall as the stem you can't compress it (if you want it like that, you can utilize a spacer to get the compression bolt biting, then remove it once your stem's pinch-bolts are tightened. Probably not recommended but i've seen this a ton of times. My problem was no receptor for compression bolt in my fork/steerer tube, so i'm gonna have to temporarily rig-up something out the bottom of the fork!)