Need this thing a couple inches higher for comfort… I'm thinking of taking it to work so I can use a torque wrench to be extra sure it's properly tightened, but I am worried I'll somehow still screw it up and it will start flying around while I ride, or I'll strip the bolt.
Silly question as these were obviously designed to be easily adjustable, but I just want to check!
by fishwhiskers
6 Comments
you’ll have a tough time with this because, unlike a lot of other stems, raising it will *require* you to adjust the brake cable. you can see that the cable goes through the stem: by raising the stem you will be pulling up on the brake cable, squeezing the brakes together tightly.
i also sorta doubt you’ve got another couple inches of usable stem there; if you do attempt it, pay attention to the marks on the stem indicating the maximum height you can raise it! it’s important for safety.
I did it when I was 10 with no special tools and survived. Mine didn’t have the front brakes running through it though.
As dedolent mentioned, you’ll need to adjust the brakes. Look up a video, search something like “centerpull brake adjustment”.
Basically, you need to loosen the cable clamp to allow the cable to slide through the amount you raise your stem.
To raise the stem, loosen brake cable. Loosen the bolt a couple of turns. Your stem should now be loose. But sometimes the wedge gets stuck, and the bolt needs a light tap. Raise stem. Tighten bolt with bars straight. Adjust brakes.
Adjusting the brakes isn’t actually that difficult. If you’re mechanically inclined you can kind of figure it out by looking at it. However, you may not actually have enough brake cable to spare. If you raise this stem two inches, you’ll need two more inches of cable, which I doubt you have. Swapping brake cables is also pretty easy, though you’ll need good cutters.
If this is your only bike and you depend on it, then I’d be a bit reluctant to say “just do it”, but if you can stand to have the bike out of commission for a bit if you get in over your head, it’s a beginner-friendly DIY task. A couple of notes:
* The stem will have a line where you don’t want to go any higher, so watch for that. You also don’t need to loosen the bolt very much. A few turns should to it and then whack the top of the bolt to push it down.
* You’ll also need loosen the brake cable first or it’ll prevent you from raising the stem.
It depends on the length of the stem inside the steerer tube. Take it out and see, if it’s long, then yes. If it’s so short the expander is too high then no.
The expander has to be inside the steerer tube a bit down.
So in conclusion as long as the expander isn’t visible it’s fine.
Its ok, youtube it