Hey all - I’m working an a Cannondale SuperSix Evo Gen4 that has constant headset play and I cannot figure out how to eliminate it.
The headset is clean and serviced and torqued in the proper sequence and to the proper torque and the headset bearings are clean and greased, but once you apply any upward or downward pressure on the handlebars/stem, there is faint but distinct click and you can feel a tick in the handlebar/stem. I’m able to isolate the issue to the headset/bearings since the tick is there if you apply direct pressure on the stem. It’s very minor right now (but drives me insane), but gradually comes back over time.
This has been my only issue with the bike since I bought it a year ago and I’ve taken it to several shops who have not been able to silence it either.
Hard to assess without seeing the bike but such bikes with unsolvable headset issues usually have misaligned bearings seats which is an warranty issue.
I had a similar issue on mine for several months after a local shop built it up from frameset. Turned out they had set it up without enough steerer for the top cap to hold everything in place properly. After another shop dropped the stem, required cutting the hoses and installing the lower stack dust cover, the problem went away and never returned.
I actually had that same issue initially but the steerer tube is now level with the stem clamp although the filler is lower. When I took this photo, I put some pressure on the stem and got the same tick without the cap on.
Are you sure the tick is related to a loose headset? In other words, if you do the test where you turn your wheel 90 degrees, hold the front brake, and push forward repeatedly, do you feel play at the top of the headset? Or is there just an audible tick that you’re trying to solve?
