The problem is most people don't actually tighten down their alloy headsets enough. Most bike tools, including Campagnolo, aren't made that accurately and don't fit alloy top nuts very well. My advice to people with loosening headsets is just make it a little tighter with a quality adjustable wrench. If that doesn't work I'll leave you with the words of a master mechanic I once worked under, "Remember a cross-thread is a tight thread." good night, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives SB, CA
At 9:27 PM -0700 8/4/02, Andrew Gillis wrote:
>Chuck, et al:
>
>In college (1977 or so), I had overhauled a NR rear derailleur and had
>greased the limit screws with Phil Wood grease. After the first rear wheel
>catastrophe (chain in spokes), I recall re-verifying that the upper limit
>screw wouldn't stay put when it was greased. I subsequently had no drift
>when I overhauled the NR RD and used oil instead.
>
>Similarly, in September of 1979, the headset on my new Pinarello was an
>aluminum Edco which loosened and dented (brinnelled) when I was riding thru
>Portuguese Bend in Palos Verdes (old rutted roads). I recall that there was
>a keyed locknut in that installation. The Edco headset was only a few weeks
>old (I'm sure it was originally tight) when it loosened up and was ruined.
>
>Afterwards I had a Chris King headset installed, which did not use a keyed
>lockwasher (OEM setup). This one also would also loosen up, but due to the
>stronger bearings it was not ruined. I then overhauled the headset and used
>Phil Wood oil and I have not had any drift since then.
>
>What can I say? The drift sure seemed consistent to me.
>
>Andrew Gillis (Long Beach, CA)
>
>
>> In over 25 years of using grease on threads I've never experienced any
>> of the problems you have had. Never had an aluminum headset "drift" on
>> a steerer tube (that's what the locknut is for) and never had a Nuovo
>> Record or any other derailleur lose its adjustment. Campagnolo's
>> derailleurs have used springs to keep the screws secure in their place
>> and I have never had one back out.
>>
>> Oil or grease keeps the exposed BB axle from rusting ;)
>>
>> Chuck Schmidt
>> SoPas, SoCal