Your Diamondback mountain bike may have a threaded or threadless headset. A headsets is the set of washers, bearings, bolts and nuts that holds the handlebar stem at a particular height and connects the stem to the bicycle frame fork so you can steer the bike. A threaded headset has a locknut around the handlebar stem just above the head tube of the frame. A threadless headset uses a separate handlebar stem attached to the steerer tube with two pinch bolts.
Threaded Headset
Step 1
Stand over the front wheel of the bike, holding the wheel steady between your feet and lower legs.
Step 2
Use an Allen wrench or adjustable wrench to loosen the stem bolt at the top of the vertical part of the stem. Turn the wrench completely four to five times.
Step 3
Twist the handlebars left and right while pulling up. Diamondback bikes have a minimum insertion mark on the stem; the owner's manual cautions you to not raise the stem so that this line is visible. If the stem's minimum insertion line has worn off or is obscured by grease on the stem, leave at least 2 inches of the stem below the locknut.
Step 4
Hold the handlebars in alignment with the front wheel while you tighten the stem bolt until you can no longer turn the wrench, except with great force.
Threadless Headset
Step 1
Stand over the front wheel of the bike, holding the wheel steady between your feet and lower legs.
Step 2
Loosen the bolt at the top of the steerer tube with an Allen wrench.
Step 3
Use an Allen wrench to loosen the pinch bolts at the top of the steerer tube. The stem with attached handlebars should then slide off the top of the steerer tube.
Step 4
Slide the spacers, which are rings of plastic or metal, off of the steerer tube. One, two or more spacers may be present. Flip the steerer tube over, placing it back in the bike.
Step 5
Add the spacers back onto the steerer tube. If there's extra space between the existing spacers and where you'll reattach the handlebar stem, go to the next step. If not, flip the steerer tube back into its original position.
Step 6
Slide additional spacers onto the steerer tube. Leave enough space for both pinch bolts on the handlebar stem to clamp the steerer tube. Unfortunately, in many cases, the steerer tube is too short to fit additional spacers.
Step 7
Reattach the handlebar stem. Tighten the top bolt on the steerer tube and then tighten the pinch bolts on the stem, keeping the handlebars aligned with the front wheel.
Tips and Warnings
- If your threaded headset stem is dry or rusty when you raise it, remove it completely from the frame and grease it with bicycle or automotive grease before reattaching it to the frame. On threadless headsets, raise your handlebars with a steerer extender or a new longer steerer tube. A riser stem, another option, lifts your handlebars to an increased angle, negating the need for additional spacers.
- Diamondback cautions that raising your handlebars may make your brake and/or shifter cables too short. If you have extra length on the cable, loosen the cable clamp and readjust the height of the handlebars and cable tension at the new height. Otherwise, replace your brake and/or shifter cables.
Things You'll Need
- Set of Allen wrenches, 4 to 8 mm
- Adjustable wrench
- Extra spacers, for threadless headsets only
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