It seems i'm stuck...

Ok so heres what happened:

ok basically the top of the my forks had a little bump (only a small one, and it doesnt seem to be dented, not obviously anyway) and now I cant get the headset nut thing to thread onto the top of the tube. Meaning my now pretty much finished fixie cant be used. So i'm hoping that someone might be able to offer some help.
Is there a way round this?

the nut looks on the piss to me, if it's not can't you saw off a couple of mm, and get a smaller stack head set??

it looks like the first thing to do would be re-tap the threads on the steerer tube and the nut..
maybe a bike shop job, I know I don't have taps and dies that size.

it might be worth checking the threads on the stearer to see if theres any swarf in between the threads if so get a wire brush on it, its also worth checking for a damaged thread if so you can use a file to re cut the thread. (do i get a prize for the amout of times i wrote the word thread?)

sorry that photo prob wasnt the best to use, the wonky headset nut is just balanced there it just wont thread down. I have cleaned up the threads and it hasn't made a difference unfortunately. Now its prob a really stupid question but, what does that nut do? is is 100% essential?

If you can't get the locking nut to thread on to it, I'd give the following a try. I'm a bit of a ghetto bike diy-er so apologies if I get names of bits wrong:

Firstly take the top locknut thing off (the bit thats on the piss), then slowly unscrew the top bearing race (the bit with the knurled edges). You want to turn it clockwise and anticlockwise slowly over the area at the very end of the steerer tube, hopefully this will realign the shitty bits of thread at the very end. Do it slowly, and try not to take it completely off until all the threads all the way up are nice and free-running with no resistance.

This is what I do when cutting a section off a piece of threaded rod for stuff. stick a few nuts on it before you cut it, then slowly screw them off, re-aligning the threads on the cut end.

[edit] oh and that nut locks the top race of the headset down to a set position (like winding two nuts tight against each other to lock them on a thread). Essential, since you don't want your top race really really tight so it rapes your ball bearings, and it'll unscrew itself if it's any looser without the locking nut.

get thee to sheldon

Have you tried Park Tools DE-666, the 'Do Everything' tool?

lol, plus 1.

fc9k If you can't get the locking nut to thread on to it, I'd give the following a try. I'm a bit of a ghetto bike diy-er so apologies if I get names of bits wrong:

Firstly take the top locknut thing off (the bit thats on the piss), then slowly unscrew the top bearing race (the bit with the knurled edges). You want to turn it clockwise and anticlockwise slowly over the area at the very end of the steerer tube, hopefully this will realign the shitty bits of thread at the very end. Do it slowly, and try not to take it completely off until all the threads all the way up are nice and free-running with no resistance.

This is what I do when cutting a section off a piece of threaded rod for stuff. stick a few nuts on it before you cut it, then slowly screw them off, re-aligning the threads on the cut end.

[edit] oh and that nut locks the top race of the headset down to a set position (like winding two nuts tight against each other to lock them on a thread). Essential, since you don't want your top race really really tight so it rapes your ball bearings, and it'll unscrew itself if it's any looser without the locking nut.

Yep being as you have another threaded peice on there alread run it through the threads and with any luck this will clean it up. If not you have two options.

1. a thread file, if you have one can borrow one run it along the threads, you should place it in the threads and the one that fits well is the correct size. From memory 24 tpi is the thread.

2. A good bike shop shout have a die that will beable the chase the threads out. They should not chage much < £10. My lbs chaged tis for chasing out hte thread on my italin b.b and fitting a new b.b. After all it is a 5 min job.

brilliant, thanks. LBS it is then