bwalton said:
Unfortunately, my bike was not equipped with a Talas fork with adjustable travel, so I can not drop the travel down to100mm and test out the feel of a steeper HT angle.
Getting back to my gap between the top of the HT and the HS cup, I am not sure if the small gap is causing the problem because the fork-handle bars turn very smoothly throughout its 180 degrees of travel (no binding) and the HS has never loosened up.
When you're stopped and your feet are on the ground grab a handful of front brake and push foward on the handlebars. Rock back and forth on the handlebars, if you get a significant amount of play, popping, wobbling, creaking, etc then your headset could be the problem (and I said COULD, not that it is)... If thats the case then you need to give a huge middle finger to the bike shop that installed your headset, take it back and make them reinstall the thing... unless they've ovalized the head tube in which case you get a new frame. But you keep saying that the headset runs smooth and spins well, if your headset was loose enough that it would affect your handling you'd know it as soon as you touched the bike or picked it up (you'll hear a very obvious rattle of your fork inside the steerer tube). From hearing what you have said and not by seeing the bike in person I'm about 99% sure that the headset isn't your problem. This is coming from a guy who's been wrenching on his own stuff for 14 years and wrenching in bike shops for another 5 years or so.
But seriously man, you just keep posting your woes... why don't you post about our suggestions that you have tried? If you posted what has and hasn't worked for you then it'll be easier for us to decipher your problem. Have you tried anything that we've suggested? Or are you just still freaking out about your headset?
You might want to re-read your owners manual (very carefully this time). I believe the Stumpy's have adjustable geometry without having to use a Talas fork. My 06 Enduro was this way, as is the new Enduro SL, all the Demo bikes, SX trail, big hit, etc. I could have a steeper or more slack head angle by using a different shock shuttle or moving the shock to a different bolt hole in the linkage. Examine how your shock is mounted in the frame, is there a foward shock mount or rear mount that appears as though it could be removed and mounted back up in a different way? Where the shock mounts to the rear linkage is there a alternate bolt hole to use? If not then you just might have to get used to the fact that you bought a longer travel bike (companies will change bikes around here and there from year to year) and the more slack geometry will cause your front wheel to wander a bit.
My Pitch has six inches front and rear... it has been PRO built (as in every part was removed from the bike after it was pulled from the box and re-installed with proper torque settings and with facing the headset and bb), the bike couldn't possibly be built any better because it was built by not just me but with the assistance of friends at work who are professional race team mechanics. It has no creaks, no squeaks, and is sound as a pound. Honestly man this bike couldn't be built better by anybody else, by all means it is functionally PERFECT... but guess what? It still wobbles a bit side to side if I'm riding with no hands at low speeds. But why would this happen if the bike was built so well? I have 6 inches of travel, my frame is just a bit small so that when I'm on flats or climbs my extra tall seatpost changes the intended weight distribution for the bike (which means that my body puts a lot of side to side sway on the bike), also the geometry of the frame is designed around a 140mm (5.5 inch) fork while I put on a 150mm (6 inch) fork.
My Demo 7 is the SAME EXACT STORY. More so because the 7 inch fork is taller and the geometry of the bike is even more slack.
The problem is not the bike dude, you just gotta understand that. Hop on a epic sometime. The super steep geometry, short travel fork and rear end, stiffer suspension setup, and light weight will make it track straight at low speeds without hands on the bars. Yet your bike has an extra inch in the front, 3/4 of an inch in the back, has more suspension bob, weighs more, has more of an upright riding position and you can't seem to figure out that it's for these simple reasons listed above thats causing your bike to wander a bit. Due to the slack geometry and relaxed angles, you are putting more weight on the rear than the front... if you want your bike to track in a straight line better then put weight on the bar, that means put your hands on the bar. This isn't a problem or a defect or a fault with the bike, it is simply how it was designed. I really doubt that engineers sit up late at night and ponder on how to build the straightest tracking 5 inch mountain bike when the rider isn't using his hands on the bar. They're more concerned with climbing efficiency, descending prowess, making the thing weigh less than a boat anchor, and putting a smile on your face.
But really though, is it that much of a nuisance? What about when you have your hands on the bar and are flying through some twisty singletrack descent? I'll bet your bike goes EXACTLY where you want it. If you can't stop complaining then sell the bike and get a epic. It has less travel and more aggressive xc geometry versus the long travel and relaxed geometry of the Stumpy. I'm sure that for the collective1% of the time that you ride your bike with no hands at low speeds the epic will track much straighter. But the stumpy is going to be more fun for the other 99% of riding that you'll inevitably do with your hands on the bar. Otherwise, put a Talas on the front, or just buy a 4 inch fork... it wont be as fun as a five inch fork and it'll make your bike look and behave like a retard at Chucky Cheese, but it'll track pretty straight when you are hands free at or below ten miles an hour (apparently this is where you do the bulk of your riding anyway).
Look dude, I know my replies are long. But if you actually read them you'll see that you are worrying about something that isn't a big deal to worry about. Most mountain bikers with this type of bike experience the same exact thing as you. We just deal with it because the ten minutes of a bike ride where the bike wobbles a bit beacuse I'm riding no handed is nothing compared to the three hours of fun that I'll have with that straight tracking bike when my hands are on the bar. Does any of this make sense to you? I just feel like none of this is sinking in, you're severely beating a dead horse here.
Geez dude, just give me your bike. I'll happily ride it.