How do you raise the handle bar stem?

This topic is empty.

Post

- October 10, 2012 at 10:30 pm
- Quote
runnyeggsham
Member

This is a stupid question but I looked at an about.com video and it didn’t work on my bike. I just bought a 98(?) Barracuda A2V. The handlebar is set to the bottom and I want to raise it. I loosened the allen nut and tried pulling it as hard as I could but it didnt budge.

Can someone tell me how to get it loose? thank you! Above that, the bike rides really well. I use it for school. Got it for $75 tuned already. The brakes are not as tight as my friend’s Trek that he just bought….cherry condition but heavier than mine…I think built around the same time period. His is almost brand new….girl owned.

Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

Replies

- October 11, 2012 at 2:13 am
- Quote
neo_pop_71
Member

@runnyeggsham wrote:

This is a stupid question but I looked at an about.com video and it didn’t work on my bike. I just bought a 98(?) Barracuda A2V. The handlebar is set to the bottom and I want to raise it. I loosened the allen nut and tried pulling it as hard as I could but it didnt budge.

First things first… welcome to the the Cuda family!

Damn nice score for $75.00!!! You landed a 1994 gem, the A2V was a higher end Barracuda made from Tange Prestige tubing (same as a Stumpjumper), and you got it for a fraction of the original $1,399.00 price… I wish I could find a Cuda like that!!!

Naw, no stupid questions… you loosened one allen head bolt but did you loosen the other two on the back of the stem? If so, and all three are loose, it would seem that your stem has been in that position since new or at least for a very long time. Take the allen head bolt and the plastic Aheadset plug completely out, using a rubber mallet (or a steel hammer and a piece of wood, no metal on metal), hit the top of the stem and steer tube gently a few times to break the corrosion loose. This should do the trick. However, you don’t have much steer tube to play with so you’re only going to get about 1/2 an inch or so of added height. Sorry to ruin your plans… you could always get a stem with more rise or a riser handlebar.

Good luck!

-D-
- October 11, 2012 at 3:18 pm
- Quote
Mark
Keymaster

My feeling is that you will need a new stem. One with more rise. Depending on make, not too expensive.
- October 12, 2012 at 12:09 am
- Quote
runnyeggsham
Member

No, I just loosened that one bolt. Doh! I didn’t think those side ones would be necessary.

But here are some more pictures. I mounted it on my car. I like the bike a lot. One of my professors saw me cutting through the grass and remarked that maybe he should bring his bike too and bike around campus instead of walking.

The bike is nice enough where I just ride it around campus at the end of the day at night and unwind.
- October 12, 2012 at 12:11 am
- Quote
runnyeggsham
Member

Thanks for the welcome and info everyone.

And yes, it does say Tree Amigos! Along with the original owner’s name, although I am not sure if this was factory or not. It’s etched in dot matrix! Talk about vintage!

Anyway, I have Gary Fisher Tassajarra too. But that one is in similar condition, maybe a little newer and I dont want to lose that one either. So I take the cuda and lock up the frame with a REI Bulldog Ulock and chain the wheels end to end. The seat is a crappy Bell.
- October 12, 2012 at 12:39 am
- Quote
mixalive
Member

Welcome to the forum.. Nice bike.
So, the image on the carrier: Is your Manitou 4 cinched up (compressed) with that strap? If the fork normally sits that low on the ground, you may have an elastomer issue. Honestly it looks bottomed out.
- October 12, 2012 at 2:24 am
- Quote
runnyeggsham
Member

@mixalive wrote:

Welcome to the forum.. Nice bike.
So, the image on the carrier: Is your Manitou 4 cinched up (compressed) with that strap? If the fork normally sits that low on the ground, you may have an elastomer issue. Honestly it looks bottomed out.

Yes, it does sit that low to the ground. What do you mean compressed by the strap? Nothing is holding it down on my bike rack besides some velcro on the frame that keeps it in place when hanging on the rack.

I don’t know what height the shocks are supposed to be. I was told that it was tuned recently and it rides fine (for a newbie). The shocks still go down when I push down on it or jumping a curve on campus. What is an elastomer.
Thank you.
- October 12, 2012 at 2:37 am
- Quote
mixalive
Member

I just wasn’t sure if the velcro strap was compressing the forks.
Here is a picture of my Manitou 4. It is riding a little high (3/8″) because it has a Wings spring conversion and is sprung. But subtract what you see in gold and that would be the normal unsprung height of an elastomer Manitou 4. It looks to me that you have an elastomer issue. Do you have a Manitou 4 manual? If not, here is a link:

http://suspensionforkparts.net/manitou4_mag_comp.php

Check it out and I can point to you where the issue probably is.
Anyone else want to chime in?
- October 12, 2012 at 3:13 am
- Quote
mixalive
Member

Elastomers:
- October 13, 2012 at 3:21 am
- Quote
runnyeggsham
Member

@mixalive wrote:

I just wasn’t sure if the velcro strap was compressing the forks.
Here is a picture of my Manitou 4. It is riding a little high (3/8″) because it has a Wings spring conversion and is sprung. But subtract what you see in gold and that would be the normal unsprung height of an elastomer Manitou 4. It looks to me that you have an elastomer issue.

I see what you mean. Mine is really compressed. I didn’t even notice to be honest. Man it looks awful compared to yours.
- October 13, 2012 at 6:45 am
- Quote
neo_pop_71
Member

My Manitou 2 forks were bottomed out and wasted, so I gutted them and installed the Wing’s “hard/hard” spring kit (the same that Mixalive spoke about), basically making mine into some sweet rigid BMX forks. The Manitou forks are the same as the Answer BMX fork but with rigid fork tubes. I made my own and saved a couple hundred dollars on a set of Answer BMX forks… sweet! They are on the 26″ BMX that I’m building right now.
- October 13, 2012 at 11:15 pm
- Quote
mixalive
Member

I posted a procedure to check out your forks elastomers. Tell me what you find..

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=563&p=3028#p3028
- October 16, 2012 at 4:57 am
- Quote
runnyeggsham
Member

@neo_pop_71 wrote:

My Manitou 2 forks were bottomed out and wasted, so I gutted them and installed the Wing’s “hard/hard” spring kit (the same that Mixalive spoke about), basically making mine into some sweet rigid BMX forks. The Manitou forks are the same as the Answer BMX fork but with rigid fork tubes. I made my own and saved a couple hundred dollars on a set of Answer BMX forks… sweet! They are on the 26″ BMX that I’m building right now.

Yes, the Wings Springs company is gone. News is all over MTBR, they still take your money but you never get your product. The website is mostly down. The videos on youtube have been set to private.
- October 16, 2012 at 5:11 am
- Quote
runnyeggsham
Member

Thanks Mix! I will try it out this weekend or this week if I have time. I have midterms this week and next. Not much time to play with the bike. I dont want it to break down.
I didnt take off the allen screws but I did screw it all the way either cw or ccw and the shocks actually grew in length. There was no compression or anything. I screwed it the other direction and it got back to being almost a pancake….not quite but close enough. I’ll keep you updated.

The last resort is to get some new elastomers from that place that also sells on Ebay I guess. $49 flat. Almost as much as I paid for the bike at 75.
- October 17, 2012 at 12:46 am
- Quote
mixalive
Member

I am bummed the wings thing is out of business. It was a cool product. I went with the elastomer on my last build.