Had a carbon steerer tube start to crack during a routine headset adjustment

Honestly, I was working on a customer's high end road bike in the shop last Tuesday, just doing a basic headset preload check. I was torquing the top cap to 5 Nm when I heard a faint crack. Ngl, I stopped right away and pulled the fork. There was a tiny hairline crack starting about 2 cm down from the top of the carbon steerer. I told the customer we needed a new fork immediately and showed them the damage. Has anyone else caught a failure like this before it went all the way? What's your go-to check for suspect carbon parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaels9510d ago

I caught a similar crack on a three year old gravel bike last season. The owner had just installed a new stem and I spotted a faint line under the paint during a safety check. We used a bright shop light and a jeweler's loupe to confirm it. That's my standard method now, good light and magnification along the whole steerer. It's scary how a simple part can fail from just normal use.

davidwright10d ago

Spot on, I found one with a flashlight too.