New Forks

MTBlood said:

Well...bought new forks...and I mean new, un-cut steering tube and no
star nut. Can I cut the tube with a pipe cutter or is there a science
to it?

You can, I've never done it though, always used a hacksaw and then
filed it smooth. If you have an old stem lying around it makes a good
guide for the blade.

Quoted message said:

Also can you lightly drive the star nut to the proper depth or
is it more complicated than that?

Yep, as long as your careful. Insert the bolt as much as possible then
tap away until its fully seated a couple of mm below the top of the
steerer.

Quoted message said:

Do bike shops generally carry star
nuts or do you normally have to order them?

I'd have thought every bike shop would have loads spare, I got my last
couple foc when I bought a some bars.

Quoted message said:

First time installing new forks so if there is anything else I should
know then let me know.

As the saying goes - measure twice, cut once. I always like to leave
enough steerer to fit a 5mm spacer above the stem as well as how ever
many you usually fit below. Gives a bit of leeway should you ever get a
stem with a taller clamp etc.

Steve.

"spademan o---[) *" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

[sniptastic]

Quoted message said:

I always like to leave
enough steerer to fit a 5mm spacer above the stem as well as how ever
many you usually fit below. Gives a bit of leeway should you ever get a
stem with a taller clamp etc.

Steve.

Very sound advice. I've cut a couple now and it's amazing how "close" it can
all get to being too short when you do it. Especially if you don't cut
square (nightmare scenario) or there's some other reason you've not factored
in when measuring (such as the way the tape measure hookie-end-thing moves a
little...)

In fact, I paid something like £5 for the LBS to do it on my DC Shivers as I
didn't fancy killing such an expensive set of forks - and discussing it with
the shop they said that it happens a lot, they let thier workshop team
members get away with it once and then charge them personally for the
replacement stems when they stuff up.
I suppose I could have measured it short though, so not much risk reduction
in some ways...

AndyC

"MTBlood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Well...bought new forks...and I mean new, un-cut steering tube and no
star nut. Can I cut the tube with a pipe cutter or is there a science
to it? Also can you lightly drive the star nut to the proper depth or
is it more complicated than that? Do bike shops generally carry star
nuts or do you normally have to order them? Or if anyone here has one
they'd be willing to part with I'd gladly pay for it and shipping as
well.

First time installing new forks so if there is anything else I should
know then let me know.

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_headthreadless.shtml

I use a fine toothed hacksaw and patience. Wrap tape around the tube as a
guide. Do you have a lower race? I hammer them on with a piece of pipe
and a rag to protect the race. Screw the bolt into the starfangled nut,
duck tape the head of the bolt, and hammer on that. If it gets going
crooked, back the bolt out a bit and tap it in the direction you want to go,
or reach in with a screwdriver and tap that to coach it in straight.

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.

To be safe, leave the tube a tad longer than you expect to need, and add
spacers on top. When my wife bought her used Stumpjumper, there was
probably 2 cm worth of spacers above the stem. I figured whoever cut the
tube just mis-measured and never re-cut.

Once she rode it for a while and decided she wanted the bars higher up, it
was a snap to pull the stem off and put the spacers below it. Fixed her fit
problem and the extra couple of cm of steerer doesn't affect performance.

Gary

"spademan o---[) *" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MTBlood said:

Well...bought new forks...and I mean new, un-cut steering tube and no
star nut. Can I cut the tube with a pipe cutter or is there a science
to it?

<snip>

Quoted message said:

As the saying goes - measure twice, cut once. I always like to leave
enough steerer to fit a 5mm spacer above the stem as well as how ever
many you usually fit below. Gives a bit of leeway should you ever get a
stem with a taller clamp etc.

Steve.

Great advice...I really appreciate it. I bought a star nut today,
around 3 bucks. So I can afford to screw it up. I'm going to cut the
steering tube tomorrow morning. Thanks again.

Mike

Pipecutter works fine I do it all the time. Nice cut.
Put that hacksaw up.