Installing own fork?

Glen F:

but if the steerer tube cut is not square, the cap will exert uneven pressure
on the headset bearings.

Rubbish - as long as the cap clears the fork tube (cut some more off!), the
star nut will pull any headset preload applied exactly centrally. [Says he
who has bodgied up at least one that way...]

The operative phrase there is "clears the fork tube". Cutting squarely
prevents "cutting some more off" which is just doing the job twice,
"bodgily", and all unnecessarily. Why stick to your rough method when
it's quite easy to do it properly and elegantly the first time?

Peter Signorini:


"Jose Rizal" wrote in message
link.net...

Edges that are a little rough are functionally fine, but if the steerer
tube cut is not square, the cap will exert uneven pressure on the
headset bearings.

Cut, then file to get it close to square. I've set up my own fork like this
more than once, with no problems resulting. You don't need to be a
perfectionist with a simple fork steerer tube.


Sure, but on the other hand it's not all that hard to do it right the
first time by an inexperienced non-mechanic. It certainly does not
warrant a $69 fee, as OP experienced.

Peter Signorini:


"Jose Rizal" wrote in message
link.net...

Edges that are a little rough are functionally fine, but if the steerer
tube cut is not square, the cap will exert uneven pressure on the
headset bearings.

Cut, then file to get it close to square. I've set up my own fork like this
more than once, with no problems resulting. You don't need to be a
perfectionist with a simple fork steerer tube.


Sure, but on the other hand it's not all that hard to do it right the
first time by an inexperienced non-mechanic. It certainly does not
warrant a $69 fee, as OP experienced.

Jose Rizal wrote:
eug k:

[.....]

$50 installation and $19 for some metal!!
Damn, anyone else want a fork installed? I'll do it for $30 :-P
Are they titanium spacers or something?

apparently it was more work than expected.. his original quote was
$20-30. rah! I could probably have bought a pipe cutter for $40.

To me, "more work than expected" translates to "I stuffed up and had to
correct it" or "business was slow so I'll charge you more to make up for
it"...

For $69 I would have expected a new headset thrown in. Go somewhere
else next time.

shucks, those guys are usually alright. But yeah, it did seem a bit
dodgy, if I knew it was gonna be 70 bucks I would have probably done
it myself. Over the phone he said $20-30, although i wouldn't expect
him to give an accurate quote without seeing the stuff.

it's the uni bike store at the U of Qld if anyone's wondering.

thanks for all the responses everyone. I'll look for a pvc pipe, a
file, or a piece of paper next time.

how do you install the star nut btw?


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Jose Rizal wrote:
eug k:

[.....]

$50 installation and $19 for some metal!!
Damn, anyone else want a fork installed? I'll do it for $30 :-P
Are they titanium spacers or something?

apparently it was more work than expected.. his original quote was
$20-30. rah! I could probably have bought a pipe cutter for $40.

To me, "more work than expected" translates to "I stuffed up and had to
correct it" or "business was slow so I'll charge you more to make up for
it"...

For $69 I would have expected a new headset thrown in. Go somewhere
else next time.

shucks, those guys are usually alright. But yeah, it did seem a bit
dodgy, if I knew it was gonna be 70 bucks I would have probably done
it myself. Over the phone he said $20-30, although i wouldn't expect
him to give an accurate quote without seeing the stuff.

it's the uni bike store at the U of Qld if anyone's wondering.

thanks for all the responses everyone. I'll look for a pvc pipe, a
file, or a piece of paper next time.

how do you install the star nut btw?


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eug k:


how do you install the star nut btw?


If you don't have the proper tool, it's easily done by screwing in the
bolt to the star nut, and using a mallet or similar to tap the star nut
into position. Make sure the bolt is concentric with the steerer by
turning the steerer tube around and ensuring the bolt is straight.

eug k:


how do you install the star nut btw?


If you don't have the proper tool, it's easily done by screwing in the
bolt to the star nut, and using a mallet or similar to tap the star nut
into position. Make sure the bolt is concentric with the steerer by
turning the steerer tube around and ensuring the bolt is straight.

Jose Rizal wrote:
eug k:

how do you install the star nut btw?


If you don't have the proper tool, it's easily done by screwing in the
bolt to the star nut, and using a mallet or similar to tap the star nut
into position. Make sure the bolt is concentric with the steerer by
turning the steerer tube around and ensuring the bolt is straight.

bah, is that all? i thought it involved black magic or something, to get
it to stay in place. Or at the very least, a weld or glue.



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Jose Rizal wrote:
eug k:

how do you install the star nut btw?


If you don't have the proper tool, it's easily done by screwing in the
bolt to the star nut, and using a mallet or similar to tap the star nut
into position. Make sure the bolt is concentric with the steerer by
turning the steerer tube around and ensuring the bolt is straight.

bah, is that all? i thought it involved black magic or something, to get
it to stay in place. Or at the very least, a weld or glue.



--
is a valid email address. Don't remove anything!