New Fork installation?

I have in a moment of weakness purchased a new for (QR Catrbonaero). Having never installed one before I was hopeing some of you more mechanical minded folks could give me some hints, tips and especially the pitfalls.

Thansk in Advance

You need a crown race setter, which with a little force, installs the crown race onto the crown. If the fork has a metal steer tube, you need a star fangled-nut setter to set the nut in properly. You could use a bung (or compression plug, used in carbon forks) in a metal steer tube, but I found that they are a pain in the butt.

If you already know what your correct steer tube height is, then put the steer tube into a proper steer tube mitre (to insure a straight cut). If cutting a carbon steer tube, use electrical tape for where you are cutting (to prevent splintering). Make sure to measure twice, and remember to cut on the longer side of the line (more than you need). You will need to file (or in the case of carbon-lightly sand) the burrs off of the cut steer tube. I always seal the end of a carbon steer tube with a bit of epoxy, making sure that you don’t build anything onto it, functioning to seal it from any splintering.

Unless you intend to install quite a few forks, I would advise against buying the tools and doing it yourself. This is a simple job that a shop won’t charge too much money to do. You could end up taking the tube too short, damaging the crown race, or injuring yourself by not installing it correctly.

If you don’t have the right tools, take it to the bike shop and get them to install the fork, ask if you can watch them do it. If you don’t know what you are doing you can damage the fork crown bearing race when removing it from your old fork, and you also need a special slide hammer (i guess that’s what its called) to install the bearing race on the new fork without damaging the precision surfaces.

They can also install the new star fangled nut thingy (again, much easier with the correct tool), and cut the steerer to length, grind off the burrs left by the hacksaw, etc. Most likely your brake pads will need to be readjusted also.

Thanks,

I was kind of planning to take the lower race off the fork by carefully tapping around - I guess from what you are saying that this will probably damage it… I’ll try the LBS - thanks sounds like you are going to save me money…

I started taking the fork off last night (sorry - inveterate fiddler - can’t help taking things to bits…) to look for the fangled starr thingy. On the current fork inside the steerer tube is a strange expansion bolt sort of arrangement which when tightened expands into the tube - (comes in bits and fell apart when I took it out of the tube -ooopps - spent the next ten minutes trying to reassemble the three little grippy bits!). The cap on the top then screws directly into the top of the steerer tube holding the whole lot toggether (thread on the inside of the steerer tube). No sign of any star fangled nuts! ANy ideas? it just looks like a normal Aluminium threadless fork to me…

Always willing to learn

Cheers

Tim

You’re setup is a lot easier then.

The method that you’ve described is exactly how the shops do it, but it does take a fair amount of force to remove the race. Go ahead and try it, worst case that happens you’ll need to buy a new headset.

After that, just take the race and the new fork into the LBS. They can install the race on the fork, and if you wish, cut the steerer to length.

Cheers,

J.

you can read about how to work all these tools, and everything you need, on our “bike repair” site on slowtwitch. it’s the bottom left button, i think, on the navigational bar on the right hand side of the page.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/maintenance/maintenance.html

You should check out “Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance”. It’s only 14 bucks and is one of the best bike repair books for the price. It’s not 10% as thourough as Barnett’s but it only costs 10% as much. It covers any job that you would ever do at home. It does not get into super advances stuff that you would expect your LBS to do for you. But if you are really a serious tinkerer, then this book will keep you up late at night because you will find it so exciting to read.

(Oh, and no…I do not have any affiliation with this book or it’s authors. I’m just telling you all this becuase I just put a new fork onto my bike and bought this book to walk me through it, and it has become one of my favorite books to read. I’m a obsesive compulsive tinkerer too!)