Bicycle Mechanics - Need help with steerer threads

I am not a bicycle mechanic, I just ride the darned thing.

A high speed collision shattered front wheel, bent the rear, and tweaked the fork on my 2001 schwinn panther. I'm using this as an excuse to move to suspension, (and a disk brake/internal geared hub/having a wheelset built/etc).

I bought a never mounted 2000 manitou x-vert fork for a song from someone who cut the steerer too short to use ,(doh!). The steerer is the same length as the fork it is replacing, same inside/outside diameter. It's unthreaded though, and I need about an inch and a half of 1 1/8 inch 26 tpi threads cut on it. I can't find anyone in town who will do it, getting lame excuses like "cant be done", "we don't do that", "we don't do that anymore", etc. I understand what hand-cut threads look like, I'm a former automotive technician, and can live with roughness and burrs.

Park Tools makes the threader , and specificaly states it is suitable for creating threads. I don't want to spend $200 on a tool I will use once.

I can ship the fork if anyone is interested in doing the job. Let me know if you are interested in doing the job, I'll make the job worth your time.

offline@qwest.net

BTW-has anyone ever seen first-hand a shimano nexus 7-speed that has failed? I'm looking for a poor mans speedhub.

I don't think there is enough material in the steerer tube to accept the threads. One of the advantages to threadless is they could make the column thinner, to save weight, but still have enough strength to do the job.

An alternative might be to mill the head tube, to make it shorter in order to mount a threadless stem. Or modify the threadless stem itsself.

Of course, you could sell the fork to someone else and get one that will do the job properly.


By the way, WELCOME to the forums.

It is the same diameter inside and outside as the steerer it is replacing, that would make the wall thickness the same.

The new unthreaded steerer is steel, the bent one it is replacing is aluminum.

The threads are not a stressed member and serve only to hold preload on the headset bearings.

You may be right, I don't know, but I don't have the 1 1/8 die anyway.

If I understand this correctly you have a threaded headset on the bike with a threadless fork. if this is correct then just buy a 1 1/8" threadless headset, and a threadless stem. Your LBS should be able to press in a new headset. Or you can make your own for about $5 or $6 and do it yourself.

The unthreaded steerer tube is the same length as the old steerer tube, that would make it too short to run threadless.

I'm not sure why this is such a difficult request.

OK, here is the scoop;

Real nice guy at Gresham Bicycle who even used the 'F' word on the phone a lot, (what a relief), gave me some advice, thought I would pass it on.

1. Cut the steerer tube in half at the halfway point.

2. Insert a 1 inch seatpost section into both halves.

3. Weld the pieces together when it's at the correct length.

This was not what I was looking for, but it will allow me to run threadless, and more importantly, to get the bike back together.

Thanks all!

Thanks for the up date and an interesting solution. I'm wondering now if a stem extender, or riser, would work just as well.

I enjoy talking to guys using the most wonderful of all the four letter combinations possible. It is my favorite. Had contemplated teaching it to my first born, instead of mama or dada, but my wife made threats I couldn't ignore.

umm....
any competant bike shop will cut threads onto a steerer. Maybe you just need to find another shop?

The steerer on many suspension forks can be replaced.

Originally posted by pokey
The steerer on many suspension forks can be replaced.

Actually pokey more often than not many CANNOT be replaced as they are pressed in. Most of the fork makers in 2002 and beyond are making them that way now.

Hmmmm......

manufacturers conspiring to have us purchase a whole new part....
Instead of buying a replacement.....?

I smell a conspiracy!!

well, i remember when i had a first gen Bomber Z2, it had a steel steerer that could be replace cuz the crown had 2 allen key bolts pinching it on. I looked at how much the steerers cost and they were really expensive (almost 100bux for a steel steerer from marzocchi!). It also adds weight to the fork cuz of the bolts and reinforcing required on the crown. I think that's why many companies make press-fitted crowns now. You can change the steerer tube, but that usually means buying a steerer attached to a crown (even more cash!!) and then attached to stanctions..ouch!

Well Precision.....his is a 2000 model,so what's being done in 2002 has little to do with it. Anyway,I like your idea better of converting to threadless,even though it would be too short.

yeah i've had similar experience. most shops dont want to thread steerers anymore, or many shops don't have the tool. hope you find one who will thread it for you.

Boy......this is an old thread........I'm sure duane had his steerer threaded by now.
Where I live, I had no problem finding a shop to perform this task. Got a real good deal on a new Cinelli fork with an extra long steerer tube which I had to cut down. Took it to my LBS to have it threaded........8 bucks.

lol my bad, i found the thread on a search and felt compelled to share lol....

Try Steve at: www.twowheeltransit.com

If it can be done, He can do it.

Ride Soon
Pat

Most of the tools out there are not made for cutting new threads on a totally-unthreaded steer tube. They're made to add new threads with the existing ones as pilots. It's Not Nice to the tools to use them for what they're not made for, and they're not cheap. ;)

I have a threader but it's die is intended to dress up threads not cut fresh ones. It is really hard to start these dies on a blank. They are not progressively cut, that is the die is not tapered so it cuts deeper as it progresses on to the blank. Makes it very hard to start. It also cost me about fifty bucks to get it resharpened and cutting fresh threads with it shortens its life.
The reason steerers are pressed onto the crown is because everyone wants light and a crown designed to have a pressed steerer and stanchions can be lighter because you don't need the extra beef for the pinch slot or threaded areas or the weight of the pinch bolts.