Mountain Biking - Wobbly Fork?..

so i got a new fork, its a mgx or somethin like that. i put it on my steel framed trek 820 and noticed that it wobbled maybe about 3/4" back and forth. i figured it was just the new fork but when i put the old one on that came with the bike i noticed that it also wobbled 3/4 of an inch. in this normal or what can i do about it?

May be something with the headset.

could just be something stupid like not putting the quick release in right when taking off your wheel.

Did you tighten the star nut bolt before tightening the stem bolts?

Edit: Does the fork have a threaded or thread less steerer tube?

Do you have the right race?

Do you know what you're doing?

crown race MIA?

Lbs

Loose nut on the bars?

Combinations post number 9 and post number 2....

I think you didnt snug it up befor you tightned it. Its a quick fix.

back off all your nuts, then grab the fork and hold it in tight. tighten the star nut then the head nuts. It should be fine. Its a simple thing you can do wrong. But dont over tighten the star nut! It breaks

I think you didnt snug it up befor you tightned it. Its a quick fix.

back off all your nuts, then grab the fork and hold it in tight. tighten the star nut then the head nuts. It should be fine. Its a simple thing you can do wrong. But dont over tighten the star nut! It breaks

i really dont know what im doing but il try that out, but can you put that into laymans terms for me? (star nut and head nut)

i really dont know what im doing but il try that out, but can you put that into laymans terms for me? (star nut and head nut)

If you don't know what those are I highly suggest that you take it to your LBS.

If you don't know what those are I highly suggest that you take it to your LBS.
Or you could just tell the poster what they are instead of instantly dismissing them. Can you come to my lab and align the Eximer and YAG lasers? Don't know what those are? well you can't do it. Actually, you could it's very easy. Everyone has to start from someplace.

Okay, I just had the same problem and fixed it quite easily. Assuming your greased all the headset bearings/components properly, loosen the hex bolts that hold the stem onto the steering tube of the fork. The stem is what holds the handlebars in the center. You only need to loosen them. then tighten the bolt that is on top of the stem (also a hex more than likely). Do not over tighten it. You will know if it is overtightened by the fact that your wheel wont turn easily once you tighten the stem back up. You want the wheel to flow smoothly. I can't stress not overtightening the top bolt enough, you can pit stuff with the bearings. If you didn't grease your headset then take it apart and grease it. Hope this helps, if it doesn't then refer to a couple of the previous posts, all possibilities. Your fork might also have play in it to begin with. I highly recomend purchasing a copy of Zinn and the art of mountain bike maintenance, def. worth the money. Good luck.

Especially on cheaper forks, you can plan on having a bit of movement if you apply the front brake and rock back and forth. This becomes more minimal as you move up in price and quality. Have a shop check the seals. As they wear, you may get more play, but if you got it new, you might want a shop to look anyhow.

try putting the baring casing the other way around, you might of put it back together the wrong way up. this happened to me and that was why it was either stiff of wobbly.

Wow........ awesome.

Or you could just tell the poster what they are instead of instantly dismissing them. Can you come to my lab and align the Eximer and YAG lasers? Don't know what those are? well you can't do it. Actually, you could it's very easy. Everyone has to start from someplace.

Dude relax. I wasn't dismissing him all I was doing is suggesting he go to his LBS and get it done there. Hell they could even show him how to do it so he knows for next time.

If you still want to do it yourself then go to http://www.parktool.com/repair/ you should be able to find the info you need there.

Dude relax. I wasn't dismissing him all I was doing is suggesting he go to his LBS and get it done there. Hell they could even show him how to do it so he knows for next time.

Sorry if I came off as being terse, I really wasn't. I suppose it is hard to convey the tone of one's post, as given by me thinking you were just telling the guy to give up and take it to his lbs, and by my being construed as a dillhole!... haha, just trying to give they guy some help because I know I really wasn't helped when simply refered to the lbs, and who has the time to drag their a$$ in there every time something is messed up, right? It is just my personal feeling to only refer somebody to the shop after giving them any info I could to help with the problem at hand, lbs is really only a last resort for me. I'll even buy the tool from the shop before I take my bike in to have it worked on. Hell, I bought a truing stand a dishing tool instead of having the wheel rebuilt. But then again they would have wanted me to get a new rim, where I just bent it back to shape over the corner of the counter. But I regress, I was just trying to make a point and it obviously came off as being condesending. Sorry about that bud.

Sorry about that bud.

No worries man...it's all good.

thanks so much pyro, i fixed it!