Bicycle Mechanics - Bent forks

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View Full Version : Bent forks


skindog
10-22-08, 05:15 PM
i got an old diamond back from i friend a wile back but it was jacked out of my yard. but i took off the old forks the day before but they are bent alittle wear there welded together is thier a way to bend them back? PLEASE HELP


Erzulis Boat
10-22-08, 05:54 PM
Where are they bent?

Is it a BMX bike?

If it is a BMX set of forks and they are constructed from steel, then you can bend them back.

1- Check for any cracks in the weld or droput/tube etc. Cracked paint is nothing to worry about.

2- If the fork is bent at the droput (plate that holds the front wheel) then usually a crescent type wrench can be used to bend things back into shape.

3- If the fork tubes are bent..........you can try to what you can do, but sometimes without the proper tools and experience, it might not be a good repair.

Post some pics if you can-

operator
10-22-08, 06:04 PM
i got an old diamond back from i friend a wile back but it was jacked out of my yard. but i took off the old forks the day before but they are bent alittle wear there welded together is thier a way to bend them back? PLEASE HELP

1) Is it steel?
2) Is the fork buckcled where it's bent?
3) Where is it bent? Picture?

#2 is the deal killer, if it's minorly out of alignment, steel forks can usually be realigned, and also depending on WHERE it's bent. If it's buckled where it's bent, then it's game over.


skindog
10-22-08, 06:35 PM
ill get some pics

ogbigbird
10-23-08, 05:03 PM
they jacked a forkless bike or you had new forks in it? anyways, sorry to hear about that. sometimes... some people... just suck. as for the bend, if it's by a weld, i'd replace them. for me personally, its a safty thing. besides, i've straighten a few forks before, and never got them perfect again, and being ocd, i'm better off with new or used. bending and them rebending can weaken the metal so it may look ok, but never be the same.

skindog
10-24-08, 02:49 PM
thanks, and i put new forks on the jacked bike before it was jacked it was an old diamondback and it didnt even have a chain on it

Doohickie
10-24-08, 03:24 PM
Here is what I did when I bent my fork: With the fork attached to the bike, I inserted it in between the rungs on an aluminum ladder. Then I leaned on the bike in the right direction to bend the fork back to true, more or less. The reason I had it attached to the bike is that you need the leverage to do a controlled bend. If you just try to grab onto the fork itself you can't get nearly enough force on it; you can only get the leverage by applying the force to the end of the bike frame. It sounds awkward but it was very quick and easy.