drilling out head tube from 1" to 1 1/8"?
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drilling out head tube from 1" to 1 1/8"?
Is it possible to drill out a 1" head tube to enable the use of a 1 1/8" headset and fork, or would the structural integrity of the frame be compromised? I'm looking at purchasing a rigid steel frame with a 1" head tube for a singlespeed project, and I'd like to be able to use the fork(s) I've already got (both are 1 1/8) with it. I could swear I read that this was possible online somewhere. I thought it was at Sheldon Brown's site, but I can't seem to find it again. Thanks in advance!
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I doubt that the head tube thickness is much more than 1/16 inch to begin with. If you were to undergo the expense of having it milled out, it would surely be paper thin.
You could probably buy a new fork for the machining cost anyway.
You could probably buy a new fork for the machining cost anyway.
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Originally Posted by Aussomeman
Is it possible to drill out a 1" head tube to enable the use of a 1 1/8" headset and fork, or would the structural integrity of the frame be compromised? I'm looking at purchasing a rigid steel frame with a 1" head tube for a singlespeed project, and I'd like to be able to use the fork(s) I've already got (both are 1 1/8) with it. I could swear I read that this was possible online somewhere. I thought it was at Sheldon Brown's site, but I can't seem to find it again. Thanks in advance!
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I'm envisioning your fork splitting right through the front of the head tube when you're on the trail.
You can find 1" forks. Why not go rigid and not risk it? For that matter, if you look around a bit and have a fork that will let you swap crowns, you can probably get a 1" steerer on one of the forks you've got now.
You can find 1" forks. Why not go rigid and not risk it? For that matter, if you look around a bit and have a fork that will let you swap crowns, you can probably get a 1" steerer on one of the forks you've got now.
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Originally Posted by Aussomeman
Is it possible to drill out a 1" head tube to enable the use of a 1 1/8" headset and fork, or would the structural integrity of the frame be compromised? I'm looking at purchasing a rigid steel frame with a 1" head tube for a singlespeed project, and I'd like to be able to use the fork(s) I've already got (both are 1 1/8) with it. I could swear I read that this was possible online somewhere. I thought it was at Sheldon Brown's site, but I can't seem to find it again. Thanks in advance!
If you come across a site that recommends a procedure for this- please post... My curiosity is piqued.
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you can use a one inch frame with a 1 1/8 fork. it just takes some special care to do so. and you need to run loose ball bearings.......
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Originally Posted by Aussomeman
I could swear I read that this was possible online somewhere. I thought it was at Sheldon Brown's site, but I can't seem to find it again. Thanks in advance!
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Originally Posted by pnj
you can use a one inch frame with a 1 1/8 fork. it just takes some special care to do so. and you need to run loose ball bearings.......
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Originally Posted by Beerman
Do they still make the 1" to 1-1/8" headsets, though? I haven't seen one of those in a long time.
Last edited by sydney; 03-09-05 at 11:39 AM.
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Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
I'm not at all surprised that you can't seem to find it again. I'm very surprised that you think you read somewhere that it would be possible. Ask yourself this question: Why would anybody design a bike with a head tube that had 1/16" more wall thickness than was necessary?
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I know it's been done because in the bmx world, it took some time before all frames had 'oversized' headtubes. kids had old 1 inch frames but bought newwer 'oversized' (1 1/8) forks.
I don't know how they did it, I just know it involved using loose ball bearings. as in, no bearing retainer.
I don't know how they did it, I just know it involved using loose ball bearings. as in, no bearing retainer.
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Originally Posted by pnj
I know it's been done because in the bmx world, it took some time before all frames had 'oversized' headtubes. kids had old 1 inch frames but bought newwer 'oversized' (1 1/8) forks.
I don't know how they did it, I just know it involved using loose ball bearings. as in, no bearing retainer.
I don't know how they did it, I just know it involved using loose ball bearings. as in, no bearing retainer.
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Hey, Sydney, no need to be a jackass. And by "1" to 1-1/8"" I meant putting a 1-1/8" steerer into a 1" headtube.
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Like PNJ said, it's been done before (and it's worked) with BMX bikes, so there's no "d'oh" involved.
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Originally Posted by Aussomeman
Is it possible to drill out a 1" head tube to enable the use of a 1 1/8" headset and fork, or would the structural integrity of the frame be compromised? I'm looking at purchasing a rigid steel frame with a 1" head tube for a singlespeed project, and I'd like to be able to use the fork(s) I've already got (both are 1 1/8) with it. I could swear I read that this was possible online somewhere. I thought it was at Sheldon Brown's site, but I can't seem to find it again. Thanks in advance!
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Originally Posted by Beerman
Like PNJ said, it's been done before (and it's worked) with BMX bikes, so there's no "d'oh" involved.
Last edited by sydney; 03-09-05 at 12:00 PM.
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Thanks for clarifying that this isn't about BMX, as if I didn't realize that before; I was simply stating that it worked for us.
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Originally Posted by Beerman
Thanks for clarifying that this isn't about BMX, as if I didn't realize that before; I was simply stating that it worked for us.
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that's weird. I thought 1" was 1" an 1 1/8 was 1 1/8.
if bmx is different then how come I can use any 1 1/8 headset on my bmx frame, including those made for non-bmx frames?
if bmx is different then how come I can use any 1 1/8 headset on my bmx frame, including those made for non-bmx frames?
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Originally Posted by pnj
that's weird. I thought 1" was 1" an 1 1/8 was 1 1/8.
if bmx is different then how come I can use any 1 1/8 headset on my bmx frame, including those made for non-bmx frames?
if bmx is different then how come I can use any 1 1/8 headset on my bmx frame, including those made for non-bmx frames?
Last edited by sydney; 03-09-05 at 02:21 PM.
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thanks for all the replies, folks - didn't realize this would be such a hot topic. i kinda figured it wasn't too practical, but the situation is like this: i'm running my current mtb as a rigid singlespeed (with tensioner). it's an older aluminum frame with a 1 1/8" head tube, and i'm running a rigid threadless steel fork with it. i'm looking to pick up an old steel frame with horizontal drops so i can drop the tensioner and build the aluminum frame back up with some gears. i also just picked up a sweet old school white brothers fork with a 1 1/8" steerer that i'm planning to install on the aluminum frame, and the steel frame i'm looking at buying right now has a 1" head tube and no fork included. I was hoping perhaps i could just swap the fork from my current rig onto the steel frame, but if it's that sketchy, i'll probably just look for a 1" fork.
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I don't care what the QBP catalog says. I know kids have done this.
king, fsa, dia-compe all make 1 1/8 headsets that fit both mtn. bike and bmx frames. the exact same headsets....same size head tubes, same size stear tubes. you know, that's why you can run a mtn. bike stem on a bmx fork.
why do you come across like an arse?
king, fsa, dia-compe all make 1 1/8 headsets that fit both mtn. bike and bmx frames. the exact same headsets....same size head tubes, same size stear tubes. you know, that's why you can run a mtn. bike stem on a bmx fork.
why do you come across like an arse?
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11/8" Aheadsets are all the same, BMX or MTB. 1" threaded are different, you have BMX threaded and at least 2 other types, as Sydney pointed out.
Maybe people are confusing running 1" forks in 11/8" frames, as that is a fairly common swap in the BMX world and can be done with off the shelf parts.
Maybe people are confusing running 1" forks in 11/8" frames, as that is a fairly common swap in the BMX world and can be done with off the shelf parts.