Originally Posted by
eurycea
I realize that most replacement forks have longer threaded portions and that it will have to be cut but is it a common problem that after it is cut the quill stem will fall in the part of the steerer that is threaded? I am going to have the LBS mechanic do it for me because I have never installed a fork nor do I have the means to cut it. Hopefully he won't install it like that. The fork seemed to have a pretty long portion that was not threaded but now you have me worried. I don't have the exact head tube size but the frame is a 23". I imagine that this is more of a problem with the bikes over 60cm. Is this the case?
BlueRaleigh: I can't wait to go home and show my roommate your comment. He is real proud of the carbon fiber fork on his ss and I always give him hell about it.
Thanks everyone for the great info.
The main thing with threaded forks is to make sure to buy the right length. For instance, when I got my steel fork, I could get it with 150mm, 200mm, or 250mm tubes. The 150mm was the proper length for my setup. The longer ones wouldn't even work because the cut would have to be made so far down that all of the threading would be cut off.
I really don't worry too much about the quill stem falling in the threaded vs unthreaded part. Just make sure it goes down at least 2 inches into the tube (as suggested by Sheldon Brown).