Chris Chicago

discovered when the stem wouldnt tighten and handlebars kept coming out of line with the front wheel. is there a way to fix this or do I need a new fork? I've looked it up but most cracked steerer tubes mentioned are carbon.

thanks!

cny-bikeman

Replace it.

prathmann

Glad you discovered this the way you did rather than my way. While riding our tandem the steerer tube suddenly fractured just above the fork crown resulting in the complete loss of the front wheel and the headtube of the bike frame impacting the pavement. Still have a few scars from the incident. A local frame builder (C. Laing) installed a new steerer tube in the fork, straightened out the dented headtube, and installed a new headset. AIRC it was about $30 - I may have gotten a 'sympathy discount' upon showing up all bruised and bandaged.

HillRider

A competent frame builder could replace the steerer but unless the fork has some sentimental value or is a very odd type, a new replacement fork is probably more cost effective.

Try some older bike shops. Many have a bunch of good quality steel forks lying around from customers who upgraded to new carbon forks and you should be able to get one very cheaply. Just be sure the crownrace -to-dropout distance and the rake are close to your current fork dimensions.

Chris Chicago

matching the paint of the frame is probably the biggest value i get from saving it, it's not a super fancy fork. from a t rek, 610 I think

HillRider

A rattlecan applied to the new fork will solve that problem adequately.

Seriously, the framebuilder will have to braze a new steerer into the fork crown of your old fork and the brazing heat will distroy most of the original paint anyway.

Chris Chicago

ah, then i guess that pretty much settles it. thanks!

fietsbob

Takes more heat to take brazed joints apart than put them together.

That goes extra for something with mass like fork crowns

never did say where the crack is..

Anyhow , Now you have the option ahead 1" threaded replica, or a threadless conversion..

Taiden

you could drill at both ends of the crack to stop it's progression and have someone TIG weld the crack after beveling the joint slightly... but a new fork would be best for sure

Chris Chicago

crack is along the flat part that runs through the threads on the steerer tube. it's near the top where the wedge of the stem sits making it impossible to tighten the stem enough.

I want to stick with threaded. like the look of quills

Taiden

Take it to a rinkidink welding shop and ask if they can fix it.

fietsbob

is this a French made bike? they were usually flattening the back of the steerer tube
others used a groove cut thru the threads , for the keyed washer.

Just asking because it may be a 22.0mm ID, so you need a different stem which is way more common 22.2mm or 7/8"
which means headset too.

Taiden

actually i take that back, go to the local community college and ask the welding professor to give it a go. The welding teachers at my CC are always itching to fix something and it doesn't cost them anything.

Jeff Wills

Still a bad idea. Since the crack's at the bottom of the threads, it's where the steerer tube is most prone to fracture. Welding it will put it back together, it won't make it any stronger.

Besides, generic replacement forks are cheap: https://www.bikepartsusa.com/bikeparts/item/01-103983/ . That's not a lot of money for real peace of mind. However, Bob's got some good points: 1" threaded forks had a variety of odd fitment issues. It would be good to know what kind of bike this is from.

FBinNY 

Given that a steerer failure, especially anywhere near the crown is an assured face plant (or worse) it's the one place on a bike you absolutely don't want to fool around with.

If the fork is a collectible, a good frame repair shop can fit a new steerer, anything short of a replacement or proper repair is beyond stupid.

Taiden

I can't speak for all CC welding teachers but my teacher wouldn't just weld it up, he'd fix the problem. See what I mean? So yeah, just welding it up might not do it... but if the teacher is half decent they will be able to "fix" it too.

fietsbob

If its a Peugeot fork threading it again will be a grueling search for a 25.0 fork die.

FastJake

In this case, no need to worry about French sizing, etc. Should be a standard 1" threaded fork, no?

Jeff Wills

Any welding teacher worth their salt would research the problem- and then fix it the right way. Which is to say they'd reheat the fork crown enough to extract what's left of the steerer and braze in a new steer tube. Welding up a crack on a thin-walled steel tube just creates a large heat-affected area along with various stress risers. On a highly-stressed steerer that's just stupid.

Jeff Wills

Here's a better quality replacement. You'll have to pick the right length to match your frame and then try to match the paint, but that's much easier than trying to replace the steerer:
https://harriscyclery.net/product/dim...k0081-qc49.htm
https://harriscyclery.net/product/dim...k0082-qc49.htm
https://harriscyclery.net/product/dim...k0083-qc49.htm

Dimension forks are available through any bike shop that deals with Quality Bike Products, which means virtually any bike shop in the U.S.

Sixty Fiver

this ^^^^

Chris Chicago

crack is in the groove through the threads. that is what i meant by flat part.

bike has 27in wheels, would a 700 fork be compatible?

Taiden

Right, which is exactly why I say take it to a CC teacher if he's set on keeping those forks. A welding shop would probably charge an arm and a leg for someone to run a bead down the crack and grind it flat. A CC teacher would take the time to do it right and probably wouldn't charge anything, especially if you brought beer or pizza for the students.

blamp28

https://harriscyclery.net/product-lis...01-m3845-qc49/

Same source but with the 27" fork listed.

Chris Chicago

if the rake on the replacement is 5mm less than the original, will it be a problem?