facial

I'm trying to remove a fork from a frame on an old Trek 7300 Multitrack. This model features an adjustable stem which would be tightened and loosened with a large Allen key, but one of the crucial pieces for that function - an elastomeric rubber jam piece - has long since decayed. It no longer works at all even when the Allen key is fully tight. Add this to a crash that has bent the fork backwards a little bit and the time's ripe for a replacement fork, stem, and maybe handlebar as well.

The problem is that when I loosen the headset nuts and that long Allen fastener that supposedly clamps the fork to the stem, I don't get any separable demating between whatever comprises the top half of the fork and its bottom half. It seems the whole assembly is non-serviceable. I've attached some pictures as an exhibit.



This is a complete view of the bike frame with the front fork, "stem", and handbars that I want to remove.




This is the top of the adjustable stem, which is too worn, has too much slop, and no longer works.




The problem area. Top long bolt (circled) has been loosened. Headset nuts (red arrow and yellow/dashed arrow) have been loosened, but are now out-of-alignment and almost impossible to re-thread w/o cross-threading. The bearings on the bottom show (pink/staggered arrow) but there's been no overall elongation in the fork, indicating little or no separation of parts.




Applying an upwards force to the fork, I can see exposed threads that the headset nuts threaded onto. This is part that almost inevitably cross-threads if I try to thread them on again (not that I would want to - I want to get rid of this fork assembly!).


Just curious if anyone has worked on this unusual configuration. I've taken road bikes and cheaper bikes apart with no problem but this design eludes me completely. This may be relatively uncommon but I'm guessing some bike shop mechanics must have seen this before, just because Trek is a major manufacturer.

One last thing, I've put over 18000mi on this bike. If it's time to go for good, then I will cough up the extra cash for a new commuter. The motivation for rebuilding this one is to save some space in the bike cave.

Thoughts greatly appreciated.

Jeff Wills

That's a quill stem. The long allen bolt tightens a wedge inside the fork.

After you loosened the allen bolt, did you tap the top with a hammer to loosen the wedge? That's what is required to extract most quill stems.

Bill Kapaun

+1

Joe Remi

As the others have said and I'll try to clarify a little more, your starting point should be here: No disassembly of the headset. Take controls off the bars. Loosen that top bolt and hammer it down to break the wedge loose, then pull the stem straight up and out of the fork.

Ideally you would have left the headset alone and popped a new stem in there, so you'll need to reverse engineer a bit here. Once the stem is out you can put some grease on the headset bearings you've now exposed and tighten it all back down. Then put the new stem in, put the bars through said stem and controls back on.

Andrew R Stewart 

I suspect the OEM stem is a suspension type and the "an elastomeric rubber jam piece" is the spring. These are well known for drying out and becoming hard and brittle over time. The hinge joint between the stem's extension and it's vertical quill (the part that slides into the fork steerer) can often become worn and sloppy so that no mater how much tightening one does to that hinge the bars will still have some rocking when pulled on alternately. This is onen of the reasons why many of these hinged/adjustable stems are not claimed to be off road capable (but so few people read the fine print and instead look at the rest of the bike's nature and assume...) I strongly suggest replacing it with a solid/onepiece stem of a spec that fits the bike and locates the bars where you want them.

Do know that these quill type stems are on the way out. The threadless fork systems have pretty much taken over and with each passing year quill type stems have less reason to be made available.

If replacing the fork too, and with a crash damaged one it sure seems to be appropriate, consider replacing the headset and stem with threadless compatibility versions. A threadless system fork won't have threads at the top of the steerer (to state the obvious). This will increase your stem options greatly and possibly that of the fork too.

While fork replacement is not rocket science there are a few specs that do need to be right. This is one of the jobs that some end up seeking help from their LBS. Don't spend any $ till you more fully understand how this stuff works and what won't work with the rest of your bike. This forum has fielded this question, fork replacement, many times over the years. There's a lot of good info for the searching here. Andy

dedhed

https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/...on-quill-stems

mitchmellow62

The Trek 7300 Hybrid was first produced in 2000. Aluminum frame, cro-moly fork with threaded 1 1/8 steerer, suspension seatpost, and adjustable quill stem. I have a 2001, which is identical but for color. Based on color, I believe the pictured bike is a 2000. In the 2002 the 7300 got a suspension fork. To my knowledge there was never a suspension stem. The pictured stem looks pretty much identical to mine. There is no elastomer. Since the steerer is 1 1/8 you should be able to find a threadless fork if you wish but you will also need a threadless headset and stem. If you stay with a replacement 1 1/8 threaded fork you might be able to keep the current headset and even the stem if it is still intact. It is a decent bike albeit rather heavy in it's original kit (mine is close to 30 pounds with an aluminum rack). For myself, if the rest is in good shape it would be worth a used threaded fork. I'm not sure it would be worth a new threadless set up but that is just my opinion. As others have pointed out, threaded forks were the standard decades ago. Since you seem unfamiliar, you should watch the recommended video. Good luck on your decision and process.

freeranger

You state ." the time's ripe for a replacement fork", due to being bent. If the fork is indeed not usable, maybe just hacksaw the steerer off. Looks like there is enough space between the lower bearing/cup to get a hacksaw in there. Once you saw through it, you should be able to remove by pulling it up.. Of course, if you want to save the fork, ignore this. Edited--if the wedge is frozen and stuck inside the steerer (sounds like it might be), if you cut the steerer at the top you still might not be able to pull up unless you also saw thru the bolt that goes to the wedge, inside the steerer, as the stuck wedge could hold the top parts from being able to be pulled up. So if you end up hacksawing it, do it at the bottom.

facial

Sorry I forgot to mention this detail. Yes, and quite hard! With a 12oz one-piece Estwing. Nothing comes loose.

facial

I made a mistake by taking loosening both of them. Should I get the headset nuts back on? I'm hesitant because they are starting to cross-thread.

Joe Remi

You should at least get the fork back up in there, I wouldn't worry right now about getting the top nuts back on. Then you can work on freeing the quill stem..maybe get the wheel up against a door jam and try twisting the stem loose so you can pull up and out.

mitchmellow62

Turn the bike upside down. Squirt a liberal amount of penetrating oil like PB Blaster and leave it for a day or two. Turn right side up with the fork drop outs on concrete. Place a board over the quill stem bolt and take a big swing (an try a bigger hammer)..

mitchmellow62

I should have said to spray the penetrating oil into the inside of the steerer tube.

dsbrantjr

Try removing the wheel and supporting the fork crown with something like a 2x4, so that all of the hammer's force goes into the bolt, and not in flexing the fork blades and compressing the tire. Don't put the fork ends on the floor and pound, you will damage them. I use a 2 pound hand sledge for stubborn quill stems. Give it a good solid hard hit, multiple taps will not do the job. Kano Kroil or PB Blaster are your friends, you might need to turn the bike upside-down and spray into the bottom of the fork to get it to the wedge.

LesterOfPuppets

It's often easier to free a stuck stem with a wheel in the fork. Clamp the wheel with your legs and twist the bars back and forth. Then there are further steps one can take when dealing with stuck stems.

BUT, at this point, considering the fork is already trash, I'd just remove the expander bolt from the stem completely, remove the stem (hammer it back and forth and upward if needed to whack it free), then remove headset and fork.

I'd probably just consider the stem as trash at this point and not bother removing the expander from the trashed fork's steerer. Hopefully HS threads are still OK.

Joe Remi

Good call. At this point it seems like he needs the stem (without wedge) out of the steerer, then he can toss stem and fork.

Jeff Wills

GBH!

GET A BIGGER HAMMER...

Brace the fork at the bottom with something solid. (Since it's headed for the trash, put the fork ends on the ground.) Thread the center bolt back down then back it off about 5 turns. Whomp on the top of the bolt with a five-pound sledge. If it doesn't move then, turn the frame & fork upside down and fill the steerer tube with Kroll or similar rust-busting fluid. Leave overnight and try again.

I'm willing to bet that the aftermarket stem was installed with minimal grease and it's sat there corroding in place for 20 years.

If that doesn't work, hell, chop off the stem above the top locknut and take it apart that way. You said you're going to throw away the fork, headset, and stem anyway...

wheelreason

Unusual fork?

oldbobcat

No, it just looks funny because the top bearing and lock nut were unthreaded.

If you haven't freed the stem yet, try this. Thread the headset and top lock nut as they were originally. Don't worry about getting it tight. Spray in some penetrating oil, and whack that stem bolt really hard with a stout center punch. Don't worry about breaking anything. There is nothing but but the bare frame here worth saving.

facial

Apologies for the tardy response. I have a few updates. I took off the handlebar, but the rubber grips are quite solid on the ends and I don't have compressed air to take 'em off, plus the reflector fasteners are rusted in place. That's going to be a challenge for a different time.

So it's just the raw trash stem and fork now. I managed to reinstall the headset nuts back on (hammers work wonders!) and tried to hammer the expander bolt (OP -> pic #3 -> black circle) when loosened to a 1/2in protrusion. Nothing comes loose.

I will try suggestions in posts 12,14,15,17, etc. and get back to all of ya. I know I don't respond or quote all of you guys, but I DO read all the posts. Thanks for the enduring support.

facial

Gave it a dozen or so good whacks with a drilling hammer and it still didn't come off. Upon closer inspection it looks like the stem has some pretty severe corrosion, as if reaction bonded:



I tried the penetrant spray overnight soak and will try again today.

LesterOfPuppets

Yeah in that pic it looks like the stem is practically welded to the steerer tube. I'd just remove the stem expander bolt and hacksaw/anglegrinder that stem if it looks as bad in real life as it does in that pic.

Joe Remi

OH yeah, that's bad. Hacksaw, remove, remove that headset and then decide if the frame itself hasn't devolved into a massive rust bucket.

Edit: Ok yeah the frame is aluminum so that part won't rust. But everything attached to it has and the scrap metal person in the neighborhood may appreciate the donation.

GamblerGORD53

Why that broken rusted POS?? Forget it.