broken forks
 

hi i've got a pair of manitou splice forks and the steerer tube has come comletely loose from the lower part of the fork any ideas on how to fix/repair this? is urgentt

Shopping .. look for a brand new fork...

Or take them to a Bike shop that can see what TF you are talking about ,
then buy a new fork.

I assume you mean you have one fork not two with the same problem. Some forks have replaceable steerer which can be pressed through the bottom of the crown, others don't. If yours isn't a replaceable steerer model you're SOL. If it is, It should be tight, as it's a press fit. You might want to show it to a skilled mechanic to locate the exact problem, and it might be repairable.

As to urgency, there is none as long as you don't ride the bike (winter here in NY, so there's time). But it's definitely unsafe if loose. The steerer to crown junction is probably the most critical on a bike, and it doesn't take much imagination to see the consequences of a failure there.

I am not familiar with that exact model, but as mentioned above, if it is a press fit steerer and it is loose then the forks are no good.

Some forks have a removable steerer - there are a set of pinch bolts, usually on the rear of the crown close to the steerer, for clamping the steerer in place. If your fork has these bolts then there is a chance they can be tightened. However, I would be very wary of riding on forks where these bolts suddenly came loose - that should not happen.

doubt you can even order a crown/stanchions from manitou. fix it by throwing it in the trash. if you really want to fix it i guess you can try retaining compound. i would save the dentist trip

better yet: throw it to a frame-builder or someone that knows how to braze!

(or just get it repaired by brazing, or if you are a bit DiY brazing can be made but you need to buy some flux, some silver/copper brazing rods, a propane torch or something like (could be a oxi-gas welder also), and google up how to braze - yet this takes a slight bit of experience to do but everything can have a start point)

I agree.

Splice's are hardly the bee's knees of forks so having the steerer re-brazed would probably not be the wisest move in a value for money sense. If your bike is a hardtail and you can't afford a new set of squishies, ask around in your LBS' to see if they have any old rigid forks you could buy while you save up. I had a similar problem and I picked up a set for less than £10.

Who knows, you might even enjoy the change.