hardened threaded steerer?
 

IS this true, that suspension forks have "hardened" steerer tubes and cannot be cut and re-threaded?

Thanks much,

Ebbtide

I doubt the hardened part. I will tell you that the more confident a guy is about cutting and using a die to rethread a steerer tube, the less likely it is that he has ever actually done it.

Is it difficult?

I have a spare fork with a 6" tube, I want to thread it down another inch and chop it to 5". I hope it is easy to get ahold of a die that works. I have course threads for 1 1/8' but no fine threads.......


I took it to my LBS to have the work done. He said "it is hardened and I would need to change out the headset to a threadless, cut the steerer tube, and go from there. However, once I get a cheap headset, stem, and pay for labor I think I'm looking at 60-80 bucks? Perhaps he was just trying to make more money off me (I hope not, I like the guy and he just became a Specialized dealer and the shop is less than 200 yards from my house.

I'd get a second opinion. My cynical side agrees with last part of you post.

Extending threads is realtively easier than cutting new ones from scratch. However I have 2 forks that have threading jobs (one extnded,one new) that look like they were done by a 10 thumbed primate with a broken file.They are damm ugly and barely functional. Someone else paid to have them done....I don't buy the hardened @rap either,but he may have done you a favor by declining the job.

The hand die that I have is really intended for cleaning up existing threads rather than cutting new ones. I wouldn't even consider trying to cut more than one or two additional threads. It's not a difficult task so much as just very physical work. I'm thinking that you might have better luck finding somebody who has a metal lathe to cut the threads for you.

You also don't want to convert a threaded steerer for use with a threadless headset, like the LBS suggested.

And why not?

For one thing, it would be more expensive to buy a new headset, stem and possibly handlebar (depending on the clamp diameter of your existing items) in addition to the labor of cutting the steerer. Secondly, is the O.D. of a threaded steerer exactly the same as a threadless, or will you have to torque down excessively on the stem clamp to securely fasten the thing together, and is the I.D. exactly the same so that a star fangled nut seats properly to hold the top cap securely in place. I just think there are too many variables when simply having a qualified machine shop cut and chase the threads on the existing steerer is simpler and will probably cost less. That is JUST MY OPINION. I am allowed to have one, right Sydney???

After actually checking a bunch,the dimensional difference senario can be flushed.But it might be cheaper.