Stem compatibility
 

Hey guys, I want to know if it is possible to use a 1" stem (for threaded fork) on a 1 1/8" threaded suspension fork?

Not that I know of but maybe someone else has a solution. Quill stems in 1 1/8" are rare and harder to find, maybe eBay but that means buying a new stem.

I am looking to get a used suspension fork (mid '90's)...I want to keep my current stem but all the forks that I see on EBay are 1 1/8". I'm going to restore a 1993 Cannondale frame equiped with '96 parts.

Personally, I would just change stems...

If your frame has a head tube made for a 1" fork, the 1-1/8" fork might not fit.

You could probably shim the quill stem.

But, there are quite a few 1 1/8" MTB quill stems available, so that would be the easier and most reliable option. Check out your local Bike co-op/recycler.

What size of fork is your bicycle made for? I don't believe you can use a 1 1/8" fork on a frame made for 1". Headtube cup sizes?

sort of like asking if anybody sells a retro-fit kit to convert (exaggeration alert!!!!) a Ferrari to a horse drawn carriage. possible, but unlikely. trying to find a 1 1/8" quill stem (period. exclamation mark!) is hard enough, as is. :)

Almost anything's possible given the right tools, sufficient know-how, and enough money. But the short, practical answer is 'no'.

Aa mentioned above, the fork/frame mismatch would likely present a bigger challenge than the fork/stem mismatch. The amount of suspension travel could also be an issue if the frame wasn't designed for a suspension fork.

The ideal thing is to find a Manitou Mach 5 SX fork ('96), does anyone know where I can find one?

You have the 9/8" threaded fork, and headset in the bike already?

It is possible to fit a sleeve inside the fork, it would have a 1" inside diameter,

a stem for a 1" threaded fork is 7/8" , the difference is 1/8", so the shim sleeve would be 1/16" thick.

If you are still shopping, you may be disappointed.



.....

People may be selling their used suspension fork, on eBay, because it does not work well, any more .

and no rebuild parts are available.. caveat emptor.




:eek:

No and no. The fork and required new headset won't fit on your bike, and you'll need a new stem to go with them too.

I know I can put a sleeve over my stem to fit the 1 1/8 fork, I'm just wondering if the fork would fit my frame?

The problem will be the headset. A crown race to fit a 1-1/8" fork is unlikely to work with a headset for a frame designed for a 1" fork.

Can a headset be changed on a frame?

The headset would have to be changed. The problem is, your frame is too small to accept the headset you'd need. And even if your frame could take it, you'd still have the other problem - you can't re-use the quill stem on a threadless fork. They are incompatible.

Here. Read up on threaded vs threadless.

It is obviously something complicated...finding a 1" threaded suspension is difficult but is the solution I'm seeking. I was just wondering if there was an alternative. Thanks for your help everybody, and if you know of a 1" threaded Manitou, Marzocchi or Rock Shox for cantilever brakes, let me know!! Merci! :)

Product Custom | D'Amour Bicycle & Sports
RST still makes 1" threaded suspension forks compatible with V-brakes
If your current fork has a 1" steer tube odds are virtually nil that you can install any fork with a 1 1/8" steer tube

Maybe drop the suspension, just look for a suspension corrected, (longer fork blades to not drop the head tube), rigid Fork.

the 1" sus fork is history, from long ago.





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You probably won't find that Manitou fork. There was a recall, because they (apparently) broke easily.

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/1996/CP...n-Fork-Recall/

Also, the interior elastomers seem prone to decomposing and parts were hard (now impossible) to find:
Part hunting for '96 Answer Manitou Mach 5 SX HELP!!- Mtbr.com

To answer your question about changing the head tube, anything is possible. Go to a frame builder. Tell him the size of the head tube you want, and the material you want. Unless the original frame is a very good frame that the builder can verify materials on, he'll probably pass. If the material is actually weldable, you may find one who'll do it, but I'm guessing it will be a few hundred dollars. Then you'll want to have the head tube (or the whole frame) repainted. Another 100-200 bucks? And you'll end up with a frame that is probably inferior to something you can get off ebay for 50 bucks.

Your enthusiasm for this frame is clear. Also clear is the dream of a bike that is (in your mind) "ideal". We've all been there. Step back from your enthusiasm, figure out what your ideal bike would be, and investigate all avenues (not just rejuvenating this frame) to get there. Unless you are very lucky, and very patient, and willing to spend more on the refurb than you would buying the whole bike on ebay, you may be better off finding a whole bike, or at least a frame that has all of the parts the size you want, than you would be to refurb this frame by resizing head tubes.

There is a site...bikepro.com It shows info on parts and says its has mid '90's suspensions for sale but there's no link to anything, no way to buy anything. Has anyone seen this site? What do you think of this?

People create websites to compile information about bike parts, with no inventory of them, just Data & pictures.

Yeah, compiling lists and organizing facts is a compulsion for some.

Which prompts the question: why is this frame so important? I understand the fun and challenge of "resurrecting" something, but given that the original fork was apparently defective, and replacement parts are hard/impossible to find, and design has improved over these many years since your frame was made, wouldn't finding a different frame to work on give you a more satisfactory result?

This is my "dream bike" that I assembled 20 + years ago. I haven't used it in quite a while. I will not ride with the same intensity like I did in the past, being much older and not in the same physical shape. I just want to start riding it again, since everything else on the bike is in great shape and of good quality. I finally have found a fork that fits on it.