Steerer Tube Too Short: Disregard??

Discussion in 'The Workshop' started by etard, Apr 5, 2010.

  1. etard

    etard New Member

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    Dammit!! The steer tube on these forks is too short and only comes about halfway into my stem. I can crank the bolt down on the stem and get the bottom one very tight, but the top stem bolt is completely above the top of the steer tube. How much will this matter?? Has anybody ever tried this and failed or never had a problem?? Consider that it's gonna be for street hucking and I'm too old to hit any major jumps. It feels solid, but it wont just come off in my hands will it?
     
  2. dubjay

    dubjay Having upgraditis is OK

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    Do you like your teeth?
     
  3. YakityYak

    YakityYak Is

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    go ahead, just be sure to constantly film. It'll make for a great Fail! piece on YouTube. It'll make you famous (possibly postumously).
     
  4. Burner

    Burner WAWE

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    I think your screen name needs an "R" in front.
     
  5. denmother

    denmother Gone riding....

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    Don't do it! Your top cap bolt needs to thread into the star nut.

    You can buy a new steer tube and have it pressed on!
     
  6. Chewyeti

    Chewyeti Circus Bear

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  7. surfzombo13

    surfzombo13 King of Kooks

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  8. Rockinthecasbah

    Rockinthecasbah A.D.D. Unleased

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    do you have any spacers under your stem you can take out ?
     
  9. mullarks

    mullarks New Member

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    You could always get a zero stack headset.
     
  10. etard

    etard New Member

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    I see the safety police have come out for this one. ;)

    Let me add fuel to the fire. So the topcap bolt was not long enough and after a failed attempt at the Ace hardware for a longer metric bolt, I was searching through my parts bikes for the part. Then I remembered the April fools quick release stem, glance over to seat post clamp QR, back at stem, viola!! All my problems ate solved!!!

    Thanks for the replies, I try to live up to my screenname whenever possible. :wave:
     
  11. Abui

    Abui Active Member

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    The stem has to clamp onto the steerer tube and not slip. Thomson wants their inside wedge to be fully covered by the tube.

    The top cap bolt is only for pre-loading the headset bearings. Genuine weight weenies remove the bolt and cap after setup.
    Think: If the top cap is the only thing holding the stem down you're dead anyway - there's no way to steer! :lol:
     
  12. Pain Freak

    Pain Freak Dead or Alive

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    Glad all problems have been ate.
     
  13. Rondo

    Rondo Member

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    "Stupidity is painful"... or is it "the stupid shall be punished"?

    Make sure you reference this thread when you post up the aftermath in the Rider Down forum.
     
  14. etard

    etard New Member

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    I think I have confused you guys, the stem has two bolts that clamp onto the steer tune. The bottom one is fully engages over the tube, while the top one has no tune to grip. I have no spacers and I have put a quick release bolt through the star nut and tightened it. The stem is now held on by the bottom stem clamp and the headset tightening bolt. How bad is this? And it's called redneck engineering in case you are were wondering.
     
  15. Chewyeti

    Chewyeti Circus Bear

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    the top bolt, which screws into the star nut... is to set the bearing play.. tighten it down until there is no play, but no binding.

    THEN, you tighten both pinch bolts onto the steer tube.
    at this point, you can even remove the top cap/screw if you want to (it doesnt do anything anymore).

    BOTH pinch bolts need to clamp the steer tube... anything else is unsafe.
     
  16. Pho'dUp

    Pho'dUp Spam Musubi MasherSS

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    etard = Steven Jackson?
     
  17. jasonmason

    jasonmason inebriate savant

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    If you're asking that, you probably already know the answer.

    Don't tempt fate on this. If there's any one way to best set yourself up for a very high penalty for failure, this is probably pretty close to it.
     
  18. mtnbikerfred

    mtnbikerfred Super Moderator

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    Yer probably gonna die boy... Unless ya hurt yerself really bad first. :?:
     
  19. Mongo

    Mongo Chewyeti "MongOHNO!"

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    how do you think so mony rednecks lose their teeth?:lol:

    cheaper to do it right the first time then to have to do it again after paying med. bills.
     
  20. molarm

    molarm Member

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    Are you serious?
     

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