[Fulton]

I just bought a used shiver, with too short of a steerer tube. I've got a lathe, and fabbing a new steerer should be no problem at all. Does anyone know how tight the press is? I've gotta call a couple local machine shops to see if they can press it in......but need to know how tight they are first. Thanks guys

 

[Damn True]

Gutentight

 

[Kornphlake]

I believe they are cryofit, whatever that means. I think they actually freeze the steerer tube and heat the crown or maybe they just freeze the steerer tube and then press fit it, when the materials come back to normal temperatures they do their thermal expansion thing and the fit gets tighter. I think they also use some kind of loctite. Best bet would be to send it back to zoochi for a bonafied replacement. Steerer tubes are something you don't really want to mess up. See the risse crown thread for more details.

 

[buildyourown]

If you are a capable machinist/designer, I think this would be ok to tackle yourself. The amount of press fit isn't that important as it's not what actually holds the fork together. Press the old one out and measure it.
I accidently removed mine while trying to remove a stuck stem. Got a little carried away with the BFH.

Just make sure your new steerer is out of the proper material and has the proper and consistant wall thickness.

 

[dan-o]

I replaced the lower crown and steerer, which arrived unassembled from Marz, on my super t this summer. We pressed it in using a vice and I've had zero problems with it.

 

[zedro]

i was under the impression the steerers were punched after being pressed.

but like was said, just copy the old one, and use some sleeve locking compount for fun.

 

[auntesther]

I replaced the lower crown and steerer, which arrived unassembled from Marz, on my super t this summer. We pressed it in using a vice and I've had zero problems with it.

you replaced it?

 

[dan-o]

you replaced it?

Correction: In trade for six room temperature canned Buds, I let AE jerry-rig and subsequently destroy, his own tools to press in my steerer. Despite his questionable mechanical skills and slight inebriation, the fork works like a charm to date.

 

[punkassean]

I tried to replace the steerer on a monster once. Marzocchi sent out their "freeride" steer-tube only and we got the old one out but never could get the new one all the way in. I think the textured surface of the freeride steerer was creating a lot of friction. A smooth surface would make it easier I'd think.

 

[dropmachine]

Tighter then an honest nun.

 

[ohio]

I just bought a used shiver, with too short of a steerer tube. I've got a lathe, and fabbing a new steerer should be no problem at all. Does anyone know how tight the press is? I've gotta call a couple local machine shops to see if they can press it in......but need to know how tight they are first. Thanks guys

A new steerer from Marzocchi will be cheaper (<$50, I would guess) than the aluminum stock you would use on the lathe...

Also, the cryofit is just an easier and gentler way of doing a press fit. Don't know what the interference specs would be on a steerer, but if you get one from Zoke, you don't have to worry about it.

 

[buildyourown]

A new steerer from Marzocchi will be cheaper (<$50, I would guess) than the aluminum stock you would use on the lathe...

Also, the cryofit is just an easier and gentler way of doing a press fit. Don't know what the interference specs would be on a steerer, but if you get one from Zoke, you don't have to worry about it.

9" of 1 1/4 dia 7075 barstock is a lot less than $50. I think I bought 6ft of it for $100.

Doing a cryofit yourself isn't as hard as it sounds. We used to do it all the time. Steerer goes in freezer. Crown goes in oven at ~125-150 deg.
You can easily get .002-.003 size change between those 2 extremes.

If you want, you can do a test run and measure the parts to make sure they will fit. Work fast, as once the temperatures equalize, the games over.

 

[zedro]

plus i dont think Marz will sell you one without installing it themselves. Geez just send the damn thing off...

 

[punkassean]

Marz does sell steerers only, or at least they sold me one. It was still spendy though.

 

[ohio]

9" of 1 1/4 dia 7075 barstock is a lot less than $50. I think I bought 6ft of it for $100.

Doing a cryofit yourself isn't as hard as it sounds. We used to do it all the time. Steerer goes in freezer. Crown goes in oven at ~125-150 deg.
You can easily get .002-.003 size change between those 2 extremes.

If you want, you can do a test run and measure the parts to make sure they will fit. Work fast, as once the temperatures equalize, the games over.

1.25 dia x .25 thick x 12" length (unless you luck out and find someone's scrap) plus shipping, plus tool wear, plus lathe time, plus consumables (cutting fluid), plus scrap disposal, plus not knowing the spec'd interference, plus pressing into a delicate crown because you're too lazy to use the freezer = costs more than getting a zoke steerer.

But that's just my opinion.

 

[JRB]

I had an Xfly done last year. It was $75. Marz would not even sell me a set of lowers earlier in the year since I am not a shop. Seems there are some legal problems with letting peeps do their own thing.

 

[Fulton]

I know i should just send it off and have marzocchi do it, but now, it's more of just a challange. I bought some excess stock for $7, and it'll be more than enough to do a steerer. The marzocchi steerer is only 2.5mm thick, mine should be close to 4mm, so I'm not worried about it not being strong enough. Getting it spec'ed correctly will be no prob as well.

I'm definately gonna try and freezer/oven white trash cryo thing, should help. will let ya know how it goes, should be done by the weekend if i can get the time.

Worst case scenario, if it breaks, i'll just sue someone.......with the US legal system, i could come out of my own f#ck up a very rich man.

thanks guys

 

[Kornphlake]

I consider myself to be fairly competent when it comes to design and fabrication, but if it were my fork I'd still send it out. I was thinking about it after reading BYO's posts and considered the maverick fork that doesn't have a steerer, how much stress could there actually be on the steerer tube, so what if you botched up the press fit by .0005" would it really matter? I don't know really, but I do know that from the factory the steerer stays in place, I don't think I've ever seen a steerer tube separated from the crown on a DC fork. I'd rather pay a few extra dollars to get the job done right rather than making a guess and having things turn out wrong. Doctors and dentists bills will easily eclipse the cost of sending the fork in.

 

[buildyourown]

Worst case scenario, if it breaks, i'll just sue someone.......with the US legal system, i could come out of my own f#ck up a very rich man.

thanks guys

Sweet
The oven/freezer trick isn't that white trash. If it's good enough for Boeing, it's good enough for me.

Just use your brain and don't blame me when you F it up

 

[zedro]

I consider myself to be fairly competent when it comes to design and fabrication....

and thats why you'd send it out...just knowing better.

 

[Nick]

The marzocchi steerer is only 2.5mm thick, mine should be close to 4mm

I have an extra new USNS (undersized star nut standard) star nut you'll be needing.

$47.50 ... shipped.

 

[zedro]

I have an extra new USNS (undersized star nut standard) star nut you'll be needing.

$47.50 ... shipped.

real men use grinders...

 

[dante]

real men use grinders...

real men use bigger hammers...

 

[Alloy]

Sweet
The oven/freezer trick isn't that white trash. If it's good enough for Boeing, it's good enough for me.

Just use your brain and don't blame me when you F it up

I did that before with .005 press. It worked real well and the thing never made a sound.

But now don't get me wrong, I had to use space age materials and extremely complicated methods "I don't remember what they were, but a lot of big words were used." to get it to work and I wouldn't recommend doing it to anyone. It's very complicated.... Well....unless you own a vice, then go right ahead.

Oh yeah and since you're buiding it for one specific bike why not machine in some threads to replace the star nut. That would be cool.

 

[Rik]

Cut the current steerer in half, and make a spacer that sleeves inside the current steerer tube? A little less to worry about, if you get more metal-metal interface happening.

 

[Frankenschwinn]

Cryofit refers to using liquid nitrogen to freeze the object. you can get liquid nitrogen from just about any welding supply shop. You need a vented thermos type container to transport it though. do not put it in a sealed container as it will explode from the preasure build-up created by the liquid changing to gasious form.

 

[buildyourown]

Cryofit refers to using liquid nitrogen to freeze the object. you can get liquid nitrogen from just about any welding supply shop. You need a vented thermos type container to transport it though. do not put it in a sealed container as it will explode from the preasure build-up created by the liquid changing to gasious form.

I wouldn't bother for this application. In production, you can get the part colder, faster with N2. It isn't necessary though.

 

[buildyourown]

Cut the current steerer in half, and make a spacer that sleeves inside the current steerer tube? A little less to worry about, if you get more metal-metal interface happening.

I would never do that. That is the scariest possible scenario