This is on my plate for tonight. Any tips to make things easier?
thnx.
thnx.
Cutting a steering tube & setting a star nut tips.
- Thread starter TN
- Start date
I use a pipe cutter and a star-fangled nut setting tool from Park.
I never use a pipe cutter because it rounds over the cut end making the star nut have to deform to be installed. It's worth spending the extra minute with a hacksaw to get a clean edge. using a star nut setter will make your life so much better, I wouldn't try it without one unless you have a fleet of star nuts to back you up.
most shops would let you pound a star nut in with their tools. mine would.
I recently had great success setting the starnut in my new boxxer (which is amazing I might add) with an old headset top cap, bolt, an mrp roller with one side cut off and rounded and a 12mm socket. I only used the mrp roller initially and then switched to the 12mm. I sat the 12mm socket on the starnut, and screwed the old top cap and bolt into the starnut wedging the socket in between them. I then carefully proceeded to tap the star into it's place in the steerer tube. It is definitely much quicker and easier with the tool but for the amount of star nuts I install at home is not worth buying imo.
This method worked real well and was making use if what I had kicking around.
This method worked real well and was making use if what I had kicking around.
Thanks! Sounds good.
Hack>pipe cutter.
Hacksaw for sure. Forget the pipe cutter as zebrahum mentioned.
I have set several star flanges after cutting the steer tube with a carbon pipe cutter - a pipe fitter's flange reamer cleans up the end and makes setting the star nut easy. In years past I used a hacksaw but never got the cut perfectly straight.
Before you cut the tube get some spacers to bring the stem up off the headset (unless of course it's a direct mount stem) so you can get a comfortable bar height. You can put the spacers under or over the stem, till you dial in your bar height. You'll have to cut some off the tube to fit some spacers, but I wouldn't cut it all the way down to the top of the stem till you find your comfort zone. I have a one inch spacer and one inch riser bars, Doesn't sound like much but it's a big difference, comfort wise. That works for. me. Oh!! and a pipe cutter is the way to go to get a straight cut, Unless you use a jig for cutting the steerer tube with a hacksaw it won't be straight, Pipe cutter and then use a rat tail or a 1/4 round file to smooth out the inside and flat file to debur the outside.IMOP. it works for me.
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Well placed electrical tape, careful cutting and a file will yield a straight cut also. There is a tool that you can clamp onto your steerer tube/setapost/bars anything round with a slot that we use at the store but as mentioned before, it means buying a tool for super occasional use. Maybe it's worth it?