I have a very thick walled steel steertube, starnuts don't like it. So what i want to do is tap it and use a nice big bolt with a large hole bored in it. The i.d. of the steertube is 21mm. Any idea how i can accomplish my plan? Should i helicoil it?
dirrect mount headset adjustment
- Thread starter CreeP
- Start date
you can't see through a headlock 
in a word, not cool enough.
I want to put a hollow bolt in my diabolus cranks too, but that's another matter. Right now I'd like some help figuring the best way to fit a hollowed out bolt to my fork.
in a word, not cool enough.I want to put a hollow bolt in my diabolus cranks too, but that's another matter. Right now I'd like some help figuring the best way to fit a hollowed out bolt to my fork.
Use a smaller star nut.
Starnut for a 1" ahead fork?
wedge-clamping-dongle for a carbon fork?
wedge-clamping-dongle for a carbon fork?
But, if you do up the headlock, tighten the stem firmly, you should be able to remove the headlock without any dramas... and then you'll have a nice empty steerer to stare down. If aesthetics is an issue, make up a plastic/rubber donut-esque O ring to sit around the top edge of the stem/steerer.CreeP said:
i was considering that.
oh by thick i mean a 1/4" thick.
oh by thick i mean a 1/4" thick.
jeeze what fork is it? i kno the headtube on my bike is 8mm and thats almost a 1/4" and thats thick as hell.
the norco rigid jumping fork. I didn't think anyone made one that thick in steel until i saw this thing. I had an upgrade or my marz at one point and the lower end of the tube was difficult to stick any fingers into, but, one- it was aluminium, two- the majority of the tube was nothing special.
i should make a correction though, it's 5mm which is a little less than .25 inches but it's still way thick.
i should make a correction though, it's 5mm which is a little less than .25 inches but it's still way thick.
If you're doing dirt jumping etc....I'd use the headlock regardless of how gay it might look. A few good impacts on the front end with the stem and it loosens up you'll toast that headtube on a dirt jumping ride.
Headlocks are cheap, proven, and I dunno what I'd ever do without them. It's one of the better low cost bike nick nacks that have been around. You can pretty much run that headlock pretty darn tight and never worry about the headset/stem comming loose.
Headlocks are cheap, proven, and I dunno what I'd ever do without them. It's one of the better low cost bike nick nacks that have been around. You can pretty much run that headlock pretty darn tight and never worry about the headset/stem comming loose.
how come nobody likes my idea?
5mm = ~0.20 inches. 6mm= just shy of .25 inches
on the headlock, in theory, it would work. if you needed to adjust your stem or headset, you'd be screwed unless another riding buddy happens to have one on their bike, or you have one in your pack.
on the headlock, in theory, it would work. if you needed to adjust your stem or headset, you'd be screwed unless another riding buddy happens to have one on their bike, or you have one in your pack.
Because it's a dumb idea.CreeP said:
Cutting an internal thread on the id of you steerer tube would create a very significant stress riser and probably lead to failure.
If you took it to a frame shop, they could braze a threaded insert into the steerer. This would be a much better idea, strengthwise.
you're a dumb idea 
why would fbm do it if it were a dumb idea. Fuking starnuts are a dumb idea if there ever was one and headlocks are a hack, a band-aid for a problem we shouldn't have.
How could an evenly spaced thread be worse than a bunch of gouges anyway
your suggestion is so ghetto i wasn't even going to comment on its existence.
bah, enough ranting.
why would fbm do it if it were a dumb idea. Fuking starnuts are a dumb idea if there ever was one and headlocks are a hack, a band-aid for a problem we shouldn't have.
How could an evenly spaced thread be worse than a bunch of gouges anyway
your suggestion is so ghetto i wasn't even going to comment on its existence.
bah, enough ranting.
Do whatever you want. I wouldn't ride it. Just cause a company makes it, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Good luck with that.
well its designed into the fork properly in the first place, and its a steel steerer....buildyourown said:
um ya, my steerer is three times thicker gauge and cro-moly.
And zedro, isn't there at least another forum you could visit? every second post seems to be one of yours.
And zedro, isn't there at least another forum you could visit? every second post seems to be one of yours.
I don't think threading the tube would weaken it to the point that it would be a problem considering most of the presure is down lower. It's not like you are gouging a ring down above the race. That would be kind of fun in a Russian Roulette kind of way...
i could tell you where to go as well...CreeP said:
guess i'll have to make sure i dont respond to your posts anymore
Like buildyourown said, just coz a company makes it doesnt make it good.CreeP said:you're a dumb idea
why would fbm do it if it were a dumb idea. Fuking starnuts are a dumb idea if there ever was one and headlocks are a hack, a band-aid for a problem we shouldn't have.
How could an evenly spaced thread be worse than a bunch of gouges anyway
your suggestion is so ghetto i wasn't even going to comment on its existence.
bah, enough ranting.
Also, that fork up there was originally designed to have threads, so it probably works fine for that fork, if the company did proper design and testing.
Its a whole different thing making threads into your OWN fork, which was never designed for it. Making threads will weaken the fork, and quite possibly like mentioned earlier lead to unecessary and uncalculated stress and break. The last part you want breaking on your bike is the front end area.
Id definetly go with a headlock if a 1" starnut wont fit in there.
Look out for your health man.
how could it possibly be that bad?!?!?!?! this is so frustrating.
well i just figured out the perfect solution considering the ID of your steerer fits the required tap diameter of a standard....
oops, just went over my posting limit....
oops, just went over my posting limit....
zedro said:
BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
That just made my day!!!
On topic, find a bolt shop and a machine shop. Get a bolt and have the machine shop do what you want. That will probably get you better results then posting here as most people don't have problems with star-fangled nuts, and if they do, the head-lock is a jem....
actually i just figured out another solution which is even easier machining wise, but i dont have time to say since i'm going to a new website called www.peoplewhoactuallylikebeinghelped.comlockemiester said:
This is hilarious. Creep you came here and asking for advice on a pretty sketchy idea. Instead of validating your cry for approval, people gave you sound advice that you should avoid cutting threads into a steer tube when threads were probably not considered by whoever made it.
It's "so fustrating" because it's not what you wanted to hear. That is so rich. And it's even more rich because it's about wanting something to look "cool enough." BWAHAHAHAHA!
Creep it won't be "that bad" for any of us - it just might be bad for you. You might be fine, but learn how to be grateful for advice, even if you don't take it.
No soup for you!
:eviltongu :eviltongu
It's "so fustrating" because it's not what you wanted to hear.
That is so rich. And it's even more rich because it's about wanting something to look "cool enough." BWAHAHAHAHA!Creep it won't be "that bad" for any of us - it just might be bad for you. You might be fine, but learn how to be grateful for advice, even if you don't take it.
No soup for you!
:eviltongu :eviltongu
umkay. fine. :eviltongu
All i wanted to know was how to accomplish it. And everybody says "you're an idiot for considering it"
If having been designed with threads in mind would have made such a difference how come nobody who brought that up seemed the least bit interested in expounding?
you guys are insulting.
enough rhetoric. and idiocy. consider this thread closed
All i wanted to know was how to accomplish it. And everybody says "you're an idiot for considering it"
If having been designed with threads in mind would have made such a difference how come nobody who brought that up seemed the least bit interested in expounding?
you guys are insulting.
enough rhetoric. and idiocy. consider this thread closed
damn.....go to the hardware store and buy the correct length bolt and a friggin t-nut and some washers...instant headlock for $1.25....
i never called you an idiot. I had some solutions, and could of explained the problems. Maybe the only guy that could of been on your side but you insulted me instead. So maybe no one wants to bother.CreeP said:
Don't be discouraged......it's a great idea. Go for it!!!! Watching your wheel spin through your steerer tube is well worth it.CreeP said:
Just don't forget to look up the many meanings of the word "score" at some point. If you don't understand what I'm getting at,.....then hey, you'll just be onto your solution even quicker!!!
Funny how you alienated the people that were trying to help. Some people tried to explain, and yeah some came on strong but hey, take the good with the bad. The style of RM is a bit coarse, but there's good information to be had.CreeP said:
Personally I think the idea is kind of cool so long as it was considered when the fork was made. But when you cut threads you remove material and increase the chance of cracking and breaking, so pretty much no steerer should be engineered to handle it if weight is anywhere near the radar screen. If in light of all that an insert does not sound like a better idea, then what do you want to hear?
The steerer will be fine if you cut fine threads into it (UNF or equiv not BSP or big metric threads), your steerer is so thick as its a rigid fork and so transfers all the landing forces into the crown/lower steerer tube area, the upper area will be less stressed and sounds thicker than most bmx forks that all use this system nowadays.
Use a bmx fork bearing preloader & take the fork to an engineering company to tap out.
Star fangled nuts are the crappest idea ever, headlocks are a step away from going back to quill stems.
Use a bmx fork bearing preloader & take the fork to an engineering company to tap out.
Star fangled nuts are the crappest idea ever, headlocks are a step away from going back to quill stems.
Lots of bmx forks are designed to be internally threaded, but the threads are accommodated for during the design process....... that being said, If you really want to do it make sure the part of the steerer tube that gets threaded is above the headtube and above most of the stem while on your bike so it will only recieve the loading from the pre-load bolt. Threading it will significantly weaken it so you'll want it to NOT be subjected to any clamping forces (stem) or shear forces (in the headset area).
And if someone tells you your idea sucks don't blame them, YOU asked for advice and got it.
And if someone tells you your idea sucks don't blame them, YOU asked for advice and got it.
Yeah well like Zane said there's more happening than just "landing forces," the stem clamping area must be strong too. Yeah his fork sounds thick enough, but still, it's just sketchy if it wasn't considered when the fork was built. At the very least do what Zane said and make sure there's enough steer tube so the threaded part is above the stem...like I said I think it's a cool idea with the right fork.keeping_it_real said:
for gods sake, let the guy tap his forks out, he has them there in his hands im sure he can judge if they are gonna be strong enough to handle being on his bike, just coz they wernt there when they left the factory dosnt meen it cant/shouldnt be done.
The stem i machined for bolting to my 888's never left the marzocchi/race face factory yet hasnt snapped yet, the new linkage (i made myself) for the back end of my norco is still fine, the titanium head lock thingy i made still tightens my headset, etc etc.
Use your initiative
The stem i machined for bolting to my 888's never left the marzocchi/race face factory yet hasnt snapped yet, the new linkage (i made myself) for the back end of my norco is still fine, the titanium head lock thingy i made still tightens my headset, etc etc.
Use your initiative
I got a wicked idea. Use a hollow Star fangled bolt, and then a simple round slide magnifier you can find at any photo shop and rubber cement it it to the top of your steerer tube. The hole will be magnified and so when you look down it will look like the whole thing is hollow and you will still have a tight headset. Sweet huh! Just watch out for glass shards if you eat sh!t.