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What's the best way.Sockets etc.
Cheers all..
LBS. Charged me £7 to fit a SFN and cut fork.
Seems rude to do anything else.
It's the sort of job, if you can get someone else to knock it in with the proper tool, for a fiver or so. It's just worth it.
Wouldn't trust my lbs with a new set of pikes.. 😉
Rest sfn on too of steered with a bolt fitted. Insert an Allen key into bolt. Bash in with hammer. Simples!
That,s more like it.
I normally just thread a long hex head bolt into the sfn then hammer it into the steerer. Never let me down yet.
Andy
Make sure forks are either locked out or rest the underside of the crown on something solid before putting the nut in. Also, have a flat head screwdriver to hand so you can straighten it if it starts to go a bit wonky. Ghetto methods are the best.
Cheers.That'll do for me.
If you've got a really long bolt or threaded bar, thread the SFN onto that, then drop the bolt/bar through the steerer so it sticks out the bottom. Leave a bit of bar/bolt sticking out the top of the SFN. Now impossible to put it in more troublesomely squint.
Rest the SFN in the top of the steerer, drop a Phillips screwdriver through the SFN's hole, square it up and hit the handle of the screwdriver with a hammer.
A screwdriver with a handle of similar diameter to the SFN will help keep it square.
Wouldn't trust my lbs with a new set of pikes..
But you won't spend £15 on the right tool for the job to fit a SFN to a £600 pair of forks... 😯 That's what most LBS's would charge to do the job!
Honestly, having tried to smack a fair few of them in without the tool, it's not even worth bothering. Takes a whole 5 seconds with the right tool and it's straight and easy. I've done them without but wouldn't do it again, the tool makes it that much simpler.
Fold the lower star in a bit evenly with pliers so it only just drops into the steerer under hand pressure. Put a bolt in the top. Make sure the fork is well and safely supported. Hit it in with a hammer.
The folded in lower star means it starts straight. The top star is more than sufficient to tighten up against.
It might still go squint, but starting straight minimises this a bit.
Buy the tool it costs about £10 compared to forks of how much?
Failing that use the bolt method above. Steel bolt, longer is better as you've more chance of it going in straight. Don't use the same bolt you will use to build the bike?
In the manner of all that is STW I'll recommend something else
Get a Hope Hed Doctor
For the sake of a few quid on decent forks, why use a SFN?
Screwdriver through it as above. Always worked really well for me.
I've p!ssed around with various ghetto methods in the past with threaded rods, bots etc.
After the last time of having to bash the bolt from the side to straighten it up, I purchased the park tool.
It now takes seconds and is perfect every time.
I tried a ghetto method. Results were shite. the knackered SFN is now sitting at the bottom of my steerer with another one properly fitted with the park tool above it.
You might get lucky and get it right, but it's a PITA if you don't.
SFN tool is one of my favourite items. Used by me any many others - makes a shite job an absolute pleasure. Quite cheap too.
Ok ok..I'll buy one.. 😉
If you've got a really long bolt or threaded bar, thread the SFN onto that, then drop the bolt/bar through the steerer so it sticks out the bottom. Leave a bit of bar/bolt sticking out the top of the SFN. Now impossible to put it in more troublesomely squint.
This (threaded rod tho) but then put some washers on the bottom that cover the base of the steerer, and a cap nut. Ratchet up the cap it and it'll pull the star nut down dead straight, easily and with a great deal of control. Much better than any other method, if a touch slower.
Cut the top 6 inches off of the wifes broom handle, the rounded ended sits quite nicely into the contours of the SFN. Hit the other end with a hammer. Never failed!
Sort of as per IA - threaded bar with penny washer and nut up through the bottom of the steerer. Screw SFN down onto bar. Tighten nut at bottom and watch in amazement as the SFN makes its way serenely down the steerer.
Put the stem on top of the steerer tube but with raised up by about 20mm Tighten gently.. Pass the bolt through the top cap and thread into the sfn. Put the top cap on top of the stem. Lo and behold, the sfn is nestling on top of the steerer and is dead straight, the allen bolt is sticking up by a few mm. Give it a tap. Lower the stem a bit. Give it another tap. Continue till it's all done.
Who needs a tool?
Tonyd in the early days of a-head I had a very embarrassed looking mechanic show me my forks with a broom handle that had split round the sides and through the middle of a sfn. My only consolation was the knowledge he was going to be the one sorting it out!
BigJohn's wins I reckon!
Sort of as per IA - threaded bar with penny washer and nut up through the bottom of the steerer. Screw SFN down onto bar. Tighten nut at bottom and watch in amazement as the SFN makes its way serenely down the steerer.
The pro-tip with my method is the cap nut lets you use a ratchet and socket for greater ease.
BigJohns method is good, but can be a bit awkward if the cut's not dead level (another topic right there) or if it's a particularly thick wall steerer (first gen marz z150s anyone?!?)
The pro-tip with my method is the cap nut lets you use a ratchet and socket for greater ease.
Like it. Rememebering back (I've only used that method once)I used a second nut at the bottom to act as a locknut, thus achieving the same as a cap nut.