[Closed] Crack in Steerer, how dangerous?

Is dental treatment cheaper in Australia?

How much do you value your face and teeth?
Get a new crown steerer unit or throw it away,

EDIT: As above

Just buy a new crown steerer uppers for it, but don't for one second, consider putting them back on the bike.

He He, Glad i asked... Did 15 miles on it yesterday, wonder how long its been like that.. Last full strip down was December time.

It is obviously clamped by the stem so shouldn't open up anymore.

By that logic it shouldn't have cracked in the first place! It's already opened up some more.

This might be a stw first. Unanimous opinions on a thread.

have you forced a hed doctor into a steerer thats too small for it?

have you forced a hed doctor into a steerer thats too small for it?

I haven't done anything, had the bike 2 years and never touched the forks apart from sending for services.

Last time I stripped it down and dropped the forks out was around december I think and it was all fine then.

Thanks for the advice, i'll do as you suggested and get a new crown steerer unit.

wedge style clamp on your stem by any chance?

wedge style clamp on your stem by any chance?

Stem is a Thomson x4 50mm

I haven't done anything

do you have a hed doctor?

do you have a hed doctor?

From the pic, it does look like an expanding collet arrangement rather than a sfn.

Looks like a Head Doctor in it to me, but scoring looks like a SFN has been inserted (bashed in) at some point too.

Don't ride it and as per everyone else get rid of the forks or new crown steerer unit.

Whoa - bin it now!

but scoring looks like a SFN has been inserted (bashed in) at some point too

Yeah, I think the guy I brought the bike off was a bit of a bodger 🙁

Thanks for all your input STW.. I plan to keep my teeth and face intact so will be getting a new crown steerer unit, do I basically have to go to somewhere like Mojo for this?

Blimey caught that in time didn't we, can you tell me what numbers to do on the lottery tomorrow please.

bung 'em up on the classifieds "£495, good cond, usual wear and tear. email for pics". Job done.

Just cut off the cracked bit?

I wouldn't expect you could split a tube by overtightening a Hed Doctor, even if you replaced the alloy bolt in it with a steel one. It's more likely to be that the stem doesn't quite fit and has ovalised the tube.

It [i]looks[/i] like a split from pushing in a head doctor in the same way you would a SFN.

I run 5(?) Hope headsets but don't run the head doctor bit as I haven't a steerer that would take one easily.

Possibly exacerbated by having a SFN already in place?

Maybe bad luck but thats what my money would be on.

What peterfromearth said!

Meh. I had one like this caused by tightening down the top cap into the steerer tube (didn't realise I had too few spacers by a couple of mm.)

I drilled a 5mm hole at the end of the crack to stop it cracking further and then used a gusset headlock to hold it all together (the headlock does away with the SFN and uses a bloody great bolt that runs through the steerer all the way to under the fork bridge). It worked a treat for about 4 years no problem.

😯

I am surprised nobody has suggested the possibility that it's a sticker.

IGMC

If you had spacers above the stem I suspect that could increase the chances that the hed doctor caused the crack.

Otherwise as suggested, stem may not be perfectly round. Try putting it on and nipping the bolts up so you can twist the stem, then rotate it and see if it has a tight spot

I have seen this happen before on a mates Fox forks, again using a head doctor but I suspect he did it up really tightly hence applying a lot of pressure.

but scoring looks like a SFN has been inserted (bashed in) at some point too

Yeah, I think the guy I brought the bike off was a bit of a bodger

How else do you imagine a star nut gets in there?

When I used a head doctor, I'm sure it sat at the top of the steerer rather than in it.

Thanks for all your input STW.. I plan to keep my teeth and face intact so will be getting a new crown steerer unit, do I basically have to go to somewhere like Mojo for this?

What's the fork? I have a choice of new Fox CSUs for sale.

PM me.

Marko

Fork is just a Fox Float 32, Will PM you shortly Marko, Thanks

I am surprised nobody has suggested the possibility that it's a sticker.

Wish is was a sticker, it would save me some hassle and expense right now.

PP: where are you moving to in Aus?

I use Hed Doctors in my bikes and the bolt is made of soft alloy to prevent you over tightening it. If you do the bolt snaps quite easily. The OP must have used a standard bolt and over done the preload last time he stripped the forks off.

@batfink, actually moving to Canberra, ACT due to visa's.. but it turns out it should suit us, couple of hours from Sydney, the beech, snowfields and has some decent mountain biking on door step. So hopefully we'll settle in well.

^ nice one! Some good biking down that way. I'm in Sydney - not as much in the way of trails, but the beaches are very nice 🙂

[url= http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-bhp-22-steerer-tube-extender/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&utm_source=pla&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=uk&kpid=5360445135 ]maybe - strong enough ??[/url]

could be that the crack is destined to continued further regardless of the bad section being cut away.

probably best to replace.

Replace, and do it before you get over here, or your wallet will feel significant pain!

A hed doctor can do that to a steerer tube if you overtighten it. I know because I did it, a fairly expensive mistake. I wont use a hed doctor now because I dont trust myself not to be ham fisted with it.

Looks like that is what happened to the OP. Cut the steerer below the crack and you'll be fine, assuming that the tube is still long enough to use in youe frame, otherwise its new crown and steerer tube time, or bin the forks and buy new.

I thought Hed-doctors were made of soft cheese anyway….