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Hi guys I have made a small, 5mm long 1/2 mm deep cut in my fork steerer tube just below the upper bearing area. Anyone know if this is serious as in new steerer tube or is there no stress on that area so I will get away with it? Thanks.
A scrape you mean ?. Certainly at 5mm long and 1/2 deep, is going to cause any issues. They are quite thick and made to take the abuse of having things clamped tightly to them
Highly stressed, prone to fatigue failure, catastrophic if it fails.
How did it happen op?
You weren't cutting it for a new frame or something and made a measurement error?
If not what caused the damage at that point?
If it really is just half a mmn deep, it should be fine
I've got a Chris King headset that came on a second hand frame which (due to its design) has grooved the steerer.
You could get a round file and very gently go over the cut to remove the edges but don't make it any deeper 🙂
If it's at the front I might ride it, rear, no way.
Steel, aluminium or carbon?
Hi guys I accidentally made two hacksaw strokes on the tube then relalised the mark I was following was a headset mark not the pencil mark I had made. They looked identical unfortunately! It is about halfway deep into the wall of the steerer tube and 5mm long in a pair of pike 160mm alloy steerer tubed forks.
Halfway deep is more than half a mm. We need photos to accurately predict the chances of your demise...
Halfway? I'd be looking for a new steerer.
If you don't replace it, how often are you going to drop the girls and check it? I assume a 160 Pike isn't for your pub bike.
It's on a bronson which I just built this week. I was going to ride it at degla and check to see if it grows but I guess I can always buy a second hand pair and swap steerers as mine are fully serviced. Or even try a new fork. Doesn't seem promising then!
RSF can press a new steerer tube in
I wouldn't consider riding them even if you paid me.
If you are in the North West you can try Slick and Slide in Macc, they replace steerers too.
If it were me, I'd see if I could have a piece of steel tube machined down to be a tight fit inside the steerer, then bond that inside. Leave just enough space above it for a SFN and extend it a couple of inches below the damage.
Yea not a bad idea thanks. I've thought I also have a mechanic mate who could put a small weld across it. He seems to think it will be more than strong enough as its so small.
Hang on... if the cut is in the area of the top bearing it's not in a highly stressed area. If it was at the bottom of the steerer that would be different. I think a blob of weld would be okay.
It's about 10mm lower than the bottom of the upper bearing. I was unsure of the stresses in that area so hence my question.
Sorry, didnt think you meant a carbon stem. You hadnt said and I assumed it was alloy or steel.
As with Spooky, I've had a CK HS groove a steel steerer , and actually quite badly, but i used it for years so never considered it was affecting it at all.
Maybe carbon being thinner, but again you said 1/2mm and im use stems even carbon are much thicker than that.
Sorry for any confusion or ill advice 🙂
Where it joins the crown is the most stressed part. Where it exits the top bearing is also stressed. The danger is that it could fatigue and crack. My guess is that it's probably ok, but if it does fail, that's going to be a potentially fatal crash.
No mate sorry its definitely alloy steerer. 10mm below underside of upper bearing. I think a spot of weld will sort it. I'm hoping it will!
Your mechanic mate is probably all set up for welding steel. Unless he actually knows what he is doing with the right filler rods temperatures etc. all he's likely doing is dropping a blob of molten, un-fused metal into the hole. You may as well just Araldite them if that's the case.
If it were me, I'd go with getting a new steerer pressed in as suggested up there.
Thanks tthew much appreciated.
Might have to write that one off to the 'stupid tax' account 🙁
I'm sure we've all had to at some point.
Yes I think I’m going fork hunting now.
If you do ride them a chest mounted gopro on every ride will significantly improve your chances of them not breaking.
I'm more puzzled though that there was a headset mark 10mm below the underside of your top bearing and yet there was enough steerer to fit your frame let alone need to cut it down.
Where the wrong cut is how long is the steerer? Can you cut it at that length and then sell them? Use the money to buy another pair?
I've always found the shorter the steerer the cheaper the re sale value.
Alternatively there's this idea. I know hambini isn't everyones favourite but I thought this was pretty clever way of extending the height of a steerer. You could use this idea to reinforce the steerer maybe? Skip to about 6m30s for some inspiration. Warning, he is a 5year old so it's at your own risk!
If the forks are otherwise good just get a new ND Tuned steerer tube fitted.