I got a new fork and mismeasured the length of threads needed. I called a few LBS and the closest place with a tool to do it is about an hour away.
I was then reading that they can't usually cut it if the fork is chrome. They told me on the phone they'd just have to look at it in person and see what they could do.
Before I drive over there this weekend do you think it would be possible on this fork? Thanks
by Vanderscramble
16 Comments
They should. I don’t know if many will.
What is that? Chrome?
Steerer threading is a slow, methodical cut with a clean, sharp die. Especially on plated materials. The chances of some hamfister short on time just plowing valleys through that without adequate lubrication are pretty good – leading to steerer failure – leading to crash – leading to lawsuit.
There are probably a bunch that will – and an equal amount that won’t. It’s not as common as it was in the before times. Most have steerer cutters – not many have thread cutters and chasers.
I could be wrong however.
Bring it to a machine shop
Chrome plating is very hard on threading dies, so people who have experience threading forks (a bit of a lost art these days) will strip the chrome in the area first.
It’s possible to remove the chrome plating yourself. I’d recommend thoroughly reading up on the pros and cons of each method before you jump in. The chemical and electrical methods involve some dangerous & toxic chemicals and byproducts. Chrome dust ain’t great to breathe in, either!
It’s a shame they plated the entire steerer. paying someone to remove the plating will probably end up being more expensive than just buying a new fork that isn’t chromed.
I wouldn’t travel without knowing if they can. Most shops will have dies to cut threads on forks etc but anything else and you are on shaky ground.
Most engineers or machine shops should be able to though.
The problem with chrome is it wears the die faster. It’s hard enough to find the die to thread a fork, and shops don’t want to ruin them on a single job.
Probably not.
I use to do them on a daily basis, we’d buzz the chrome off on a belt sander and then thread. Easy easy
No because the major diameter (the diameter of the thread peaks) of the threads is smaller than the diameter of the unthreaded portion of the head tube.
Which means a die can’t be used because there’s too much metal to remove.
Your only option is to take it to a machinist who *might* be able to turn down the unthreaded potion to the correct diameter for the die.
But it’s going to cost a fair whack of money because the setup in the lathe to turn down the diamter is not simple.
Sell the forks and buy whats going to fit without modification.
Here’s another option if don’t mind or would like the bars higher. Get a 1” threadless headset and some 1” spacers. You can cut off some of the threads but leave enough for 2 locknuts to hold the adjustment. You’ll need to remove the smaller diameter lip on the lower locknut.
Or just get the right size fork…
I’m sorry what is going on here? That photo does not look like a bike fork. Everyone is responding as if it is actually part of a bicycle.
Forks aren’t threaded where I come from.
Am I an alien here, have I been transported to a planet where forks are threaded?
https://preview.redd.it/ixlq21xnynlf1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a63c7ee99935c4763598012fc92cae54e21b4a0a
The threading isn’t hard for most decent shops, and would be easier than a machine shop (imagine a fork whipping around in a lathe, it’s not how I’d want to do it!). I have only used that tool a handful of times in my shop, but I still have one ready to go occasions just like this.
I ordered a die from a toolmaker and borrowed a handle from a grizzled old mechanic to cut threads when I needed to. It was honestly more work than I thought it would be, but I got it done. Nowadays, a $20 die off Amazon and a $10 handle will get you in business for less than I paid for shipping. Order two dies just in case one fails.
Absolutely. Take it to any shop that wants to ruin a thread chasing die.
I recently got a “1″ 24 UNS Right Hand Threading Dies” online for $10. Worked a treat on regular steel steer tube. I cut about 4” extra. Good enough for a few uses I reckon.
If you have a bike co-op with a die, it’s not that hard to sand off the chrome and add threads. Then dremel the slot further down. That being said, it is time consuming. So probably not worth paying someone to do it vs finding another fork.
I’ve used the Park Tool steerer thread chaser possibly hundreds of times to thread chro-moly and hi-ten steel forks… the few times I attempted on a chrome-plated fork mostly dulled the tool and did not cut clean threads.
In my experience, cutting a few new inches of threads is not going to be possible.
A machine shop or new (more suitable steerer) fork are going to be your best options.