Trying to remove this fork plug from the steerer tube. I loosed the bolt assuming that it will fall out but it seems wedged in there. Any help with removing it would be greatly appreciated.
by tripwithweird
Trying to remove this fork plug from the steerer tube. I loosed the bolt assuming that it will fall out but it seems wedged in there. Any help with removing it would be greatly appreciated.
by tripwithweird
6 Comments
It’s a compression plug. The bolt increases the compression, so loosening it do the trick. You probably just need to loosen it more.
I’m assuming it’s a star-fangled nut, they’re meant to be a one-way install, everything can be disassembled without removing it once you’ve taken off the pressure cap, which you have.
.I may be wrong, I haven’t used them myself, and the image is too small on my phone to see what’s really happening in there.
Why do you want to remove it?
Unthread the centre bolt (not the top cap bolt you just took out) about halfway.
Give it a light tap with a soft mallet or tap the Allen key when inserted. This is to break the internal wedge free so the assembly is loose.
Slide out while holding the centre bolt down slightly so it can’t re-wedge.
Seeing as how the plug has hex flats, I’d get the right sized wrench and loosen it a little.
Kinda looks like a Specialized compression plug (although it looks like a non specialized bike?). Don’t force it out… You’ll break it before it comes out. Just [follow these instructions. ](https://youtu.be/YNizysonc74?si=R0QRpbf-p_cX8NV6)…. Works like a charm!
Loosen it up and then give the top of the Allen key a little whack with a hammer, an it should loosen the lower part of this assembly. It’s a bit like a quill stem in that way.