Replacement fork has forked up my bike

Asked by: Alex Stakelbeck

What is a crown race on a fork?

A crown race sits at the bottom of the steerer tube and mates with the lower bearings. But, unlike the threaded design, the fork is not captive to the headset and is only held in place by a stem clamped to the steerer extending through the head tube.

Why is my headset wobbling?

Headsets usually become loose because one of the headset pieces changed positions, or as a result of the stem and top nut loosening. To fix this requires tightening and locking the adjustment so it stays in place.

How do I get rid of Crown race?

Quote from video: Take the screwdriver and just put it down on the base. Of the crown race and just tap it a little bit flip. It over the other. Side. Tap it down a little bit and just go back and forth.

How do you fix a wobbly bike fork?

If you can’t get the fork turning smoothly without the headset rocking or rattling, check the bearings. To do this, pull the fork out of the bike and pop the bearings from their cups. Roll them between your fingers – they should feel buttery smooth; if not, it’s time to replace them.

Do all forks need a crown race?

Some forks have straight steerer tubes, and some have tapered. Straight 1 ⅛ in steerer tubes have a crown race seat of 30mm, so they require a 30mm crown race.

Can you reuse a crown race?

Unless it has been damaged, there is no reason a crown race can’t be reused.

How do you tighten loose Forks?

Quote from video: All you will need is an allen key to undo the bolt on the stem cap here and another allen key to undo the stem bolts on either side.

How tight should stem bolts be?

Tighten each bolt a few turns, following the pattern at right. Continue tightening until you reach 75 inch/pounds (8.5nm). This is approximately as tight as you can get the bars using a multi-tool. Maintaining equal load on all 4 bolts is critical for durability.

How do you tighten a fork?

Quote from video: You may have this rubber cap on there where you're gonna take that all first take your allen key fit it inside the headset bolt. And we're gonna tighten it to one finger tight not very tight at all

How do you remove a dual crown fork?

Double Crown Forks



Remove the front wheel. Use an allen key to remove the bolts which attach the brake caliper to the fork legs. Undo the pinch bolts of the upper and lower crowns, and start to slide the forks from the crowns. Remove the fork bumpers if fitted, then slide the stanchions all the way out.

How do you seat a crown race?

Quote from video: Don't take this guy here right shove it right on top. Because you can see it fits perfectly right there grab yourself your rubber mallet. Right. Here.

How do I remove a star nut from a fork?

Quote from video: So what you can do is take maybe like a long screwdriver push. It in here and then use a hammer. And this push. The star fangled nut down and push it out through.

How do I know my crown race size?

To determine the fit, measure both the inside diameter of the fork crown race and the outside diameter of the fork crown. A difference between 0.05mm to 0.15mm is generally considered acceptable. Differences less than 0.05mm may be a weak fit and may come loose during use.

How do I know if my headset bearings are worn?

Bounce the front wheel off the ground a few times: a rattling sound indicates the headset is loose. If the bars lock in the middle and point straight then it’s either too tight or the bearings are heavily worn.

How long do headset bearings last?

If you ride in good dry conditions, headset bearings can last 2-7 years, depending on the level of service. But if you ride in wet or dusty conditions, they can only last you 2-3 months. So, two factors are critical in determining the headset bearings’ lifespan: cycling conditions and headset maintenance.

How do you put a crown race on a fork?

Quote from video: Side goes down so you just slide on there it'll only go so far and then it needs to be pressed into place before we use the pipe. Slide the pipe. On.

What is crown race diameter?

The crown race ID is 26.5mm rather than 26.4mm and the threads are a tiny bit different, but ISO headsets are so close that they work absolutely perfectly on Italian frames. French sized frames use a 25.0mm steerer with a 22.0mm ID.

How do you measure fork crown race?

The fork crown race is seated onto the fork crown. Generally this is press fit, with the inside diameter of the crown race being smaller than the fork crown. To determine the fit, measure both the inside diameter of the fork crown race and the outside diameter of the fork crown.

How do you seat a crown race?

Quote from video: Don't take this guy here right shove it right on top. Because you can see it fits perfectly right there grab yourself your rubber mallet. Right. Here.

Does tapered fork need crown race?

If you decide to change your fork to tapered, you just have to change the crown race, no need to buy any additional adapter.

How do you set crown race without tools?

Get a length of PVC that is a couple inches longer than the steerer. Set the crown race by hand, put the PVC pipe over the steerer, turn the fork upsidedown and by grabbing it by the crown or stanchion tubes slam (carefully) the PVC pipe/steerer on the floor until perfect flush.