Headsets, headtubes, and forks and how they relate

colbydmay

I've got a Schwinn Frontier that I bought used a week ago (surprisingly nice considering what I paid for it), and I have found that an upgrade I want to make to it--adding a suspension fork--will not be as easy as I originally thought, due to the frame size and headset type/size.

This got me to thinking about how these parts can be changed and/or upgraded, and was hoping some of you could lend your expertise...

1. Do head tube diameters vary with steering tube diameters, or are they pretty much universal?
2. If they are "universal", then could a different size/type steering tube be used if the headset was swapped out for a different size/type?

The most commonly found tube types on forks now are 1 1/8-inch and threadless. My Frontier is 1-inch and threaded, and due to the size of the frame requires a longer-than-average steering tube. While not much can be done for the length requirement, my thought is that by switching to a new threadless 1 1/8 headset (provided my frame can accomodate it), I would have more fork options to choose from. And I'm not looking for anything very fancy...just something to make the bike a little more flexible if I decide to take it on bumpy trails, roads, or paths.

All opinions and answers appreciated...CDM

boudreaux

You cannot stick a 11/8" HS in a headtube designed for 1".It's too big!. I have however,heard of milling out a 1" HT to accept the larger 11/8" cups,but would only do it with steel or Ti, and even that assumes there is enough meat in the HT to do it safely. You simply should have planned better.That frame is not worth spending alot on in upgrades.

MidBunchLurker

If you shop around you should find some fork models available with 1" steerers. I seem to remember the lower-end Marzocchis still being available with 1" - those would probably fit the bill perfectly.

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nick.

www.nickcoyne.com

colbydmay

I was looking at the SR Suntour website and they appear to have some M-series forks that come in both 1" and 1 1/8" sizes, but finding them on retail sites or in stores is almost impossible. Are they OEM only?