How can I increase the stackheight of my headset?

[Me]

Hi, I have a secondhand frame that I'm trying to match up to a secondhand fork.

Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset nut can screwdown onto the
bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they advise against doing anything
like that due to somesort of internal butting.

Basically my headtube is about 5mm too short. So can anyone come up withe a suggestion on how to
raise my fixed cups up away from the frame a bit? Are there such things as spacers to put between
the fixed cups and my frame?

cheers,

j

 

[Mike S.]

"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi, I have a secondhand frame that I'm trying to match up to a secondhand fork.
>
> Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset
nut
> can screwdown onto the bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they
> advise against doing anything like that due to somesort of internal butting.
>
> Basically my headtube is about 5mm too short. So can anyone come up withe
a
> suggestion on how to raise my fixed cups up away from the frame a bit? Are there such things as
> spacers to put between the fixed cups and my frame?
>
> cheers,
>
> j
>
>
Depending on the fork, you should just be able to hop on down to the LBS and have them thread
another 5-10mm. 5mm isn't very far...

You should probably tell us what kind of fork, steel, AL, etc. before expecting specific replies.

Mike

 

[A Muzi]

"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi, I have a secondhand frame that I'm trying to match up to a secondhand fork.
>
> Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset
nut
> can screwdown onto the bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they
> advise against doing anything like that due to somesort of internal butting.
>
> Basically my headtube is about 5mm too short. So can anyone come up withe
a
> suggestion on how to raise my fixed cups up away from the frame a bit? Are there such things as
> spacers to put between the fixed cups and my frame?

This was once a very common problem. In the late seventies/early eighties many racing frames were
cut with a 35mm differential of head tube/steerer when Campagnolo's Super Record 4041 (42mm stacj
height) was the desirable headset.

Cut the top headlug with a hacksaw to remove 4 or 5mm off the end. Mill the head tube to bring it
back to square. Do not do that on the bottom as that would change the head angle!

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[A Muzi]

"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi, I have a secondhand frame that I'm trying to match up to a secondhand fork.
>
> Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset
nut
> can screwdown onto the bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they
> advise against doing anything like that due to somesort of internal butting.
>
> Basically my headtube is about 5mm too short. So can anyone come up withe
a
> suggestion on how to raise my fixed cups up away from the frame a bit? Are there such things as
> spacers to put between the fixed cups and my frame?

I misread the problem and gave irrelevant advice. My apology. You need more threads? As Mike S
correctly suggested, get more threads cut at an LBS.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Mark McMaster]

Me wrote:
> Hi, I have a secondhand frame that I'm trying to match up to a secondhand fork.
>
> Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset nut can screwdown onto
> the bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they advise against doing
> anything like that due to somesort of internal butting.
>
> Basically my headtube is about 5mm too short. So can anyone come up withe a suggestion on how to
> raise my fixed cups up away from the frame a bit? Are there such things as spacers to put between
> the fixed cups and my frame?

I have had a Rock Shox 1" steerer which has had extra threads cut. I was initially concerned with
doing this when the dealer suggested it, since the Rock Shox product literature recommends against
it, so I contacted Rock Shox directly. The Rock Shox service department told me that their 1 1/8"
threaded steerers had thinner walls below the threads, so they couldn't have the threads extended,
but that their 1" steerers had constant wall thicknesses, and cut have thread cut lower. That was
about 9 years ago, and although I have the fork rebuilt twice, the steerer with additional threads
cut is still going strong.

Mark McMaster [email protected]

 

[Jon Isaacs]

>I misread the problem and gave irrelevant advice. My apology. You need more threads? As Mike S
>correctly suggested, get more threads cut at an LBS.

From the original post:

"Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset nut can screwdown onto the
bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they advise against doing anything
like that due to somesort of internal butting."

Apparently this fork has thinner tubing below the threads so it does not seem wise to cut the
threads further, at least according to Rock Shock.

According to Mark McMaster's post, it would seem that this is a 1.125 inch fork.

How about this:

Use the top bearing assembly from a threadless head set and then use two or more jam nuts to lock
the headset in place.

The inner race should just slide over the area where there are no threads and the nuts would keep
the whole thing together.

????

jon isaacs

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

<< "Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset nut can screwdown onto
the bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they advise against doing
anything like that due to somesort of internal butting."

If 1 inch steerer-have a good LBS cut ya the threads...we used to do this all the time with RS 1
inch steerers...no problem-

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Jon Isaacs]

>If 1 inch steerer-have a good LBS cut ya the threads...we used to do this all the time with RS 1
>inch steerers...no problem-

According to Mark McMaster, the 1 inch steerer tubes were not butted, the 1.125 are butted. I am
assuming the OP did his homework and knows he has a 1.125 inch steerer tube...

jon isaacs

 

[A Muzi]

> >([email protected]) I misread the problem and gave irrelevant advice.
My apology.
> >You need more threads? As Mike S correctly suggested, get more threads
cut
> >at an LBS.
>
> From the original post:
>

"Jon Isaacs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset
nut
> can screwdown onto the bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they
> advise against doing anything like that due to somesort of internal butting."
>
> Apparently this fork has thinner tubing below the threads so it does not
seem
> wise to cut the threads further, at least according to Rock Shock.
>
> According to Mark McMaster's post, it would seem that this is a 1.125 inch fork.
>
> How about this:
>
> Use the top bearing assembly from a threadless head set and then use two
or
> more jam nuts to lock the headset in place.
>
> The inner race should just slide over the area where there are no threads
and
> the nuts would keep the whole thing together.

Rumors notwithstanding I have never seen a fork which is thinner in the middle than at the top. It
would I think be an expensive thing to do, wouldn't it?

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Nick Payne]

Serotta sell an extender that presses into the headtube and into which you press the top headset
cup. But it will give you an extra 20mm of headtube height. That might be too much.

Nick

"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi, I have a secondhand frame that I'm trying to match up to a secondhand fork.
>
> Problem: my fork needs about 5mm of more threads before my first headset
nut
> can screwdown onto the bearings. I can't cut more threads on it as it is a rockshock and they
> advise against doing anything like that due to somesort of internal butting.
>
> Basically my headtube is about 5mm too short. So can anyone come up withe
a
> suggestion on how to raise my fixed cups up away from the frame a bit? Are there such things as
> spacers to put between the fixed cups and my frame?