Improvised Star-Fangled Nut Tool



A

Andrew Swan

Guest
Having the right tool can save time, produce the best possible result, and get the job done quickly
and safely. However I hate spending big on the "right" tool when I'm only going to use it once.

If you have to drive a star-fangled nut into a steerer, and you don't have access to a purpose-built
SFN tool, try what I did:

- thread a 3/8" socket onto the SFN bolt,
- screw the SFN onto the protruding end of the bolt
- inserted a socket extension into the socket
- used the extension to hold the SFN square to the steerer while I whacked it with a rubber mallet
(with the steerer held in a vice)

I chose a 3/8" socket because the hole in it was small enough to retain the bolt, and the socket end
was the right size to bear nicely on the SFN, but you could use any size that fitted equally well.

Please see these pics if you need a visual:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~andrewswan/sport/sfn_tool

This worked like a dream! I've read of other home-brewed solutions, such as pulling the SFN into
the steerer using a threaded rod inserted from the "fork" end of the steerer, which sounds fine,
but my method works just as well and only requires tools that you probably have lying around your
garage anyway.

Hope this helps someone,

Cheers,

&roo