|   need a bit of advice | drsam
Oct 19, 2001 11:18 AM | | Hi all,
Have a few questions/advice requests.
First here's my situation,
I pretty much do all my own wrenching (which is pretty minimal) but I've never changed, installed, or serviced a fork, nor do I have the specific tools for pressing the headset cups, installing the star nut, installing the fork crown race, etc..
I mostly have standard tools and a few bike specific tools I've picked up along the way, as well as a copy of "Zinn" and another repair book (the name of which I can't remember...I guess that's cause it's sort of a sucky book)
Querry #1
I have trek (heavily upgraded 6000) with a manitou magnum fork that came stock and has never been messed with in any way. So far it seems to be working fine, but I am wondering if I need to do any sort of routine maintenance, lubing, etc. Any advice?
Querry #2
My wife has a cheaper trek (800 sport) with a rigid threaded fork. I have been thinking of putting a suspension fork on her bike (primarily looking for something cheap) when it occured to me that perhaps I should upgrade my own fork to something nicer and put my magnum on her bike.
Is it realistic for me to attempt headset replacements, star nut installations etc, without buying the specific (and in my opinion overpriced) tools, or would I be better off swallowing my pride and letting the LBS do the job?
Querry #3
If I do put my magnum on my wife's bike, any upgrade suggestions for my bike...I mostly do fairly tame xc singletrack stuff (I'm in pretty flat Mississippi), but I'm a big boy, about 250 pounds (constantly trying to lose that last 80 or so)
Querry #4
Finally, I have seen kits for upgrading forks on some website cataloges (some sort of Englund Total Air I believe). What's that about, is it worth looking into?
Thanks for any replies, Sorry for sounding like such a moron, but hey, it's what I'm good at! :-)
Sam |
| oooooog, that's alot...... | heff®
Oct 19, 2001 1:28 PM | | Answer #1: Yes, you should have been doing routine maintenance on your Magnum. I'm assuming you lubed it up every few hundred miles or so? If ya didn't, yer seals and bushings are dry as bones...not good. Maintenance is easy, though. You can go to Manitou's website and download the manual for your fork. The service manual ain't the best, but it tells you most of what you need.
Answer #2: I dunno if I would put a suspension fork on your wife's bike, as it's not a "suspension corrected" frame.....meaning that if you do, you'll slacken her head tube angle to the point that it steers like a garbage truck. If she's only gonna ride on the road, it'll probably be ok.
You CAN replace a headset without using the "proper" $100 tools, but it's not recommended, if you've never done it before. You can do it with a block of wood, or a couple of large washers and a threaded rod, but I don't think I'd be doing the experimentation on your wife's bike. My suggestion, really, is to buy the headset you want, and have your shop do it. It's a minimal cost....if you buy the headset and stem you'll need from them, chances are they'll change it for you for just a few bucks. I generally do it for free....only takes a few minutes. Star nuts are easy, you can do that with a hammer and a long screwdriver, or even just the headset cap bolt itself. Look at your current fork, you'll see how it's installed.
The biggest thing you'll probably mess up is cutting the steer tube to the right length. If you forget to add in any part of the total stack height (stem, spacers, headset, headtube, etc) it'll be too short, and yer basically screwed at that point. Other than that, installing a new fork is a piece of cake. You've got Zinn, follow his instructions, they've got to be good (never read the book myself.)
Answer #3: For your bike, you'll want to stay in the 80mm travel range, and I would stay away from air forks. That extra 80 pounds you mention.......whoo. (And yer only 30 heavier than me) Stick with a coil fork, and since you've had good luck with your Magnum, I would look at a Manitou SX-R, or perhaps one of the new Black line, but again, no air for you, bud. The SX-R is a solid, all-around performer, and maintenance is simple.
Answer #4: Don't bother with the Englund setup, they don't make them for newer Manitou forks, only for RockShox and White Bros. Even if they did, my air advice would go double there.....you're a bit on the heavy side, and would end up killing seals more often than an eskimo's spear gun. Stick with coil, you'll be much happier.
*whew*
heff® |
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