Suspension

  • Previous Page
  • Next Page
Author Message
flag evilxmonkey
Posted: Apr 22, 2015 at 4:37 Quote
hi all
I am looking to get some new forks there are a couple of things I don't know
what is the difference between tapered and non tapered fork
and what to look out for when buying a second hand pair and dose the year make a difference on getting spare parts for them thanks
flag RunsWithScissors
Posted: Apr 22, 2015 at 8:01 Quote
Tapered/non tapered refers to the steerer tube. That is the part of the fork that rides inside the head tube on a bike frame, and is supported by the headset bearings.

Back in the day, all steerers were non tapered, and usually either 1" dia. or 1 1/8". Tapered Steerers offer more support at the fork crown while saving weight at the top of the headset.

Regarding used forks... Rock Shox and Fox are both pretty good about parts availability, so I would recommend them both. Having said that though, steerer sizes and headset types are the wild, wild west of bike parts. There are several different types and sizes and sorting it all out can be a real bitch. Backward compatibility is a nonpriority within the industry. If you don't wanna deal with a lot of research, and trial and error, bring your bike to your LBS along with a sixpack of good beer or a few good nugs and have them measure your headtube/steerer and see what kind and size of headset it takes, then go from there to looking for a fork that will fit.

This process will probably suck. Best of luck to you, my friendSmile
flag evilxmonkey
Posted: Apr 22, 2015 at 8:21 Quote
RunsWithScissors wrote:
Tapered/non tapered refers to the steerer tube. That is the part of the fork that rides inside the head tube on a bike frame, and is supported by the headset bearings.

Back in the day, all steerers were non tapered, and usually either 1" dia. or 1 1/8". Tapered Steerers offer more support at the fork crown while saving weight at the top of the headset.

Regarding used forks... Rock Shox and Fox are both pretty good about parts availability, so I would recommend them both. Having said that though, steerer sizes and headset types are the wild, wild west of bike parts. There are several different types and sizes and sorting it all out can be a real bitch. Backward compatibility is a nonpriority within the industry. If you don't wanna deal with a lot of research, and trial and error, bring your bike to your LBS along with a sixpack of good beer or a few good nugs and have them measure your headtube/steerer and see what kind and size of headset it takes, then go from there to looking for a fork that will fit.

This process will probably suck. Best of luck to you, my friendSmile

hey thanks for the quick reply and the info very helpful and fox is one on my favourite brands ;-)
flag dmski
Posted: Apr 22, 2015 at 8:42 Quote
RunsWithScissors wrote:
Tapered/non tapered refers to the steerer tube. That is the part of the fork that rides inside the head tube on a bike frame, and is supported by the headset bearings.

Back in the day, all steerers were non tapered, and usually either 1" dia. or 1 1/8". Tapered Steerers offer more support at the fork crown while saving weight at the top of the headset.

Regarding used forks... Rock Shox and Fox are both pretty good about parts availability, so I would recommend them both. Having said that though, steerer sizes and headset types are the wild, wild west of bike parts. There are several different types and sizes and sorting it all out can be a real bitch. Backward compatibility is a nonpriority within the industry. If you don't wanna deal with a lot of research, and trial and error, bring your bike to your LBS along with a sixpack of good beer or a few good nugs and have them measure your headtube/steerer and see what kind and size of headset it takes, then go from there to looking for a fork that will fit.

This process will probably suck. Best of luck to you, my friendSmile

Excellent info. He pretty much covered the tapered steerer tube. The common size is a 1.5" tapered tube. You do need to have a tapered frame to allow for a tapered tube of 1.5". If you already have a tapered tube, you can fit any fork with 1.5" - 1 1/8" steerer tube in the frame with the right headset. If you don't, you are limited to 1 1/8" steerer tube only. There really are alot of headset options that can be confusing for someone new. However, read up on what bike you have and you can do it yourself after doing the research.

Buying new is simple. Follow 1, 3, 5 below and you are done for purchasing a new fork. They give you everything and no need to worry about a rebuild or if the steerer tube will fit. There are a ton of used forks out there that can be a steal of a deal. I've bought a few and here are a few things I've learned.

1) What is your wheel hub size: QR, 20mm, 15mm, 10mm bolt? This will limit your fork choice and you should figure out what fork will work with your current hub, otherwise you will have to buy a new hub and get the wheel relaced with the new hub.

2) Steerer tube length: Measure how long your head tube is and be sure to find a steerer tube that is that length, plus whatever the size of the stem and spacers and top cap are. You can always cut a steerer tube down or put spacers on there, you cannot add material to the tube without serious additional price. This is a huge one.

3) Brake compatibility: Is there a place to mount a disc brake or is it a V brake only fork. Most nice modern forks are all disc but I'm not sure what you ride.

4) Condition: Are the lowers all beat to hell? Are the upper stanchions scratched? Is there fork oil seeping down the legs or around the seal area? Is there bent adjustment levers like compression and rebound. Do those work? Has the previous owner taken care of it and rebuilt it or at least changed the oil periodically or was it joe schmuck who had it on his bike for eons before it seized up.

5) Fork spring: If you are looking for a fork with a spring and not air, what weight is the spring for? You won't like a fork that has a heavy duty spring if you are 100lbs. This is changeable but also adds money.

6) Adjustability: What kind of adjustments does it have? Is it rebuildable? Ask if there is compression/rebound damping options etc. There are multi stage options such as high stroke and low stroke rebound and compression and a ton of other things. Do those even matter to you? If not you can get away with a simple to set up fork and go play!

7) What length of stroke do you need? Frames usually can take +/- 20mm of travel safely but look into your frame and or ask the manufacture. It will change how the bike handles if you go longer or shorter and adds stress to the frame. Some forks can be "slammed" or shortened a little (common in DJ/street world) but this isn't the best option in my opinion.

There are probably a few things I've missed but for an initial look into buying a used fork, this list should get you close. Ask a buyer about these things and you will be able to figure out how the fork was treated. Most forks are rebuildable and its not terribly expensive or hard to do yourself, but that is added cost and time if you are worried.
flag evilxmonkey
Posted: Apr 22, 2015 at 9:39 Quote
dmski wrote:
RunsWithScissors wrote:
Tapered/non tapered refers to the steerer tube. That is the part of the fork that rides inside the head tube on a bike frame, and is supported by the headset bearings.

Back in the day, all steerers were non tapered, and usually either 1" dia. or 1 1/8". Tapered Steerers offer more support at the fork crown while saving weight at the top of the headset.

Regarding used forks... Rock Shox and Fox are both pretty good about parts availability, so I would recommend them both. Having said that though, steerer sizes and headset types are the wild, wild west of bike parts. There are several different types and sizes and sorting it all out can be a real bitch. Backward compatibility is a nonpriority within the industry. If you don't wanna deal with a lot of research, and trial and error, bring your bike to your LBS along with a sixpack of good beer or a few good nugs and have them measure your headtube/steerer and see what kind and size of headset it takes, then go from there to looking for a fork that will fit.

This process will probably suck. Best of luck to you, my friendSmile

Excellent info. He pretty much covered the tapered steerer tube. The common size is a 1.5" tapered tube. You do need to have a tapered frame to allow for a tapered tube of 1.5". If you already have a tapered tube, you can fit any fork with 1.5" - 1 1/8" steerer tube in the frame with the right headset. If you don't, you are limited to 1 1/8" steerer tube only. There really are alot of headset options that can be confusing for someone new. However, read up on what bike you have and you can do it yourself after doing the research.

Buying new is simple. Follow 1, 3, 5 below and you are done for purchasing a new fork. They give you everything and no need to worry about a rebuild or if the steerer tube will fit. There are a ton of used forks out there that can be a steal of a deal. I've bought a few and here are a few things I've learned.

1) What is your wheel hub size: QR, 20mm, 15mm, 10mm bolt? This will limit your fork choice and you should figure out what fork will work with your current hub, otherwise you will have to buy a new hub and get the wheel relaced with the new hub.

2) Steerer tube length: Measure how long your head tube is and be sure to find a steerer tube that is that length, plus whatever the size of the stem and spacers and top cap are. You can always cut a steerer tube down or put spacers on there, you cannot add material to the tube without serious additional price. This is a huge one.

3) Brake compatibility: Is there a place to mount a disc brake or is it a V brake only fork. Most nice modern forks are all disc but I'm not sure what you ride.

4) Condition: Are the lowers all beat to hell? Are the upper stanchions scratched? Is there fork oil seeping down the legs or around the seal area? Is there bent adjustment levers like compression and rebound. Do those work? Has the previous owner taken care of it and rebuilt it or at least changed the oil periodically or was it joe schmuck who had it on his bike for eons before it seized up.

5) Fork spring: If you are looking for a fork with a spring and not air, what weight is the spring for? You won't like a fork that has a heavy duty spring if you are 100lbs. This is changeable but also adds money.

6) Adjustability: What kind of adjustments does it have? Is it rebuildable? Ask if there is compression/rebound damping options etc. There are multi stage options such as high stroke and low stroke rebound and compression and a ton of other things. Do those even matter to you? If not you can get away with a simple to set up fork and go play!

7) What length of stroke do you need? Frames usually can take +/- 20mm of travel safely but look into your frame and or ask the manufacture. It will change how the bike handles if you go longer or shorter and adds stress to the frame. Some forks can be "slammed" or shortened a little (common in DJ/street world) but this isn't the best option in my opinion.

There are probably a few things I've missed but for an initial look into buying a used fork, this list should get you close. Ask a buyer about these things and you will be able to figure out how the fork was treated. Most forks are rebuildable and its not terribly expensive or hard to do yourself, but that is added cost and time if you are worried.

thanks again for the info and taking the time very helpful Smile
  • Previous Page
  • Next Page

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.009047
Mobile Version of Website