Has anyone ever tried...

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dre

Member
removing a broken forktube from a stock fork or something, and replacing it with a new tube? Because I have a bunch of broken forks lying around, and I'm just thinking of getting some material for new forktubes, but I totally don't know how I'd go about putting on the fitting for the bottom bearing race and all that. Sooo, I'm wondering if anyone who has made custom forks or anything like that, how would you go about doing that?

edit: I'm not looking to pull a madis here. I know madis did it by replacing half the forktube with a bmx forktube, but I'm not looking to do that, just make a new forktube altogether, then weld it to the fork legs.
 
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blaine142

Member
yea ive done it to about 6 forks it works fine, its really hard tho.
like if u neeed to get thee threads off without breaking the legs all up then u have to crack the welding which takes forever seriously then u have to pound it out from between the legs out that way which i thought it would be really easy and slide out WRONG its really tight the hole way up to the very end. and then its still super tight.
then u have to do that again to another fork but not destroy the threads and then hammer the new threaded part down in again and not b**** it all up and weld it but yea its been done ive done it. so yea but its harder than what u think
 
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vantagerider

Member
are you gonna cut the fork tube off and weld whole new fork tube to the top of the fork....i think it would just make it weaker
 
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dre

Member
Justin Jenco said:
are you gonna cut the fork tube off and weld whole new fork tube to the top of the fork....i think it would just make it weaker
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nope. I never have had a problem with breaking the fork legs, so it should be all good, but I do go through forktubes like crazy so I just thought that getting a way thicker threadless forktube and just welding it on to the stock fork legs would be easier.


But I'm looking for someone who has experience with dealing with the fitting for the bottom bearing race, I really want to know how I'd go about doing that, or if there is some kind of alternative (besides the madis method, which I could always do, but I'd prefer not to because it would involve machining some stuff)..
 
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vantagerider

Member
ooh okay thats a good idea...it would also make the fork heavier ....but i would love a really heavy fork it would make barspins sooo much easier
 
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Jdbug_rob

Steel Member
ive done it, my fork snapped
i got a new tube with 3mm walls
had threads machined into it :)
customforktube.jpg

before and after :) as you can see im holding the original broken fork tube next to it.
 
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dre

Member
ye rob, what you and fernando did, that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking to do, but how did you go about putting that little lip or whatever it is on the bottom so that the bottom bearing race can go on the fork straight? I really want to know how to do this properly so I don't waste a fork..
 
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blaine142

Member
ohh, nvm i never did that. i though u were talking about taking broken threads off and replacing them with new threads the same thickness.
i did that but i used a new set of threads the same thickness as stock
 
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vantagerider

Member
Dre said:
ye rob, what you and fernando did, that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking to do, but how did you go about putting that little lip or whatever it is on the bottom so that the bottom bearing race can go on the fork straight? I really want to know how to do this properly so I don't waste a fork..
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why not just start above that?
 
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dre

Member
Justin Jenco said:
Dre said:
ye rob, what you and fernando did, that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking to do, but how did you go about putting that little lip or whatever it is on the bottom so that the bottom bearing race can go on the fork straight? I really want to know how to do this properly so I don't waste a fork..
Click to expand...
why not just start above that?
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Because then I have to machine out a whole inner piece that will fit both tubes and weld the whole thing together in multiple places which is retarded. I'd much rather just cut the welds on the stock forktube and remove it (the easy part), and then get a much thicker pipe and weld it on in its place, and I'm just wondering how I should go about doing this the proper way so I don't fuck everything up..
 
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Jdbug_rob

Steel Member
1 1/8 inch is standard forktube OD
and yeah dre i started above that, here's what my fork will look like from inside
forkdesign.png

yeah its costly to do it that way, but its best
also if you having troubles with bending legs do this :)
customforkfront.jpg
 
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JackDillon

Member
Just an idea if you had access to a lathe, You could probably get a fork tube with a slightly larger OD (like 2mm) then lathe down the bottom to fit in to the fork legs and the rest of the fork tube just leaving the little lip for the crown race to sit on? It would probably be a pain in the ass and time consuming but it would probably work?
 
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Jdbug_rob

Steel Member
Jack Dillon said:
Just an idea if you had access to a lathe, You could probably get a fork tube with a slightly larger OD (like 2mm) then lathe down the bottom to fit in to the fork legs and the rest of the fork tube just leaving the little lip for the crown race to sit on? It would probably be a pain in the ass and time consuming but it would probably work?
Click to expand...
i know what your saying, and if my fork ever shall break there then i will consider that, but for now i think my way is prolly durable enough.
 
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