[gotdirt]

...ideally w/ a disc brake tab.

the only thing i can find is the pace carbon model, which is sweet, but too much $$ for this particular project (at least in this point in time).

unfortunately, all the tange 1" versions are non-suspension lengths-- they only make a 1 1/8 suspended model. :madman:

any thoughts?

on a related note, can an aluminum steerer be threaded (i'm guessing not)?

 

[colker1]

threaded and disc are mutually exclusive. if there is an exception i never heard of..

 

[DeeEight]

Not to mention, 1" threaded and suspension corrected in something virtually unheard of also.

 

[mtnbiker72]

I think your asking for a fork made of "unobtainium"...your gonna have to go custom on this one. And no, you can't thread an aluminum steerer.

Good Luck

 

[DeeEight]

Actually you can, its just not something most companies would bother to do back in the day.

 

[gotdirt]

Actually you can, its just not something most companies would bother to do back in the day.

which point are you countering-- thread an aluminum steerer, or run disc on 1" threaded?

 

[mtnbiker72]

My interpretation is that you are asking if you can cut threads in an aluminum threadless steertube...which is a big NO

Has there been threaded 1" aluminum steertubes in the past...I believe Vitus made one (road bike of course) among a few I've seen.

 

[DeeEight]

The only difference for most brands between threadless and threaded steerers is just that... the threads. Only selected brands ever mucked around with different wall thicknesses for aluminium steerer tubes, and generally only because they weren't using the higher strength alloys. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with cutting aluminium steerers for threads anymore than cutting them into steel or titanium. You don't see the aluminium threads of the headset cup and locknut shearing away and the steerer wouldn't do it either. Using 7178-T6 for example would give you equal strength to plain old 4130 CrMo at 1/3 the density. 7075-T6 would only be slightly weaker and still much stronger than the ol' hi-tensile steel steerers you commonly saw on 1" rigid forks back in the old days.

 

[banks]

Rick Hunter could build you one.

 

[mtnbiker72]

Proof is in the pudding

The only difference for most brands between threadless and threaded steerers is just that... the threads.

This would be true if mountain bike fork manufacturers made threaded aluminum steerers. Yes, with the Cro-Mo steeres there was basically no difference, but the designers of these forks had threaded headsets in mind. Since I have yet to ever see a threaded aluminum steerer (in the eight years of working as a bicycle mechanic from 1995-2004) for mountain bike applications...my guess is there was a reason for that. If manufacturers could have made a fork lighter by using an aluminum steerer...they would have. But they didn't because it would not be a safe application.

But I'll tell you what, why don't you be the crash test dummy and do this on your own ride and let us know the results after a year or so riding.

:thumbsup:

 

[Shayne]

I've Done It

Or rather had a shop do it for me. One shop balked at the idea but the second I went to had no problems doing it. I rode it for about 2 yrs before seling it. No issues whatsoever.

 

[DeeEight]

This would be true if mountain bike fork manufacturers made threaded aluminum steerers. Yes, with the Cro-Mo steeres there was basically no difference, but the designers of these forks had threaded headsets in mind. Since I have yet to ever see a threaded aluminum steerer (in the eight years of working as a bicycle mechanic from 1995-2004) for mountain bike applications...my guess is there was a reason for that. If manufacturers could have made a fork lighter by using an aluminum steerer...they would have. But they didn't because it would not be a safe application.

Mountain bike fork manufacturers who made rigid forks back in the old days when 1" steerers were still the norm did so mainly to hit a price point, and at the time, any aluminium components were considered more expensive to make. It was rare enough for aluminium to show up in forks legs (cannondale and kinesis) let alone the crown (bontrager, syncros, tange, etc)

I however have been around mountain bikes longer than 1995 and I do recall threaded Al steerers being offered by at least one boutique parts maker (Auriga, who made upgrades for Manitou suspension forks... they had a carbon fiber steerer with an aluminium top section that was threaded).