Advice on steerer tube nut removal

Can some one please help me.

I got my new forks yesterday, but as I have zero mechanical experience I have no idea how to remove the star like bolt from the old forks and put them in to the new forks. Do I just put a long screwdriver into the bottom of the old tube and smack it with a hammer or is there a science to this. Like I said I have no idea what I am doing so any help would be much appreciated

Cheers

you can push it through, it will only go down the tube but IMHO go to your LBS and get a new star nut, they should be pennies.

You can push it through with a screwdiver/spoon/weird stick/very long finger. I would leave it be and grab a new one, should cost you a pound or two.

[EDIT: What BillB said !!]

Cool thanks for the advice guys. I will go and buy a new one today

fu%^ that was quick... thought you said it was coming friday. good work cotic

Cool thanks for the advice guys. I will go and buy a new one today

Take your fork with you, you can ask the mechanic (if they have one) to put it in for you with his magic star nut tool - they can be a pain to put in, a little bit of gentle tapping and some patience normally gets it in - but if it all goes wrong and it ends up at a weird angle or too far down for the bolt, knock it all the way through and start again.

You, of course, have not got a carbon steerer !?!

fu%^ that was quick... thought you said it was coming friday. good work cotic

Yes I am very impressed with the service from Cotic. Phoned them on Monday and they said I would have replacement by Friday under warranty. Arrived in the post about an hour ago so only 3 days off my bike - Unless I do something stupid like what Tynan is suggesting below!

Take your fork with you, you can ask the mechanic (if they have one) to put it in for you with his magic star nut tool - they can be a pain to put in, a little bit of gentle tapping and some patience normally gets it in - but if it all goes wrong and it ends up at a weird angle or too far down for the bolt, knock it all the way through and start again.

You, of course, have not got a carbon steerer !?!

Nope just good old steel. BLBs are my local shop so I will take them there and see if they can help. Cheers

Yes I am very impressed with the service from Cotic. Phoned them on Monday and they said I would have replacement by Friday under warranty. Arrived in the post about an hour ago so only 3 days off my bike - Unless I do something stupid like what Tynan is suggesting below!

Nope just good old steel. BLBs are my local shop so I will take them there and see if they can help. Cheers
don't go to BLB, ride up to london fields :)

if old forks are trashed, i'd just tap them out through the bottom

oh bollox.
I got BLB to put the star nut in for me. Whilst doing it the guy was going on about something else needing a special tool. Having looked at my old forks again it seems there is something at the bottom of the steerer tube that also needs to come off. Is there an easy way to do this or again shall I just buy a new one. I am so useless at this stuff

sounds like the crown race... the bearings sit on this
havent done this my self but a screw driver and a hammer should do it.

That is the crown race perhaps? metal ring that sits on the fork steerer near the bottom.
You can tap it off with a flat screwdriver and a hammer.. place fork upside-down on hard surface, align flat tip with the lip of the race and tap. repeat at several different positions. to re-fit it you need to tap it on to the new fork.. an old Ahead stem can help as it will distribute force all round the race. grease befoer fitting! see PArk tools for the proper way with proper tools..
tap-tap (rotate) tap-tap etc.

That is the crown race perhaps? metal ring that sits on the fork steerer near the bottom.

Yep thats the one. The screwdriver approach sounds good. Thanks again for the help everyone. Just hope I don't damage anything!

good luck man

mike, its really piss easy!

good luck man

Cheers

mike, its really piss easy!

Yes I expect it is, but some people ( ahum BLB no names ) make you feel a bit stupid if you don't know everything about fixing bikes. But you have to start somewhere and my intention is to build up the new frame I have bought from Roberto over the summer on my own so this is good practice.

This time next year people will be asking me for advice! ;)

Thanks all

this time next year you can confidently guide people to use hammers on their bike parts without fear of reprisals. :-)

hehe