how to CHOP a fork

[Bryman31]

hopefully this is in the right place.

anyway the fork im ordering from choppersus is slightly larger than ill need.........it says on there you cau cut to customize your fit.......what do you all use to CHOP the tubes?? i saw a dude hacksawing some once, but im afraid id get crooked that way.....do you just use a pipe cutter?

 

[Kevlarr]

Is it a thread less head tube? If not a pipe cutter will just follow the threads and after a few passes with the tubing cutter you'll have a nice spring on the end of your head tube.

Cutting the head tube with a hacksaw isn't that difficult, use a vice or clamp it to something solid, take your time, measure twice, cut once and make sure the bearing nut is on the tube before you cut so when you take it off it'll act like a thread chaser.

 

[Bryman31]

Is it a thread less head tube? If not a pipe cutter will just follow the threads and after a few passes with the tubing cutter you'll have a nice spring on the end of your head tube.

Cutting the head tube with a hacksaw isn't that difficult, use a vice or clamp it to something solid, take your time, measure twice, cut once and make sure the bearing nut is on the tube before you cut so when you take it off it'll act like a thread chaser.

sorry i forgot YES it is a threadless fork

 

[bairdco]

ComCycle USA

they make fork tube cutting tools, but a pipe cutter would work, too.

 

[retromike3]

I think that a pipe cutter would have a hard time on a Cr Mo steer tube(Their Really tuff)

The thing I would remember is that you can always cut more off, but you can't put it back on. If its threadless and you don't have a jig you could use masking tape and a felt tip marker to make your cut mark all the way around the tube. A hacksaw with at least a thirty T.P.I. would do the job and a very stable vice. Don't go at it fast just work on long strokes and use as much of the blade as you can. then when your done file the steer tube till its flat. I would make sure you have at least a 1/8th of a inch "buffer"

B.I.T.D. I used to build bike frames that way and steer tubes were a lot thicker than frame tubes.

Spacers are a lot cheaper than forks

mike


mike

 

[retromike3]

P.S. don't forget the stack height is the total of the head tube, aheadset with race and stem and wedge .

 

[Kevlarr]

Biggest problem with using a tubing cutter to shorten a head tube is a tubing cutter is going to leave a ridge inside the tube that you're going to have to file flat again.

If you have a tubing cutter you can carefully score a line all the way around the tube then use that as a cutting guide for the hacksaw.

 

[curtisfox]

If you don't have a cutoff saw take it to a steel yard or a machine shop and have them cut it for a couple bucks and it will be nice and stright....Good luck ..Curt

 

[retromike3]

Curt has a good Idea, or you could take it to a bike shop. (Just the fork you don't have to tell them its for a motorbicycle)

 

[Bryman31]

Curt has a good Idea, or you could take it to a bike shop. (Just the fork you don't have to tell them its for a motorbicycle)

that might be best...........i was gonna ask if taking it to my local shop would work LOL....that way if they F it up they can replace it............

so what should i measure to determine height wise how much to cut off this fork? i want my bike to sit same height it is now......what point should i use as my "from the floor up to___" spot?

 

[curtisfox]

It seems that you are talking about the lower tubes? cutting the stem tube is not going to change the ride height. All the measurements should be taken off the old fork.
The only way to shorten the lower tubes is to cut the bottom and put in new or differant dropouts. The tubes have to be notched and then the dropout rewelded in,AND THAT SHOULD BE DONE BY SOMEONE THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING A WELDER,for safty. Its not hard just make sure its done right. What size is your bike? You didn't order a 26 for a 24 inch bike? How much longer is it?

 

[Bryman31]

It seems that you are talking about the lower tubes? cutting the stem tube is not going to change the ride height. All the measurements should be taken off the old fork.
The only way to shorten the lower tubes is to cut the bottom and put in new or differant dropouts. The tubes have to be notched and then the dropout rewelded in,AND THAT SHOULD BE DONE BY SOMEONE THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING A WELDER,for safty. Its not hard just make sure its done right. What size is your bike? You didn't order a 26 for a 24 inch bike? How much longer is it?

yeah it is a 26 inch bike, and the steer tube is about 2 inches too long, and i believe the fork tubes are also, and since im no welder i guess ill be taking it to a bike shop. why is it that you cant cut the fork tubes at the top?

 

[curtisfox]

Maybe I jumped the gun here is the new fork have tubes that go all the way like a stingray or west coast choppers? if so then it can be done. But take it to a welding shop or a steel supply the do welding and cutting and sometimes it cheeper...........Curt

 

[Bryman31]

Maybe I jumped the gun here is the new fork have tubes that go all the way like a stingray or west coast choppers? if so then it can be done. But take it to a welding shop or a steel supply the do welding and cutting and sometimes it cheeper...........Curt

here is the link to what fork it is........

 

[curtisfox]

YEP sorry I was thinking old style. that one is easy to cut. just cut the top of the tubes to length. And redo whatever is nesseary to remount them. Still best is to have it done