# Servicing a Fork Without a Clamping Workstand - A Pain or No Big Deal?



## elementalfusion (Aug 10, 2014)

I'm a relative newbie to MTBing coming from the road, and love to work on my own bikes. I'm getting ready to do my first service on my RockShox Recon Gold TK fork soon. From looking at YouTube, it seems that many people remove the fork from the bike and put it in a clamping work stand to be worked on. I have one of the Park PCS-20 stands that cradle the BB and attach to the dropouts of the bike, so there's no clamp for the fork.

My question is will I be cussing like crazy without a clamping workstand, or is it easy enough to service the fork in my hands / on a table? Anyone have any tips for someone taking this on? Thanks!


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

Clamp the fork in the dropout clamp. No biggie. Some guys prefer using a dropout mount, even in a shop.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

I have never used a stand to rebuild mine...not really an issue to just remove it from the bike and work on it on a bench.

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## cjsb (Mar 4, 2009)

How about when isntalling a star nut? Would you clamp the steerer tube in the workstand and then tap the star nut in? (I am going to install a star nut in a new pike once the crown race arrives.)


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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

cjsb said:


> How about when isntalling a star nut? Would you clamp the steerer tube in the workstand and then tap the star nut in? (I am going to install a star nut in a new pike once the crown race arrives.)


I always just hold the fork by the crown and hammer the crown race or star nut into place. Either one of them only takes a couple of hits.

Suspension work without a stand isn't a big deal, just make sure you've got a clean work surface to do the work on.


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## cjsb (Mar 4, 2009)

customfab said:


> I always just hold the fork by the crown and hammer the crown race or star nut into place. Either one of them only takes a couple of hits.
> 
> Suspension work without a stand isn't a big deal, just make sure you've got a clean work surface to do the work on.


Your reply reminded me that the last time I did a crown race I had my wife hold the fork and I hammered a few times and that was it.

I'll do the same with the star nut and crown race for this fork. My concern with the star nut was I didn't see how I could do it "one-handed" with my other hand holding the fork.

Thanks!

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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

cjsb said:


> Your reply reminded me that the last time I did a crown race I had my wife hold the fork and I hammered a few times and that was it.
> 
> I'll do the same with the star nut and crown race for this fork. My concern with the star nut was I didn't see how I could do it "one-handed" with my other hand holding the fork.
> 
> ...


Depends on what tool you're using. If you're using one of the old style setters that you need to align by hand it's not going to happen. If you've got the superior style tool that has the sleeve that aligns the star nut it's pretty easy.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

You get really cheap bike clamps that hang on a bracket on the wall. I have one and it's actually very good. They are inherently more stable that a floor stand, can be removed when not in use and would be ideal for servicing a fork. LINK


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## cjsb (Mar 4, 2009)

i finished the starnut install last night. I didn't account for mushrooming on inside of steerer tube from my tube cutter. so the starnut got stuck at top of steerer tube with my wife holding the fork. 

decided my best option was either cut tube shorter and use a new statrnut or try and hammer the nut in with metal hammer instead of rubber mallet I had been using. i chose the latter as I'd be doing the re-cut option if the hammer didn't work

couldn't risk hitting my wife with metal hammer so she was excused. i set the fork on one of those twin size inflatable air mattresses. then held my park tool and hammered. a few whacks and it was installed. the air mattress was perfect fork never hit the ground.


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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

cjsb said:


> i finished the starnut install last night. I didn't account for mushrooming on inside of steerer tube from my tube cutter. so the starnut got stuck at top of steerer tube with my wife holding the fork.


Roll cutters are great for steer tubes. It's always a good idea to remove the burr with a file when you're done though.


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## cjsb (Mar 4, 2009)

customfab said:


> Roll cutters are great for steer tubes. It's always a good idea to remove the burr with a file when you're done though.


this is another area where I wSn't prepared as I couldn't find my round files or any for that matter. so i used the fine flat file on my Leatherman and some sand paper. Got it good enough on the outside of the tube to get spacers to slide over, more precise King spacers would hang at first. just ran my finger through the inner side of tube and it felt okay, but obviously was not. a round file would have been perfect for inside of tune.

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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

cjsb said:


> this is another area where I wSn't prepared as I couldn't find my round files or any for that matter. so i used the fine flat file on my Leatherman and some sand paper. Got it good enough on the outside of the tube to get spacers to slide over, more precise King spacers would hang at first. just ran my finger through the inner side of tube and it felt okay, but obviously was not. a round file would have been perfect for inside of tune.
> 
> Sent with Tapatalk


A de-burring knife works better/faster to evenly remove the lip inside a tube. Some cutters even have one integrated into the tool.


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## arnea (Feb 21, 2010)

If you have bench vise you can use old stem to hold the fork while servicing.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^^ I've seen this done before. Great advice!


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

To be honest, whether I hang the fork in a stand or lay it on a bench kinda depends on what mood I'm in. For example, if you lay the fork on the bench you can take the top out of the lowers without loosing the oil in the lowers.


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## cjsb (Mar 4, 2009)

arnea said:


> If you have bench vise you can use old stem to hold the fork while servicing.


I tried what you did with stem but with my bike work stand when I installed my star nut. For hammering a star nut it didn't work because the work stand was not fixed in place like the vise, so it would not provide enough resistance. I think with a vise like that it would have worked. The vise would easily work for normal service work on the fork, great idea.

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## davez26 (Dec 2, 2004)

arnea said:


> If you have bench vise you can use old stem to hold the fork while servicing.


Okay, this was in plain sight, and I missed it all these years. 
Thank You!

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## blindboxx2334 (Jul 12, 2010)

arnea said:


> If you have bench vise you can use old stem to hold the fork while servicing.


excellent idea. i have soft jaws in my vice, so i usually just wrap some rags around the steerer/fork leg and that is enough.


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## blindboxx2334 (Jul 12, 2010)

cjsb said:


> I tried what you did with stem but with my bike work stand when I installed my star nut. For hammering a star nut it didn't work because the work stand was not fixed in place like the vise, so it would not provide enough resistance.


bike stands are not meant to be hammered on. that is what a vice is for.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

*Use a Vice to hammer on, not a bike stand...*

That's a 12 ounce can of coke there for size reference.


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

*5 years later...*

Wonder if they figured it out yet.

I've never felt the need to clamp one, but it's an option.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

_That_ is a nice vice!


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

Mr Pig said:


> _That_ is a nice vice!


At 3/4 ton, and build by machinists, I hope so.

If I remember the origin story correctly, this was a 'passion project' by a couple of people, not a production vise (obviously).


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

As I understand it, two guys that built this used their last names (MillScott) and No. 13 is the jaw width.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

It's a vise, not a vice.


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## Sideknob (Jul 14, 2005)

Will use a FSA Conix style wedge over a star nut on a new fork, any day.


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

Sideknob said:


> Will use a FSA Conix style wedge over a star nut on a new fork, any day.


looks nifty


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