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How to install a fork – Read everything you need in 9 easy steps

This is a small guide how you can install a new Mountain Bike Fork or just remove the old one. Follow these steps and you will get your new fork installed easily.

• (1)Remove the stem top cap. You don’t need to remove your bars.
• (2)Slide your stem up the steerer tube of your fork. Be careful of your gear cables and brakes. You may release them. Make sure your fork won’t fall down while sliding your stem up the steerer.
• (3)Now slide out the fork out. Don’t forget to collect all the spacers there might be and remember their order and orientation.
• (4)The next step will be a little bit tricky. You have to remove the lower crown race of your headset. To do this you can use a special tool, the so called crown-race remover, or you can use a flat-head screwdriver and a hammer. Care and patience are your friends.

Congratulations! You have successfully removed your old fork. Let’s come to the installing of your new fork because you can’t ride your bike without a fork.

• (5)You can cut the steerer tube of your new fork by using pipe cutters. Measure the length of the old steerer tube. The new steerer can be a bit longer when you cut. It’s better then cutting too much because in this case you have to buy a new fork and this would be worst case.
• (6)Install the crown race you removed of your old fork to your new fork. Slide the crown race down the steerer tube of your new fork and tap it down gently. You can use a hammer but again you have to be careful.
• (7)You have to install a star nut into your new steerer tube. Just screw a bolt into your star nut and use a hammer to bang it about 3 centimetres into the steerer. Don’t forget to screw out the bolt again.
• (8)Now you are ready to slide your fork back into the bike. Reinstall the headset the same way you removed them. Put some more spacers on it if your new steerer is a bit longer than the old one. Then slide the stem on it.
• (9)Now screw the top cap bolt and screw all the other bolts. Check the headset for movement. Hopefully there won’t be a side-to-side movement. If there is a movement take it apart and try to install the headset again (repeat step (8) with more patience).

About the Author

Hey you got it. If you have problems with step (8) visit this MTB Headset website with detailed instructions with images. Or get the latest news for MTB Forks.