pressing a new steerer into a new alum. crown ...

Has anyone on here ever done such a thing? Any tips or technique suggestions?

It will be a 1" steel steerer with an aluminum sleeve at the base (taking the 1" tube to 1 and 1/8" diameter), and an aluminum crown.

I've had some suggest pressing it in cold using loctite as a lubricant; some have suggested heating the crown (to 200 degs) and cooling the tube (with dry ice) ...

and some have said "don't bother" ...

I pretty much don't have many other options, unless I'm willing to wait forever for a 190mm 1" needle-in-a-haystack on a crown for Mag 20/21's (I'm not that patient) ... or, I switch to a basic fork (not).

Thank you for your candor, and expertise!

Re:

Threaded or thread less 1"? UK?

Re:

Ideally what I'm searching for is a Rockshox Mag 20 or 21 pinch-bolt style crown with a 1" (preferably threaded) steering tube that is at least 190mm long.

What I have, is a new CNC machined 7075-T6 aluminum crown on its way (its really quite nice - they're available on e-bay for $45.00 US), which crown is machined to fit a 1 and 1/8" steerer, and I have on hand a 1" steerer with an lipped aluminum sleeve that renders the 1" tube to what should be a 1 and 1/8" fit. When held against the old 1 and 1/8" steerer in the crown off my Mag 21 Ti's ... the aluminum sleeve lip appears to be the exact same diameter as is the one on the base of the stock, old Rockshox aluminum steerer.

I'm hoping that this piecing together of a Marzocchi 1" sleeved to 1 and 1/8" steerer into a custom crown (made for Mag 20/21 lowers) works, unless a surprise Rockshox original surfaced with the right configurations.

sigh ... so close (to finishing my build) ... and yet, so far.

You wouldn't happen to have a Rockshox crown with a 190mm long 1" threaded steerer laying around, would you?

Oh - I'm in Vancouver, Canada ... but have had parts shipped from Munich, Arizona, Colorado, Toronto, Washington, and Kansas for this build ... no probs.

Re:

They do press in somehow, a chap on here makes and presses them in(threadless) in the UK and i think others have done it. Don't know how or what you need.
Since you're over in the land of MTBs we love, nobody there know or have the expertise.

I can check at the weekend if I have one. I have a long NOS threaded 1" steerer, how long I don't know and if it is a MAG I cannot quite remember.

I need to find some rings for a PM I've just noticed I hadn't actually read as I look through some.

I have both, a set of Mag 20's in excellent condition (the legs are polished to a clear shine) ... and a set of Mag 21 SL/Ti's ... in very good condition (although I did notice one of the dust seals has a drying out crack in it). Both of these would work in my Romax, but I'm going to go with the Mag Ti's, as they seem a slightly nicer set-up ... and their colouring would 'set off' the build's character that much better.

That said, I now have a Mag 21 Sl/Ti shock crown with a 182mm long 1 and 1/8" unthreaded aluminum steerer on my shelf, and a Mag 20 crown with a 178mm long threaded steel steerer as well - both of which won't work for my frame. I'd be more than willing to trade either of those for a crown that would work for my build (with a 190mm 1" threaded steerer).

Never done this but suspect you need a pretty hefty press or you risk damaging the crown.

What are trying to achieve?
If you want to extend it, maybe worth looking at getting a short steel tube welded ontk the end.

I had someone do this for me on a set of Judys and law will leaders so it is possible. I think hydraulic press is needed.

02gf74":meub68km said:

What are trying to achieve?

Click to expand...

Nirvana

1" 200mm steerer w. 1"-1 1/8" shim. $17

https://www.universalcycles.com/shoppin ... p?id=16205

As far as getting it pressed in, ask around at some local chopper builders. They'll have the press, and are pretty good at one-off fabrication by default.

Thank you FMJ.

I've already got a shimmed/sleeved steel 1" steerer on hand (having it threaded this week). My concern was with pressing an aluminum sleeved steerer into a 7075-T6 aluminum crown (whether there were any tricks or secret techniques I should know about).