Steerer tube question

[jimihendrix]

I must confess I don't know why it wouldn't be possible either to:

a. cut back the steerer to the correct length for threaded and have the end re-threaded, or

b. cut back the steerer by less than 38mm to the correct length for ahead, file down the remaining area of threads and clamp the ahead stem half onto smooth steerer and half onto the filed-down threaded area - surely it would hold?

I read about someone on here having hastle getting threads cut on a steerer, it has to be done on a laithe as the hardened steel of the steerer would destroy any kind of tap his steerer won't fit in a laithe as they don't have a seperate steerer and crown (Manitou's) my forks do have a seperate steerer but i thought it would be simpler to convert to an A-head set as i'm not that bothered about changing the headset and stem i have at the moment.

I think it'd be ok to steal some of the threaded area of the steerer as long as most of the stem is clamping onto the plain part, the concern i had was the stress on the steerer being different with an A-head stem but i'm confident now it'll be ok.

Besides it had better be as i've bought the forks now and they were'nt cheap

 

[Anthony]

I read about someone on here having hastle getting threads cut on a steerer, it has to be done on a laithe as the hardened steel of the steerer would destroy any kind of tap his steerer won't fit in a laithe as they don't have a seperate steerer and crown (Manitou's) my forks do have a seperate steerer but i thought it would be simpler to convert to an A-head set as i'm not that bothered about changing the headset and stem i have at the moment.

I think it'd be ok to steal some of the threaded area of the steerer as long as most of the stem is clamping onto the plain part, the concern i had was the stress on the steerer being different with an A-head stem but i'm confident now it'll be ok.

Besides it had better be as i've bought the forks now and they were'nt cheap

If it's a steel steerer, I don't think you need to worry about stressing it - it might get stressed by a Cruise Missile, but anything short of that won't worry it I reckon.

A further option is to get a shim so you can fit a 1 1/8 stem - I know you've got a stem already, but the advantage of a shim is it's made out of alloy, so if there's any damage it'd be the shim that takes it not the stem - and you could forget about stress, the worst that could happen is if it slips. OK I admit that's bad news, but it isn't damage, it's just plan B-style bad news.