A couple of years ago I did something really evil to my fork...

I'll preface the story by saying I had a really bad headache that day...

So, I was having an issue with my Guerciotti Genius (that I have had since about 1997) where it would start to seriously shimmy at speed. Even though the lbs mechanic (and the owner of the shop) said "check the headset" I thought that I knew better. After all, it was a Chris King headset, and what could go wrong with that?

I had already been through a couple of sets of tires and tubes, changed my Brooks Swift Titanium for something else (forget what) and made sure that the Campy aero wheels were in true (they were).

So, it was time to break out the fork alignment tool that the lbs had and make sure that the blades were actually parallel.

They were.

BUT...I could still see that the rim was not centered within the fork.

Instead of stopping there, what did I do?

That's right!

I FILED DOWN ONE DROPOUT!

Hey, I had a headache!

It turned out that the wheel itself was dished off center.

In the meantime, I probably took about a millimeter off of one of the chromed Campy dropouts.

I've not ridden the bike since (and this was three years ago) as the only way to have the front wheel centered (after I trued the wheel correctly) is to have the skewer positioned so that it does not bottom out on one side and then lock it down tight! Obviously that can't be safe...

What I would like to do is have a framebuilder either replace the damaged Campy dropout with a NOS Campy dropout, or have both dropouts replaced with the Richard Sachs (or other high quality) dropouts.

I am looking for recommendations for a "go to" person to fix the fork.

The fork is also made of Columbus Genius Nivichrome.

And, of course, it turned out that the grease in the headset had turned chunky, and that was what was responsible for the speed wobbles!

Thanks in advance for your help, and remember not to do something irreversible when you have a headache!

Best Regards -
Rich

Richard Alan

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Originally Posted by 24track

Best Regards -
Rich

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Rich - we need a first and last name on all posts here on the Frame Forum.
Thanks atmo.

File the other fork tip.

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Originally Posted by Eric Estlund

File the other fork tip.

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+1 on this, for whatever my opinion is worth!

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Originally Posted by Eric Estlund

File the other fork tip.

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At first I kind of laughed at that response, but that might just be the way to go.

I've attached pictures of the butchered dropout and the virgin dropout.

Does it look like there is enough metal to be safe in the butchered dropout?

Best Regards -
Rich
Richard Alan

pile some JB weld in the filed dropout or glue in some plastic shim.

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Originally Posted by mjbabcock

pile some JB weld in the filed dropout or glue in some plastic shim.

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I discovered the original (Advanced Composites) fork on my KHS had uneven ends upon building the bike for the first time. Mis-cast, I think.
As the ends are Aluminum I elected to epoxy several layers of beer-can shim into the 'deeper' fork end rather than file the other down.
Not sure I'd pull the same ghetto move on a fork as nice as ^^that, but thought it was worth mentioning.

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Originally Posted by Mr B

I <cut>

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Please add names to your posts.
Thanks.

Attachment 82464
The rest of the bike, 99% of which I did not brutalize!

Rich

Richard Alan

First option: As others have said, file the other dropout. It won't cost you anything if it works. If it doesn't well hey; you already considered replacing the dropouts anyway so what's the hurt in trying?

Second choice is a toss up between new dropouts and a new fork. Being the fork is chrome, I don't know whether the chrome has to be stripped before or after the dropouts are replaced. The point is, it'll mean extra costs. Either way, you'll have to finish the new fork, and that increases costs. If the dropout could be replaced, a cheap refinish option would be to paint the fork legs just over the heated/discolored area to meet the top half of the fork legs.

A new fork may be the most expensive option and I'd only go that way if the dropouts couldn't be replaced.

I certainly could file the other drop out, but I'm not sure how I would tell if it didn't work...other than a catastrophic failure!

I do generally like the way the bike handles, but on the other hand I'm sure that it's likely that a circa 2015 fork might have it's advantages.

Rich Alan

If any of us filed it for you, you'd never know unless you looked with an obsessive eye. Nothing is going to fail or break or fall off. The forging is plenty thick and strong, and the skewer will hold the axle in place atmo. Something like this is a 40 second labor job, so budget a few minutes. But just don't worry about it.

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Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

If any of us filed it for you, you'd never know unless you looked with an obsessive eye. Nothing is going to fail or break or fall off. The forging is plenty thick and strong, and the skewer will hold the axle in place atmo. Something like this is a 40 second labor job, so budget a few minutes. But just don't worry about it.

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Ah, thank you very much for taking the time to weigh in on this Mr. Sachs.

I will (carefully) file the other side to match the one I defaced.

Good thing that I have other bicycles to ride, since that one has been sidelined for a few years!

Best Regards -
Rich

Richard Alan

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Originally Posted by 24track

Ah, thank you very much for taking the time to weigh in on this Mr. Sachs.

I will (carefully) file the other side to match the one I defaced.

Good thing that I have other bicycles to ride, since that one has been sidelined for a few years!

Best Regards -
Rich

Richard Alan

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Don't be careful, be deliberate. This is a basic file stroke, not childbirth atmo. [/levity]
Get a rat-tail file - maybe 10" bastard cut - find a way to hold the offending blade, and have a mental image of you showing that dropout who's boss. Then see it done.

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Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

find a way to hold the offending blade

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$0.02 .i just had a scary mental picture of crimping a fork blade in a vice, maybe dont hold the blade at all, hold the dropout.

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Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

Then see it done.

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Originally Posted by Crowemagnon

$0.02 .i just had a scary mental picture of crimping a fork blade in a vice, maybe dont hold the blade at all, hold the dropout.

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If I added a pic to this it might imply that I file my fork tip slots. So I won't. But listen, use a wooden block against the blade, and buffer the other side with the vice jaw. PS this post gets erased in 30 seconds atmo.

I have some small diameter tubing blocks that are made out of pine for clamping things like stays and blades.

* They are cheap and easy enough to make from a chunk of scrap, that I can make them as needed and dispose of them without any concern for their cost.
* They are soft, making them easily modified to fit odd shapes... ovals, tapers, bends, etc...
* They are soft, also letting them conform to different shapes and making them grippy with little clamping force as to not dent tubes.

If need be, I will sometimes take half of a tubing block (1.125" or so) to clamp an oval chain stay, backed by a flat piece of pine on the other side.

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Originally Posted by Crowemagnon

$0.02 .i just had a scary mental picture of crimping a fork blade in a vice, maybe dont hold the blade at all, hold the dropout.

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It's funny, but I can't remember how I filed the other one in the first place...but I know it was not in a vice.

Perhaps the Park fork alignment kit had some kind of jig?

Maybe the bike was clamped upside down in the shop's work stand?

Best Regards -
Rich

Rich Alan

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Originally Posted by Michael Gordon

I have some small diameter tubing blocks that are made out of pine for clamping things like stays and blades.

* They are cheap and easy enough to make from a chunk of scrap, that I can make them as needed and dispose of them without any concern for their cost.
* They are soft, making them easily modified to fit odd shapes... ovals, tapers, bends, etc...
* They are soft, also letting them conform to different shapes and making them grippy with little clamping force as to not dent tubes.

If need be, I will sometimes take half of a tubing block (1.125" or so) to clamp an oval chain stay, backed by a flat piece of pine on the other side.

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Thank you everybody for weighing in with tips to do the job correctly.

I've not yet done it, because I am away from home at the moment but will be doing it upon my return.

Best Regards -
Rich

Rich Alan