Too long steer tube solution

[rideahiggins]

This works, kind of. head badge says Royce Union, made in Germany. It has an unusual springer.

 

[the tinker]

Hey rideahiggins, nice ratrod. I had a girls springer that couldnt be cut down and put it on a boys bike. Here is what I did.
I took an old girls frame that had the really long head tube and cut the center part out with a pipe cutter. [illustrated in photo] has to be an old girls frame[very easy to come by] so the jaws of the pipe cutter fits inside between where the top and bottom frame bars were.
The head tube in photo would not be usable with the pipe cutter, only a hack saw. The pipe cutter cuts it perfect. then just weld on to your boys frame, clean up the weld and you are done. You could use a hacksaw and cut a hunk out of any old headtube but it has to be really straight when put on. You can get by without welding it on if you wish but it may spin a little when turning.

 

[Adamtinkerer]

The springer, front fender, and chain guard are from a 53-4 Monark.

 

[militarymonark]

more importantly it's off a girls monark which is why it's way too long, If you try to cut down this particular fork and rethread the steer tube it won't work without some serious binding. Trust me I've tried it.

 

[bricycle]

more importantly it's off a girls monark which is why it's way too long, If you try to cut down this particular fork and rethread the steer tube it won't work without some serious binding. Trust me I've tried it.

where and why would that be?

 

[Andrew Gorman]

You need to keep the geometry the same- if you shortened the steerer, you'd have to shorten the upper fork legs and the truss rods as well, and probably not by the same amount. To make it work relatively easily (I think) you could chase the threads down far enough to to tighten the bearings, and then add a stack of threadless fork spacers to keep the spring "head" or anvil at the correct height. Just a suggestion, not necessarily a good one.

 

[how]

I did it with spacers, extra nuts or something lol I forgot exactly how,
but it worked no problem. No cutting
here is a pic
I sold that bike

 

[rideahiggins]

Yes, you did it. But it's a totally different fork.