Shimming forks. please help

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Rebel_56

Rebel_56

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so I have a prewar that's being a punk. The forks are loose and have a lil play once the neck is in. I don't need a reducer the forks are original to the frame and I'm using the original headset. What the heck do I do? A buddy said take some soda cans and beef up the tube to the fork but I don't wanna go that route and break my .... frame. Any advice cause my frustration level is boiling haha. Is it safe to cut up a few soda/beer cans and thicken up the fork stem?
 
That works fine. Did you change the stem at all? should be 21.1mm while newer stems are 22.2mm.
 
cman said:
That works fine. Did you change the stem at all? should be 21.1mm while newer stems are 22.2mm.
Click to expand...
No it's the same stem. Original fork cups bearing case and headset. Once I have the headset down it still has play and when I put the neck and bars on I can move the fork back n forth.if I shim it with cans how would I go about it. I sound like an idiot and I am well versed on bicycles but this is a first for me. Would I layer the cans around the entire fork stem
 
Lets start over....3 places for the front end to be loose, which one(s)?
  • Headset cups(probably not if original headset).
  • Stem inside of fork/steer (shim it with aluminum, try a 1"x 3" strip wrapped around, but don't interfere with the wedge.
  • Headset is incorrectly adjusted.
 
Last edited:
cman said:
Lets start over....3 places for the front end to be loose, which one(s)?
  • Headset cups(probably not if original headset).
  • Stem inside of fork/steer (shim it with aluminum, try a 1"x 3" strip wrapped around, but don't interfere with the wedge.
  • Headset is incorrectly adjusted.
Click to expand...
Haha ok I am a complete idiot lol. I put newer bearings in. I just threw the originals on and it's a perfect fit.no more play at all lol I feel dumb haha. Thank you for your help sir I swear I'm not this much of an idiot on a daily basis lol ;)
 
Glad that turned out well for you. Should the original bearings become worn enough to require replacing them, see if you can't find an identical retainer set. If you can't, it might be best to go with loose balls. But, for now, keep rockin' those original bearings!
 
Bicycle808 said:
Glad that turned out well for you. Should the original bearings become worn enough to require replacing them, see if you can't find an identical retainer set. If you can't, it might be best to go with loose balls. But, for now, keep rockin' those original bearings!
Click to expand...
I rock loose balls all day .... :) I got three projects at once I mixed up my bearings put the prewars in a 53 schwinn and vice versa. I was gonna delete this but I figured why not give some Kats a laugh at my expense haha.
 
Rebel_56 said:
I rock loose balls all day .... :) I got three projects at once I mixed up my bearings put the prewars in a 53 schwinn and vice versa. I was gonna delete this but I figured why not give some Kats a laugh at my expense haha.
Click to expand...

More important than that, leave it so those other kats will have one more possibility to look into before they post up a question.... they see this in a search, they might be like "ohhhh! i did just swap bearings; maybe i used the wrong ones...."
 
Bicycle808 said:
More important than that, leave it so those other kats will have one more possibility to look into before they post up a question.... they see this in a search, they might be like "ohhhh! i did just swap bearings; maybe i used the wrong ones...."
Click to expand...
I was getting so frustrated I threw a couple wrenches lol. Low and behold prewar bearing cases for a prewar bike duh!!! I'm Italian with black hair but had a total blonde moment today haha :)
 

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