Steering Tube Obstruction

[RustyGold]

NO WAY it will slam out cold. The fork legs interfere with the slide hammer's handle for one. There's not enough throw either way.

Cleared the end very well before using penetrating fluid. Used a heavy steel rod from the top striking it with everything I had! Just laughed at me. I suspected so, worth trying tho.

I doubt it's brazed...it wouldn't have needed swedged if it was going to be brazed.

It's probably just pressed with ~50 years of togetherness to overcome. It'll take a hydraulic press and the rod you are pressing with will probably need turned to ID of tube -.020" or so.

Drilling will be cheaper in the end if you don't have a machinist buddy. I wouldn't suggest it without a drill press, however...a hand drill with a big bit will take you for a ride when it grabs, and it will grab unless you are very lucky and go very slow.

 

[hamqqea]

I doubt it's brazed...it wouldn't have needed swedged if it was going to be brazed.

It's probably just pressed with ~50 years of togetherness to overcome. It'll take a hydraulic press and the rod you are pressing with will probably need turned to ID of tube -.020" or so.

Drilling will be cheaper in the end if you don't have a machinist buddy. I wouldn't suggest it without a drill press, however...a hand drill with a big bit will take you for a ride when it grabs, and it will grab unless you are very lucky and go very slow.

You know your stuff I intend to us multiple bits and finish it with a reamer for a snug fit. I'm currently equipped to deal with 7/8'' 22.2mm. Been holding off on undersized stuff. Time to place some orders.

 

[hamqqea]

I will step in here I have drilled out a couple for motor bike leaf spring purposes, and don't think you will be able to press it out, as I believe they are brazed in. Doing from the bottom, fork legs are in the way,. Believe me when I say best bet is the find a machine shop to ream it or drill it. ....Curt

Stick around curt, I'm going to demonstrate how to perform a precision job on a kitchen floor.

From the photo of the steering tube in my original post which was the only way I could see, the object appeared diffidently than it actually is which confused me initially.

 

[curtisfox]

KOOL! I will be watching............Curt

 

[hamqqea]

Tried another method.

Won't budge after being split in two all the way through Beat the snot out of it from both directions. Soft steel. Still can't see evidence of brazing. There are two small dimples in the steering tube. Drilled to see if it was anything. Back to the original plan.

Need sub 22.2mm tooling. Thought about drilling and reaming to 7/8'' which I can do now but then I'd need to buy a different size extender. Have other similar jobs.
Waiting on deliveries to finish. . .

 

[curtisfox]

There is so little difference in size, 22.2 is 8740157 7/8" is 875, I think the extender would work in 78". trust me when I say you are going to have a big fight drilling it out. I bent a drill with 1/2" shank that jamed while drilling. Good luck ..........Curt

 

[hamqqea]

There is so little difference in size, 22.2 is 8740157 7/8" is 875, I think the extender would work in 78". trust me when I say you are going to have a big fight drilling it out. I bent a drill with 1/2" shank that jamed while drilling. Good luck ..........Curt

22.2mm and 7/8'' quill stems are designated same size for 1'' steering tubes.
The fork posted is made for the smaller 21.1mm stems/extenders and I want it to remain that way.
Tools I use for 22.2mm/ 7/8'' work. The drill bit's equivalent to 55/64'' for a 22.2 reamer. The bit is too large for 21.1mm. I need a 13/16'' bit to start reaming for a 21.1 I.D. The hole is about 3/4''.

I've done similar jobs without issue and feel confident this won't be any different. It's soft stuff. A new bit will eat through quickly. I was sure the split roll would come out once cut. I hit it so hard the person who put the fork together at the factory felt it! Didn't budge a micron! I still don't understand what's holding.

 

[Tallbikeman]

An appropriate size drill press with a bit that just fits the inside of that steer tube. Steer tube held in a vice on the drill press table. Go slow and lots of oil. I'm in agreement with Rusty Gold, handheld drill is a recipe for seeing how fast your aging reflexes can get your trigger finger off the on switch of that drill. I deal a lot with Chicago Schwinn sizing with the headtube being 13/16" as opposed to 7/8" for most everything else. Schwinn had to be proprietary to control sales for their stuff.

 

[hamqqea]

An appropriate size drill press with a bit that just fits the inside of that steer tube. Steer tube held in a vice on the drill press table. Go slow and lots of oil. I'm in agreement with Rusty Gold, handheld drill is a recipe for seeing how fast your aging reflexes can get your trigger finger off the on switch of that drill. I deal a lot with Chicago Schwinn sizing with the headtube being 13/16" as opposed to 7/8" for most everything else. Schwinn had to be proprietary to control sales for their stuff.

I have limited space for awesome machining tools. Securing the work and tool is paramount. I choose a less than size drill bit so the job can be finished with an adjustable hand reamer for a snug fit. Quill diameters can vary slightly in the thousandths.

Thank you and others for your advice and safety concerns. I'm fully aware & able of avoiding the dangers involved Not my first rodeo.
I'll be listing for that guitar riff to halt if anything isn't right... don't wanna be no Three Finger Joe... oh wait, I am.

Reamed several old Schwinn forks to receive non-Schwinn stems.