Extracting a star nut

richardjallen

How do you extract and refit a star nut? It's an alloy steerer that I need to cut down and the star nut needs to be further down in the steerer.

Note it is a star nut and not and expander plug.

deal

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=67

Removing the nut

The star fangled nut is basically designed not to be removeable. If it is necessary to install another nut, simply use a punch and drive the first nut down until deeper than the new nut will sit. It is not necessary to completely remove the old nut. It is also possible to drive the old nut completely through the column and out the bottom. This will make the nut unuseable. It can also work to drill out the center of the nut, and then tap out the remaining pieces.

craigenty

richardjallen wrote:

How do you extract and refit a star nut? It's an alloy steerer that I need to cut down and the star nut needs to be further down in the steerer.

Note it is a star nut and not and expander plug.

I've done this with some forks which I cut down.
I used a bolt the same diameter as the one already in the stem cap but about 100mm long and just tapped the star nut down to the required depth then cut the steerer tube.

richardjallen

craigenty wrote:

richardjallen wrote:

How do you extract and refit a star nut? It's an alloy steerer that I need to cut down and the star nut needs to be further down in the steerer.

Note it is a star nut and not and expander plug.

I've done this with some forks which I cut down.
I used a bolt the same diameter as the one already in the stem cap but about 100mm long and just tapped the star nut down to the required depth then cut the steerer tube.

I tried that today but hand no luck. I think I will take it to the shop round the corner and see if Bob has a tool that will push it further down. Then I can cut 20mm or so off the steerer.

magliaceleste

With a lot of patience and a long screwdriver it is possible to break them up enough to get them out.

You just have to be careful not to gouge the inside of the steerer tube too much.

robbarker

magliaceleste wrote:

With a lot of patience and a long screwdriver it is possible to break them up enough to get them out.

You just have to be careful not to gouge the inside of the steerer tube too much.

Eh? You just pop it ouf of the bottom of the tube. 5 seconds job with a cold chisel. No need to break it up or gouge anything beyond what's involved in installation.

craigenty

richardjallen wrote:

craigenty wrote:

richardjallen wrote:

How do you extract and refit a star nut? It's an alloy steerer that I need to cut down and the star nut needs to be further down in the steerer.

Note it is a star nut and not and expander plug.

I've done this with some forks which I cut down.
I used a bolt the same diameter as the one already in the stem cap but about 100mm long and just tapped the star nut down to the required depth then cut the steerer tube.

I tried that today but hand no luck. I think I will take it to the shop round the corner and see if Bob has a tool that will push it further down. Then I can cut 20mm or so off the steerer.

Have another go. I'm sure tapping the nut down only 20mm is going to be easier than re-installing a brand new one.

Hugues

Recently had to remove a star nut from a carbon steerer (don't ask !).

Drilled out the aluminium center of the nut, then used a dremel with a small grinding bit to grind from the center outwards on two sides to the narrowest points of the "star".

Fiddly, but relatively quick job.