Carbon Fork and Immovable Brake

sharrow

Happy new Year alll


So it seemed like a good idea - new groupset for my Specialized Roubaix for a New Year....

But the nut through the fork fixing the front brake was completley seized - no way it would turn or the brake could be un-screwed from it.

So being rather foolish I figured it was just corroision between the stud and the aforementioned nut, so out with a hacksaw and carefully avoiding the carbon fork I cut through the stud, expecting that the stud and nut would now pretty much fall out of the fork.

But I was greviously disappointed and it was not going to move.

So I then resorted to hammer and a drift (having made sure the back of the fork was well supported) and knocked the stud and bolt throuh the fork and out the other side, though it did take some fairly strong hits.

But along with the nut/stud combo I also got a carbon fibre tube that the captive nut is completey seized into. Just to explain the nut is T shaped in profile and this tube effectivly 'fills in' the undrside of the T making a rectangular profile.

So my questions are

1) Is it likely that drifting the nut/stud out wil have done any damage to the fork (otehr than knocking the c/f tube out)?
2) Do I need the little tube thing that is now outside of the fork (and will no way go back inside) or can I rely on the end of the nut bearing on the bottom of the hole thorugh the fork to be strong enough to support the brake?

Hoping some workshop guru will have seen something similar before and can advise.

Off to start drinking!

Thanks

Sharrow

topdude

Photos needed before making an educated guess :?

sharrow

So shows the nut/stud and tube lined up left to right as they would have been in the fork.

nicklouse

new fork time.

Tom Butcher

For the second question - you can try it and see. My guess is you should be OK even if you have to find something else to make a sleeve out of.

For the first - there's only one way to find out - just a question of whether you want to risk it!

It's the sort of thing I'd probably do myself and with similar consequences - in my experience reaching for a hammer and a hacksaw when you are working on a bike usually ends in tears.

topdude

Good photos, personally i would fix this myself, no need for a new fork.
Just make a sleeve out of some tubing (non rusting) that just fits into the fork and fit a new brake and nut (well greased) and carry on

peter101cycle

Moral of the story....make sure you grease all parts well before putting them together on a bike - I also wonder that whoever put the bike together (maybe a shop), didn't due a particularly good job of greasing

Definately corrosion from the weather caused this problem as a root cause.

sharrow

Thanks for the coments guys.

The bike was a cycle 2 work jobbie and Halfords sourced it from a well known bike shop and I supect the latter as I think Halfords just passed the purchase on to the other shop.

Makes me wondeer whether the first thing to do when getting a new bike is to strip it down and rebuild it - will def' consider next time.

topdude

Don't forget to remove, clean and re-grease the seatpost regularly as this will also seize into the frame