Hope Head Doctor Fitting

peter_booker2003

Bought a hope head doctor, but heard mixed reviews about installing them.

Can someone give me some clear instructions what to do?

Ive got a usual star nut at them moment.

cheers

supersonic

Keep the starnut is the best instructions. Why remove it to fit sometheng that is worse?

Chunkers1980

Yep, star nuts are fit and forget.

delcol

+3 here

star nut works fine.. and are a pain to remove....

The Northern Monkey

Take hope head doctor in hand, open window, throw hope head doctor out of window, fit star nut.

Its fairly easy tbh..


You could just use the headset cap.

nicklouse

peter_booker2003 wrote:

Bought a hope head doctor

Why?

Northwind

Makes for a nice light top cap/bolt combo, just don't use the stupid insert thing. (nb- don't overtighten! The bolt is very weak. Don't arsk me how I knows, I just knows)

.blitz

Have used a Head Doctor on three forks I quite like 'em

My only advice would be to take it all to bits before you fit it and make sure the outer collar is compresses easily. Re-assemble it so that the expanding part lets the collar compress easily.

Tap it in gently

A chopstick inserted in the underside of the steerer tube can be used to apply pressure to the lower expanding part if it refuses to tighten.

Don't overtighten it on an aluminium steerer you will distort the steerer.

Richie63

Yeah I quite like them easy to fit and easy to swap about if need be

barty81

just upgraded my headset to a hope.popped the head doc in, but it wouldnt engage the bearings when tightening the top cap.pulled it out,wacked a star nut in and hey presto!! everything works great.stick it on ebay or use it as a paper weight.

benpinnick

In answer to your actual question... First remove the topcap/top bolt on place aside. Next, insert the large Allen key in the top of the wedge, and expand until it only justs goes in the steerer- a little friction stops it falling down inside. Insert the wedge about 10-15mm down in the steerer tube and tighten the bolt so it expands and gets wedged. Then reassemble the top cap/bolt. Tighten down to preload etc.

peter_booker2003

Cheers for all the help guys, but have sent it back to CRC as it was easier for me

Ouija

Haven't owned one but don't the Hope ones work any different to the other expander bungs? By this i mean tightening the top cap doesn't expand the bung until it's been screwed all the way up to the top cap screw and is touching the bottom of the top cap. At which point it starts to expand, which is no good as you wanted the bung to stay where it was inside the steerer tube (defeats the purpose). Most of these expander bungs have a hexagonal hole around where the top cap screw screws into it. This is where you put a larger allen key and expand the bung before putting the top cap and screw anywhere near it. Judging by the looks of some images on Google it certainly looks like there is a hex head screw point just around the entrance hole to the screw thread on the bung (bottom left bung, you can clearly see the hex point just outside the screw hole).......

benpinnick

Yep they do.

Ouija

benpinnick wrote:

Yep they do.

Certainly looked like it from the pics. I suspect a lot of people who don't seem able to get these things to work properly are assuming it works by simply dropping it in and tightening the top cap. When that doesn't work, they take the top cap off and find the bung slightly expanded at the top of the tube and come to the conclusion it's a piece of doodoo and then complain about it. Some of the comments on here and on CRC seem to suggest that user stupidity is at play here. Guess it doesn't help that they don't come with instructions.

nicklouse

Yes that is how you should fit them but why bother? Heavier more expensive...... More o if there is a star nut ready fitted.

hobbitsharley

when the shop cut my steerer down for me they automatically fitted a star fangled nut even tho i had a told them - ive bought a Hope Hed Dr - after he fitted it he looked at me and said " ive done you a HUGE favour just use the hope top cap" he then proceeded to show me a draw full of new/used/part used hed Dr's so mine is in a box at home - expensive top cap

ilovedirt

Northwind wrote:

Makes for a nice light top cap/bolt combo, just don't use the stupid insert thing. (nb- don't overtighten! The bolt is very weak. Don't arsk me how I knows, I just knows)

+1, it's pretty easy to snap one of those bolts!

1mancity2

Fit a Starnut!!!!

Hope head doctor came loss over the sunday ride and has been replaced with the fit and forget starnut (Head doctor was in forks when bought!)

Chunkers1980

Yeah right - you just thought you were cool ;-)

1mancity2

Chunkers1980 wrote:

Yeah right - you just thought you were cool ;-)

Haha! got loads of hope gear on my bike so I am mega cool anyway....