Cut steerer tube on road hydraulic disc??

olly22

Hi all,

Hopefully someone can help.

I have a stack of spacers above my stem that I need to get rid of. I would usually cut the steerer no problem. However, this bike has hydraulic disc brakes and the cable goes through the fork. Has anyone has any luck with cutting a steer in place (ie. while on the bike), or does anyone have any tips for how the fork can be removed without having to bleed and refill the disc hose? Cutting while on the bike seems like a recipe for disaster!

Many thanks!

The Rookie

A pipe cutter will cut the steerer without touching the hose.


Or just split and rebleed as normal after doing it - it's a simple 5 minute job.

Matthewfalle

Any hacksaw wil do it as its a hollow tube.

Just cut half, stop so you don't cut through the hose then cut other half.

olly22

Thanks chaps.

And would you still suggest doing this with the steerer attached to the bike? Would be concerned about filings getting into the headset. Its not so much not wanting to cut through the hose, more that the fork cant be removed without breaking the hose. I have not bled disc brakes before (former caliper man ). Might get the youtube instructionals going! LBS quoting min £40 for the job. Irritating when I usually got my steerers without issue.

The Rookie

A pipe cutter produces no swarf, so you you could do it with the forks still in the bike, just take the stem off and support it.

trailflow

The Rookie wrote:

A pipe cutter will cut the steerer without touching the hose.


Or just split and rebleed as normal after doing it - it's a simple 5 minute job.

Those are not very good to use if its a carbon steerer. Then tend to crush the carbon rather than cut all the way through. They are good for marking out the line. But its easier to use a hack saw.

fudgey

Take the stem & spacers off, seal the bearing with masking tape and cut carefully with a hacksaw.

olly22

Many Thanks all.

Managed to get it sorted last night. I cut a hole in a bin bag, placed it over the steerer/frame and taped the bearings up so as not to get metal filings into them. Tightened an old stem up at the place I wanted it cutting and used it as a guide to cut the steerer with a hacksaw.

paulbnix

Won't you then end up with an excessive length of hydraulic tube?
I suppose it could stick up above the bars before vanishing down the steerer.
You might have to shorten it anyway so then you could cut the steerer off the bike as normal.

olly22

Paul, the shop had set the bike up with the bars at the correct height so the hydraulic hose was the correct length. Just that they had left a stack of spacers on top of the stem rather that cut the steerer.

paulbnix

So the hoses don't pass through the part of the steerer tube you are cutting.
You could cut with the stem still fitted and you would then need a spacer above the stem for the preload to work.
The issue you have is the debris from the cut falling into the headset bearings.
I would think that judicious taping round the headset plus a vacuum cleaner would solve that problem.