Headset arrangement help needed

[alwayshorizontal]

Following on from my earlier unreplied to post, i have now picked up the bike and discovered the headset to be loose. This was no surprise as there was no top cap - no problem i thought, but being a newbie to the Girvin forks i'm confused.

1. What is the top cap arangement as the headset is 1.125" but the steerer is 1" and uses a reducer sleeve at the top and this steerer tube also stepped internally?

2. Should there be a similar reducer at the bottom bearing too as there seems to be lot of play in mine (bearings are King ones and are perfect condition)?

3. What type of bush/sleeve goes throught the top of the front shock as mine only has the bolt passing through the 10mm(ish) hole?

The bike is a 955 fitted with Vector 2 forks (intergrated stem and suspension mount version).

Any detailed pictures, writtenrepair sort of  instructions, places to get the missing parts, or dimensions and construction of them would be greatly recieved as i want to ride the thing desperately.

[orange]

I have a couple of Vector manuals if they'll help - PM me with your email address and I'll send 'em to you. :-)

[crogthomas]

Greetings

I’ve just recently bought a 656 with the Vector 2 which I guess is similar to yours?
Im very rapidly learning a lot about these funny machines. Here are a few resources that I found useful that people on here put me on to:

There are pictures of the Vector 2 fork like yours in the rapid descent MCU documentation (just so happens to be my bike before I owned it!)
http://www.rapiddescentscotland.co.uk/index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=downloadFile&JAS_File_id=15

The ‘secret’ K2 tech library webpage that you don’t seem to be able to find from the K2 homepage:
http://www.k2bike.com/01site/tech_forum/index.html

This includes the 1990 through 1999 Spring Tables , and fork alignment instructions (which includes details of installing longer bolts to prevent the fork going out of alignment so easily).

Also the normal K2 tech pages:
http://www.k2bike.com/tech_library/2000products.asp

which include a fork assembly diagram and parts list (although it shows the non stem mounted version, its close enough):
1996, 1995 Girvin Vector II Fork Assembly

Plus of course there is a wealth of information available here from forum members. Pictures always help if you can?

Once you’ve got the assembly diagram Id recommend taking the thing completely apart, cleaning and rebuilding it. I did this and found a number of problems that I’m glad I sorted out before riding the thing.

Not sure what you mean by the 10mm bolt exactly? Put up a picture?

The headset is a 1.125in but the fork is all 1in. The fork will actually fit into a 1in aheadset without the reducers. The top cap should therefore be a 1in top cap, can you measure it to be sure?
You’ll have to post some pictures of the bottom fork race so someone can tell you if its right or not.

Hope thats of some use?
Craig

[alwayshorizontal]

Looking at the assembly drawing of the Girvin Vector 2 fork from the K2 site (which shows a coil spring type with non stem top mount - mine is an Elastomer type with intergral stem type, but is labelled up as a Vector 2 - now confused) the missing item would be the one similar to item 24 (spacer tube - upper shock).

The other reducer or similar bit i mentioned before at the bottom of the steerer tube doesn't seem to appear on the drawing, unless its part of the steerer?

And i don't have a top cap hence the confusion as to how i adjust the preload on the headset without a SFN - i can see this being a steep learning curve!

[crogthomas]

Looking at the assembly drawing of the Girvin Vector 2 fork from the K2 site (which shows a coil spring type with non stem top mount - mine is an Elastomer type with intergral stem type, but is labelled up as a Vector 2 - now confused) the missing item would be the one similar to item 24 (spacer tube - upper shock).

Yes the spring and the top mount are different but everything else on the diagram seems to be the same. I guess we have the ‘Poor mans Vector 2’?
For a spare spacer tube try ‘Simon’ in the UK or ‘Kiwi’ in NZ on this forum.

The other reducer or similar bit i mentioned before at the bottom of the steerer tube doesn't seem to appear on the drawing, unless its part of the steerer?

The diagram doesn’t seem to show the headset parts properly and I can’t remember what the bottom race on my vector looks like (the pubs have been open since I took it apart). I would guess it’s a reducer pressed onto the steerer similar to the top? If it’s got a King headset it sounds like someone’s being mucking about with it. You are probably best just taking it all apart and making sure everything fits together properly.

And i don't have a top cap hence the confusion as to how i adjust the preload on the headset without a SFN - i can see this being a steep learning curve!

To adjust the bearings you are going to have to get a top cap from somewhere (as above). 1in is still a fairly common size for road bikes, so you should be able to get a new one still. Or ask at your Local bike shop if they have one in the parts bin?

If you can’t find the spacer tube or the top cap anywhere, any machine shop should be able to make you the parts on a lathe in about 20 minutes. The spacer tube should probably be anodised to give it a hard surface.

[kiwi]

the spacer(24) sits on top of your headset and under your stem or ULM( i stil cant quite figure if yur fork has the upper shock mount actually part of the stem  or the seperate upper shock mount.This is important because the fork must be set up withthe correct "critical measurement".They should have a id of 1 inch for your application and a od of about the stem.You get a stack of 10 5 and 2 mm ones so you can stack them up in different combinations to get the correct CM.
The adapters for a 1 inch fork to a 1 .125 headtube are a relatively common item,any decent bike shop will be able to sort you out.You need a similar reducer at the bottom too.
The shock should have a bush to match the shock (OD)and the bolt dia(id),and an arrangement which holds the shock tightly in the upper shock mount
You need a cap on the top of your 1 inch stem to take the bolt which goes into the star nut to give you headset tension
A picture tells a thousand words
ask away!

[alwayshorizontal]

I took it all apart last night and reassembled the headset, it appears that the bottom shim had not been reseated properly by the prior owner. So thats that problem dealt with.
I've measured up the stem and shock top mount and am now getting a spacer tube machined up, although the tube i'm getting made lacks shoulders to prevent lateral movement of the top of the shock, do you think this is a major omission ? (upper shock mount is integral to stem btw)
So hopefully all i need now is a 1" SFN and red CK headcap (anyone help here?)

[crogthomas]

Sounds like you are missing the plastic spacers either side of the spacer tube. They are on the diagram but not numbered for some reason, they're called 'sculpted seal washers' in the vector manual. Do you have a copy* of the manual yet? They are shown quite clearly in there. They are a little like the spacers you get for mounting mudguards on seatstay bridges, but bigger. One flat side and one concave side to match the outside diameter of the shock.
You could probably get away with flat washers of the appropriate thickness.

Craig

*email me for a copy of the manual.

[orange]

If you could get some photos up that would be best, host them on imageshack.us or suchlike, then copy the URL and paste it between (img) and (/img) but with [ brackets and not ( brackets and the photos should appear in your post.

[orange]

here is a picture of some vectors on ebay currently - does this help?



http://cgi.ebay.com/VECTOR-2-GIRVIN-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-FORK-PROFLEX-856-RARE_W0QQitemZ300111623311QQihZ020QQcategoryZ36135QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or these?



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220111604435&indexURL=4&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

[alwayshorizontal]

Thats it, the first one i mean with the intergrated stem assembly, although the shock is somewhat different to mine as i dont have the upper black section, looking at a 95 catalog mine does apper to be as it should.

[Colin]

"......different to mine as i dont have the upper black section......."
This is the pre-load for the MCU's or spring if fitted. The shock in the picture is an ODS, gold colour with an ODS sticker on it, if your Vector is a '95 then you've probably got a silver friction damper with no preload.

Col.

[alwayshorizontal]

Aaarrrrghhhh - i bought a 1" headsest cap and star fangled nut and it doesn't fit. Not a hope of getting it into the steerer tube. The top 10mm approx is of a suitable diameter to fit the SFN but then the steerer wall thickness increases considerably - hence no go.
Although on closer inspection aprrox a futher 10mm down the inside of the steerer is a small shallow groove - is this for some special type of top cap retainer that i've yet to witness?
Anyone shed any light on this?
(will try to photo the offending tube tomorrow and post some pics)

[SLIM]

 if mine were anything to go by , they have a solid lump of alloy in the steerer , with a threaded hole in the centre for your topcap bolt

had a problem with it in that when i tightened the bolt up the lump was turning with the bolt

cured it by drilling into it , through the steerer and jamming a steel pin into it

maybe someone had the same problem , but removed it ??

[orange]

yes mine's a solid lump with a hole in it - so agree with Slim perhaps that's come out - you'll need to bodge something by the sounds of it