Biking Hiking with Kids

The star nut for my fork arrived today. I was able to put it in the fork’s steerer tube and continued with my Marin Palisades Trail bike project. I previously installed the bottom bracket.

The star nut, also called a star fangled nut, is used to set the pressure on the top-bearing race in a threadless headset. Pressure is applied when the bolt in the top cap is tightened.

To install a star nut, you could buy a special tool called the Star Frangled Nut Setter. The star nut setter tool is not expensive (about $12.00 at PricePoint.com) but I didn’t want to buy a tool that I was only going to use couple of times. So I improvised by using a spare stem bolt and a 2 pound hammer. In any case, mort often than not, a new or used fork will come with a star nut already installed. The only reason why I had to reinstall a star nut in the Manitou fork that I’m using for the Marin Palisades Trail project is because I had to cut short the steerer tube and the star nut that came with the fork was cut out in the process. I could have just pushed the star nut further down the tube but I didn’t want to put additional stress to the star nut.

It’s an easy job. First I threaded the spare stem bolt onto the star nut and placed the star nut on top of the steerer tube. Then I used a 2-pound hammer and lightly tapped on the bolt to drive the star nut into the steerer tube. I made sure that the star nut went into the tube as straight as possible. If it wasn’t going in straight, I tapped the bolt sideways with the hammer to straighten it out.

When the top row of flange bards on the star nut is about a 1/4 inch from the top of the steerer tube, the job is done.

The star fangled nut outer diameter is slightly bigger than the inside diameter of the fork column. This lets the flanges to bite into the fork walls and hold it tight. The star nut is designed so that it cannot be pulled upward.

I then loosen the stem from the steerer tube and screwed in the bolt through the top cup. I tighten the bolt just enough so that the fork is binding a little. I then loosen the bolt a quarter turn. Next I tighten the stem again and the fork is installed and ready for the handle bar. Now that the fork and stem are installed, the rest of the project should move a lot faster.

Next I’ll be putting the tires on the wheels and putting together the handle bar with brakes levers, shifters and grips.

Check out pictures of the headset installation on the Marin Palisades Trail Frame.

Check out the Manitou Bulge FS Ti fork installation on a Marin Palisades Trail Frame.

Here is a picture of the built up 2001 Marin Palisades Trail mountain bike.