This is an old medium frame. The problem is I just checked and I have two newer dh bikes with similar head tubes but they are large frames. Most of the new bikes have 130mm head tubes but they seem to have forgotten about tall people or older bikes. Thanks for commenting👍
Well in the manual they do say to never increase “top of the crown” to “top of upper tube” measurement beyond 157.20 mm. It was the first thing I measure when installing mine.
That may be true but when you install as many forks over the years as I have you tend to stop referring to the owners manual for normal things like steer tube lengths because they always had more then enough for most bikes. I didn't expect a drastic change like that. In old pictures you can see the stanchions sticking out above the crown, a ton of headset spacers or the fork is so far out because the always gave you more than enough to work with. It was the first time installing a new fork to an old bike.
i am not sure i like the video.... any thoughts on cutting the head tube then welding it back together?. .... just a thought. may save the customer a little bit of cash. quite the pickle. stay well
No. We're a bike shop. We sell and repair bikes. It's what we do for a living. His fork was bad. He wanted a new fork and he knew we sold Marzocchi. The new bikes started coming with shorter headtubes so Marzocchi immediately changed the stanchions for the new trends without thinking about the aging downhill bikes still being used. I have had two other bikes since the video and sold the customers Rockshox because Rockshox has the room and they make a great fork.
im a machinist/mountain biker , that is an easy fix in the shop. I press in new steering tubes all the time, rob one off an old fork , and a custom top crown. Bike shops need some basic machining tools and a little know how. I race a 99 Palmer DH. modified. against modern bikes.
You don't understand. The stanchions are to short. The steer tube is more then adequate. This is a downhill fork with two crowns. The stanchions will not fit into the upper crown without moving the lower crown into the path of the lower leg making this 8 inch fork into a 7 inch fork with an ubrupt and painful stop at the end. I have more tools then most bike shops because I started buying them 30 years ago when I started in this business. What I need is an upper crown with a 2.5 inch offset to make this work and the customer is not willing to pay for a custom upper crown. Thanks for commenting. I hope you had as much fun as I did mountain biking this weekend.👍
That really sucks! If that important information is NOT on the packing/instructions/Web site or anywhere then Fox should accept them back as not fit for purpose! They make enough of those things that they could replace the steerer tube and bottom yolk in a heartbeat.
What ended up happening? I have a 2006 big hit that I was thinking of doing the upgrade from the same fork. Wondering if I can get it done with the tall crown. My stack height on the newer model seems to be slightly shorter at 142mm without spacers. Same headset, interestingly.
Yes that is possible I did that with a mountain bike once before they had a 1/8 steer tube up top and a 1.5 down at the bottom and I had to shave The down at the bottom on my lathe about 2 and 1/2 mm and then put a low profile bearing race which also gave me another millimeter and a half a room because I went with the Dorado forks Same problem.
Thanks for letting me know but... We tried everything it would not work. The shortest we could get the headtube was 163mm and 163 is still taller then 154. We got a different fork.👍
sort of seems like a waste of effort sadly, that bike is very "long in the tooth" these days. It still rocks 26" wheels with a 1 and 1/8 inch head tube when the standard these days is a 1.5" heat tube (or tapered HT) and at least 27.5" wheels but most of the time 29er wheels for DH racing. They don't even make forks for 26" wheels anymore. Would be better to just take the money spent on that fork and put it towards a whole new bike, it will ride better no question.
Sorry that is were your wrong. These bikes are still shredding the trails today. A 27.5 fork works great for this bike. Evertime someone wants to switch bikes with me in the mountains they always comment on how well it rides through the trails and how much faster it was then they thought. I'm not saying that the newer bikes are no good. The newer bikes are faster in the straight and you can get parts for them all day long. In the woods doing obstacles that is where this shines. I like to do obstacles and that is why we like these bikes. It is a personal preference. But if you get a chance try one out it feels much smaller due to the wheels but you'll notice how fast it turns in the tight stuff and manuals on command.👍
pretty sure its 400$ for the complete crown assembly (including the lower crown and steerer tube). The top (drop) crown on its own should be 180$ (Part No 820-12-353-KIT) Another option would be the Risse Racing crown, which drops even further and is "only" 150$
It is for the whole assembly. I have been trying to get with Risse but the guy I need to talk to won't be back till Friday. Thanks for the suggestions you were thinking the same as me except I can't talk to my rep till Friday. Thanks👍
That headtube is massive. No wonder it doesn’t fit
This is an old medium frame. The problem is I just checked and I have two newer dh bikes with similar head tubes but they are large frames. Most of the new bikes have 130mm head tubes but they seem to have forgotten about tall people or older bikes. Thanks for commenting👍
Well in the manual they do say to never increase “top of the crown” to “top of upper tube” measurement beyond 157.20 mm. It was the first thing I measure when installing mine.
That may be true but when you install as many forks over the years as I have you tend to stop referring to the owners manual for normal things like steer tube lengths because they always had more then enough for most bikes. I didn't expect a drastic change like that. In old pictures you can see the stanchions sticking out above the crown, a ton of headset spacers or the fork is so far out because the always gave you more than enough to work with. It was the first time installing a new fork to an old bike.
You have an uncanny resemblance to your brother Isaac. You sound like him too!
Recommended the Mrp Bartlett fork for anything with a long ass head tube from personal experience
Glad I found this. I wanna upgrade my 2009 Banshee with this fork, but the headtube is 14cm with external headset, uh-oh.
Glad you found it.👍
i am not sure i like the video.... any thoughts on cutting the head tube then welding it back together?. .... just a thought. may save the customer a little bit of cash. quite the pickle. stay well
I'm absolutely speechless
Looks like you just bought the customer a new fork😂
No. We're a bike shop. We sell and repair bikes. It's what we do for a living. His fork was bad. He wanted a new fork and he knew we sold Marzocchi. The new bikes started coming with shorter headtubes so Marzocchi immediately changed the stanchions for the new trends without thinking about the aging downhill bikes still being used. I have had two other bikes since the video and sold the customers Rockshox because Rockshox has the room and they make a great fork.
im a machinist/mountain biker , that is an easy fix in the shop. I press in new steering tubes all the time, rob one off an old fork , and a custom top crown. Bike shops need some basic machining tools and a little know how. I race a 99 Palmer DH. modified. against modern bikes.
You don't understand. The stanchions are to short. The steer tube is more then adequate. This is a downhill fork with two crowns. The stanchions will not fit into the upper crown without moving the lower crown into the path of the lower leg making this 8 inch fork into a 7 inch fork with an ubrupt and painful stop at the end. I have more tools then most bike shops because I started buying them 30 years ago when I started in this business. What I need is an upper crown with a 2.5 inch offset to make this work and the customer is not willing to pay for a custom upper crown. Thanks for commenting. I hope you had as much fun as I did mountain biking this weekend.👍
That really sucks!
If that important information is NOT on the packing/instructions/Web site or anywhere then Fox should accept them back as not fit for purpose! They make enough of those things that they could replace the steerer tube and bottom yolk in a heartbeat.
What ended up happening? I have a 2006 big hit that I was thinking of doing the upgrade from the same fork. Wondering if I can get it done with the tall crown. My stack height on the newer model seems to be slightly shorter at 142mm without spacers. Same headset, interestingly.
We went with the Rock Shox Boxxer in the 27.5. You may have to buy an offset upper crown it's going to be close. Goodluck.👍
@@alloutbikes Thank you!
Good info!
Could You cut enough off the top and bottom of the headtube to make it work?
Yes that is possible I did that with a mountain bike once before they had a 1/8 steer tube up top and a 1.5 down at the bottom and I had to shave The down at the bottom on my lathe about 2 and 1/2 mm and then put a low profile bearing race which also gave me another millimeter and a half a room because I went with the Dorado forks Same problem.
Measure twice cut once
I have to measure at least three times.😕
old vs new stuff... you gotta be careful
not fox/marzos fault though
max is 154mm dude, you cann still save it
Thanks for letting me know but... We tried everything it would not work. The shortest we could get the headtube was 163mm and 163 is still taller then 154. We got a different fork.👍
sort of seems like a waste of effort sadly, that bike is very "long in the tooth" these days. It still rocks 26" wheels with a 1 and 1/8 inch head tube when the standard these days is a 1.5" heat tube (or tapered HT) and at least 27.5" wheels but most of the time 29er wheels for DH racing. They don't even make forks for 26" wheels anymore. Would be better to just take the money spent on that fork and put it towards a whole new bike, it will ride better no question.
Sorry that is were your wrong. These bikes are still shredding the trails today. A 27.5 fork works great for this bike. Evertime someone wants to switch bikes with me in the mountains they always comment on how well it rides through the trails and how much faster it was then they thought. I'm not saying that the newer bikes are no good. The newer bikes are faster in the straight and you can get parts for them all day long. In the woods doing obstacles that is where this shines. I like to do obstacles and that is why we like these bikes. It is a personal preference. But if you get a chance try one out it feels much smaller due to the wheels but you'll notice how fast it turns in the tight stuff and manuals on command.👍
It also doesn't use 26" wheels. It uses a 26" wheel with a 24x3 in the back.😀
pretty sure its 400$ for the complete crown assembly (including the lower crown and steerer tube). The top (drop) crown on its own should be 180$ (Part No 820-12-353-KIT)
Another option would be the Risse Racing crown, which drops even further and is "only" 150$
It is for the whole assembly. I have been trying to get with Risse but the guy I need to talk to won't be back till Friday. Thanks for the suggestions you were thinking the same as me except I can't talk to my rep till Friday. Thanks👍