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I was coming home from work one morning and hit a curb.

I tried to stop but ran into the curb full force and bent my suspension fork to where it is touching the frame.

I got a replacement fork for it and took the tire off and the brakes I'm just not sure on how to take the fork out to replace it with the new one.

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    If the force was enough to bend the fork, its possible the frame is damaged. Have a good look around the head set (Where the fork goes into the frame) for any sign of cracking or bending. If in doubt, get it looked at by a professional. Sudden failure of a frame at this location is nasty.
    – mattnz
    Apr 20, 2022 at 21:02
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    I've check the area after the crash and I didn't see any type of cracking.
    – Elizabeth Brooks
    Apr 20, 2022 at 21:12
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    @ElizabethBrooks A clear photo of your bike edit into the question could help head off other potential issues. A side-shot of the whole front of the bike, and a close up on the head tube from the side would be ideal, please.
    – Criggie ♦
    Apr 20, 2022 at 22:41
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    I'll be able to do that tomorrow morning after I get off from work. I'll be working on the bike almost all day besides taking care of my children.
    – Elizabeth Brooks
    Apr 21, 2022 at 2:58
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    If you have to ask you probably should take it to a bike shop.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Apr 21, 2022 at 12:33

1 Answer 1

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There are two types of stem, hopefully your replacement fork is compatible with the frame

This is also a fairly big job and if not done correctly can cause an accident. There's no shame in getting a bike shop to do this kind of work if you have any concerns.

Quill stem

From https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/stem-removal-installation-quill-stems

These have a 6mm hex bolt that is accessed downward through a hole in the top of the stem. Loosen it ~5 turns and then give the allen wrench a light tap with a hammer, which will unseat the wedge (D in image) At this point the whole stem with handlebar attached should slide up and out.

Then undo the headset locknut and the headset nuts (unlabelled but just below C in image) There should be a bearing cage, but some bikes have hundreds of loose balls both above and below the head tube. Then the fork should slide out the bottom.

Threadless

These have a clear two-part design, where the stem is not shaped like a 7.

enter image description here

  1. Start by removing the top cap, probably uses a 5mm hex driver.
  2. Undo one or two pinchbolts that clamp the stem to the steerer tube and lift the stem and bars up and off the bike. Let them dangle by the wires
  3. Look for spacers - sometimes there are some above and below the stem. Save them.
  4. The fork may be loose to drop straight out the bottom. Look for greasy bearings, very likely in a cage. There may be other clips and seals depending on the design.

Reinstallation is essentially the reverse. You should clean and grease any bearings and races while its open. Avoid overtorquing bolts especially in threadless - they can strip the threads.

More info at

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    “Avoid overtorquing” – yes, but too weak can also be dangerous. Ideally use a torque wrench and follow the numbers that are often printed on threadless stems. If the OP has only a simple hex key at hand, I'd say it should be definitely so tight that it's not possible to tighten it anymore in the “weak” position (i.e. with the long leg in the bolt). And in particular the bolts should be checked again after 20 km or so, and re-tightened if necessary, especially if no threadlocker was used.
    – leftaroundabout
    Apr 20, 2022 at 22:14
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    Don't forget the crown race! This may have to be removed from the old fork with a crown race puller before being reinstalled on the new fork. It's considered part of the headset, so the new fork will probably not have its own.
    – Will Vousden
    Apr 21, 2022 at 3:57
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    I highly suspect the OP doesn't have a threaded fork. Unfortunately, with those, you may have to trim the steerer after sliding it in, and the OP probably won't have the tools.
    – Weiwen Ng
    Apr 21, 2022 at 20:49
  • @WeiwenNg yeah plausibly, lets wait for a photo and that will help focus down on things.
    – Criggie ♦
    Apr 22, 2022 at 2:55

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