 Ok, I currently have a trek 3700 with crappy 63mm travel RST forks that have died, they dont bouncy anymore. A friend has recently replaced the hardly used RST Gila t4 forks on his Spesh hardrock, and donated them to my cause as a temporary fix. Does this sound like a viable job?
The only problem I can see is that the headtube isnt very long. My current fork has 4 spacers before the headset (the think the handlebars are clamped to), and I think I'd have to lose these for the Gila forks to fit properly.
Taking my life in my hands? or saving a ton+ by not having to buy new forks/bike in the near future.
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 interested in replies to this as I'm also thinking of replacing the (barely functional and heavy) Judy TTs on my old bike. I only use it for commuting these days and am tempted to put some Project2s on.
I have to admit I don't really know how these new-fangled Aheadset things work but I'm hoping it goes some thing like:
1) take wheel and brakes off old fork
2) take stem off steerer
3) slide out old fork
4) slide in new fork
5) fit stem, brakes and wheel
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 Higgo you missed,
Cut the Steerer Tube to the Same length. File off any outer material so it's smooth.
And remove the Bearing race, from the bottom of your old fork with a hammer and screw driver. and fit to the new fork.
That is about it, 30min job all in ??
2hours, with panicing first time :)
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Just lose the spacers, until it's about a 5mm gap from the top of your stem, to the tube.
Measure them both first though, make sure it'll fit at all ??
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Now thats exactly what I want the instruction to be. No doubt there should be a mention of greasing stuff up, but can we avoid reference to special tools and expensive additions? The new(ish) fork has a star shaped thing in the headtube, I assume that can stay there for screwing in to?
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I'll measure up, thanks. Whats a bearing race? something at the bottom of the headtube on the forks that makes contact with the bottom of the steering tube on the frame? I'm such a newb.
I'm wondering what effect this change will have to my riding position too, losing 25mm of spacers and adding 37mm of travel. Should be interesting....
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 That would be the aptly names "Star fangled nut" and yes it should stay there because unless you want to break it it wont be coming out ina hurry! Oh and its what the screw on top of your headset goes into to sort of you know hold it all in place :)
Oh and the bearing race which Dylan so elequently removed with a screw driver and hammer (actually the best way suprisingly) may be split depending on the headset this is actually alright so dont be worried by it.
Hope this helps
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Yes on the Bearing race, you'll proberley think there is nothing there, it'll be fitted so tight, shut hammer a screw driver into it :)
37mm's more travel, will relax the angle making the bike steer slower, but be more stable over hard terrain.
Losing the 25mm's of spacers allowing for sag, will keep your bars @the same height though, depending on how many you lose ??
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Better off with a wider sharp chisel if you've got on.
If it's split, then it's tool less removal, most upto recently aren't split though.
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I think I've read about the bearing race, the split ones being considerably easier to work with?
I'll have a go tonight chaps, I'll be posting again around 9pm when i get stuck !!
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It looks like a delicate little ring, will hammer and chisel not dent it to buggery?
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Sharp chisel underneath the race then hit the chrisel down to lever the race up! repeat around the stearer tube until its off or if your feeling real lazy and know the make of your headset head to the Local bike shop and get a new race that will fit :)
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was swapping forks with my mate, so we swapped lower bearing assemblys, seemed easier and less chance of ballsing it up.
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If I wanted to be really really lazy I live round the corner from 2 bike shops would would quite happily fit it for me, for a price!! Am being a cheapsake and trying myself,I'll be sorry when it all goes wrong and I have no bike to use !!!
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 Idiots guide from BM..
http://www.bikemagic.com/news/article.asp?SP=&v=4&UAN=3025
a simple enough job to do so long as you can wheld a hack saw hammer and screw driver and a couple of alan keys. Seriously as long as you take your time and think about what your doing its a piece of p155 measure twice compair against your old fork and cut once
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 Hello all,as somebody else fairly new to mtb I've been reading this with interest, I bought a 2005 hardrock sport disc which came with RST gila T5 forks, They are pretty naff and when i saw a mate had some Marzocchi MX Comps for sale last week i thought i'd have them, Since getting them i've been trying to get as much info as i cud to have a go at fitting them one weekend ppl say it's easy i just don't wana f anything up tho!! Its the hammer in screw driver part i'm not sure on, is that to tap the bottom part of the headset of? i'll check out the guide in the above reply, the link doesn't work?
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When you take your old fork out of your bike, at the bottom of the steerer tube, the bit the bearing role on, need to swapped onto the other fork.
Relatively easy, just hard to get started!!!
If you do, F it up, you can buy a new headset with bearing for @£20, so not the end of the world, quite.
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Nice one for that mate, I've got a day of monday so i think i'll give it a go now. I'm a bit more clear now on whats what & have some good instructions from the link posted above. Cheers again.
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Thanks for the help chaps, I can report back that the bloody headtube was too short anyway, by about 15mm. Looks like I'll have to live with a crap fork for a while, unless anyone fancies stealing my bike so I can claim on the insurance!!! err, joking obviously (i'll lock it up at......) :-)
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