Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

Carbon fork eyelet broke. Fixable?

Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

Carbon fork eyelet broke. Fixable?

Old 10-13-19, 05:26 PM
  #1  
Hisamatsu
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 223
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 107 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Carbon fork eyelet broke. Fixable?

This is the carbon gravel bike I have. Diamondback Haanjo Trail Carbon 2016


Had a low rider rack installed on the front fork. Used it mostly for holding my Kryptonite NY lock. Occasionally a pannier, but rarely.

Hit a hard bump on the road and rack flopped forward since the top eyelet broke on both sides.



Fixable? Ride-able? Fork looks fine and feels fine tapping around. Appears no other place damaged but eyelet area

Replace whole fork? If so where would I get one that is compatible?

Last edited by Hisamatsu; 10-13-19 at 05:50 PM.
Hisamatsu is offline  
Old 10-13-19, 08:16 PM
  #2  
cpach
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Mt Shasta, CA, USA
Posts: 2,140

Bikes: Too many. Giant Trance X 29, Surly Midnight Special get the most time.

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 530 Post(s)
Liked 311 Times in 235 Posts
I'd replace the whole fork, that'd sketch me out. I'd contact Diamondback first, they probably have crash replacement forks, and considering this is intended to carry a load (and just the lock sounds relatively reasonable), they may be somewhat generous, even though they only have a 1 year warranty on their own branded forks (which seems pretty bad, compared to most of the industry).
cpach is offline  
Old 10-14-19, 01:38 PM
  #3  
WizardOfBoz
Generally bewildered
 
WizardOfBoz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Eastern PA, USA
Posts: 3,036

Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 6.9, 1999 LeMond Zurich, 1978 Schwinn Superior

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1152 Post(s)
Liked 340 Times in 250 Posts
Yeah, a big hole is a stress concentrator. And I agree with cpach. Your story indicates failure at a very low service intensity. Promise to report good or bad customer service back here on Bike Forums. May help.
WizardOfBoz is offline  
Old 10-14-19, 09:25 PM
  #4  
wsteve464
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 561
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 161 Post(s)
Liked 71 Times in 62 Posts
I'd throw it out. You can use any carbon fork that had the same steerer 1 1/8th straight or 1 /18 -1 1/2 tapered (depending on what is in there now) and the same axle to crown probably around 395mm.
wsteve464 is offline  
Old 10-15-19, 09:10 AM
  #5  
Wilfred Laurier
Señor Member
 
Wilfred Laurier's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,065
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 648 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times in 215 Posts
I am shopping for a lowrider rack and there seem to be some that are connected to two spots on either fork leg, but not connected together. If this is the case, it expects the fork eyelets to withstand any bending or twisting forces, and those can act as a pry bar to rip the eyelet out.

Most lowrider racks have a U-bend rod that connects the front corners of the two racks and should prevent this from happening.
Wilfred Laurier is offline  
Old 10-15-19, 11:40 AM
  #6  
WizardOfBoz
Generally bewildered
 
WizardOfBoz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Eastern PA, USA
Posts: 3,036

Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 6.9, 1999 LeMond Zurich, 1978 Schwinn Superior

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1152 Post(s)
Liked 340 Times in 250 Posts
Originally Posted by Hisamatsu
This is the carbon gravel bike I have. Diamondback Haanjo Trail Carbon 2016

Had a low rider rack installed on the front fork. Used it mostly for holding my Kryptonite NY lock. Occasionally a pannier, but rarely.

Hit a hard bump on the road and rack flopped forward since the top eyelet broke on both sides.

Fixable? Ride-able? Fork looks fine and feels fine tapping around. Appears no other place damaged but eyelet area

Replace whole fork? If so where would I get one that is compatible?
Hisamatsu Sama,

Did you hear back from DiamondBack? I would think that this would be a warranty item.
WizardOfBoz is offline  
Old 10-15-19, 02:28 PM
  #7  
Hisamatsu
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 223
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 107 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by WizardOfBoz
Hisamatsu Sama,

Did you hear back from DiamondBack? I would think that this would be a warranty item.
I messaged their support, but have not heard back from them yet.
Hisamatsu is offline  
Old 10-15-19, 02:44 PM
  #8  
79pmooney
Senior Member
 
79pmooney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,830

Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder

Mentioned: 128 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4745 Post(s)
Liked 3,861 Times in 2,510 Posts
Originally Posted by Wilfred Laurier
I am shopping for a lowrider rack and there seem to be some that are connected to two spots on either fork leg, but not connected together. If this is the case, it expects the fork eyelets to withstand any bending or twisting forces, and those can act as a pry bar to rip the eyelet out.

Most lowrider racks have a U-bend rod that connects the front corners of the two racks and should prevent this from happening.
Be careful! Those U-bolts act to crush the fork blade. Not an issue with sturdy steel blades but CF forks are not made to resist that force. (And even then not all steel framebuilders are entirely comfortable with adding the braze-ons for LowRiders. Peter Mooney wouldn't for my first 79pmooney fork. 5 years later when I needed a new one, he said he was willing to braze on a much larger generator mount (that he wouldn't have to drill the fork blade for). That has worked very well though I have to enlarge the holes/slots in my racks to fit. Also the bolts are English/American, not metric.

Ben
79pmooney is offline  
Old 10-15-19, 03:38 PM
  #9  
Wilfred Laurier
Señor Member
 
Wilfred Laurier's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,065
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 648 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times in 215 Posts
Originally Posted by 79pmooney
Be careful! Those U-bolts act to crush the fork blade. Not an issue with sturdy steel blades but CF forks are not made to resist that force. (And even then not all steel framebuilders are entirely comfortable with adding the braze-ons for LowRiders. Peter Mooney wouldn't for my first 79pmooney fork. 5 years later when I needed a new one, he said he was willing to braze on a much larger generator mount (that he wouldn't have to drill the fork blade for). That has worked very well though I have to enlarge the holes/slots in my racks to fit. Also the bolts are English/American, not metric.

Ben
I'm not talking about the U-bolt, but the long U-shaped bar that goes from the front of one low-rider rack to the front of the other low-rider rack so they can't twist back and forth.

My fork is aluminum and I was planning on using a bolt in the mid-blade boss and the U-bolt, as well as the connecting bar that keeps them from swaying.

I may also just get a steel fork, as my aluminum fork has loads and loads of kms on it, and I can't find a similar aluminum fork to replace it.
Wilfred Laurier is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.