Carbon fork swap, Civante - Wabash - Urban Rush

[Greentween]

I swapped out my Civante fork to a carbon fork. Info on what you need. Stock fork is 11/8 taper to 11/4 size which is not common size head tube. I wanted a fork with replaceable crown race. I found one on ebay that is 11/8 straight. Sure there are also pricy ones from Whiskey or Ritchey ect.
1) Fork
2) Crane Creek 110 series alloy 47 30 conversion crown race
3) Brake bleed kit
4) Brake olive

Inexpensive solution to the stock fork with its integrated crown race. If your bike has the creaking, snapping noise from the headset bearings, this is what you need.

 

[EMGX]

Nice solution, I hope the inexpensive carbon fork proves durable and safe for you. I once bought an inexpensive full carbon fork on Amazon (Toseek) but returned it because the disc brake caliper mounting points didn't allow for proper alignment, I'm not the only one who had that problem per Amazon reviews. After you have some riding time I'd be interested in reading your impressions.

 

[Bikebadger]

Did you have to replace the headset or just the fork and crown race? Thanks.! Note that I am still trying to resolve the fork issue with Yamaha but badly want to a solution so not having to ride without the constant headtube noise. It is terrible. I am in contact with a Yamaha's e-bike product manager, Drew Englemann. His email is [email protected]

 

[Greentween]

The headset bearings remain the same. Just changed the fork and crown race. Head tube noise is gone.

 

[Bikebadger]

I purchased the same fork and crown race. My LBS recommended the Cane Creek Ancora Expansion Plug ($30 at Amazon). I will report back once installed.

 

[Bikebadger]

Fork replacement complete. Creaking noise completely gone. Some satisfaction is resolving the problem, but still angry with Yamaha for burying a known production issue. If they were selling thousands of these bikes (instead of hundreds), a recall would have been certain.

 

[Greentween]

Looks good. It should have come with a carbon fork originally. Its nice to ride without the noise now.

 

[Greydog]

I swapped out my Civante fork to a carbon fork. Info on what you need. Stock fork is 11/8 taper to 11/4 size which is not common size head tube. I wanted a fork with replaceable crown race. I found one on ebay that is 11/8 straight. Sure there are also pricy ones from Whiskey or Ritchey ect.
1) Fork
2) Crane Creek 110 series alloy 47 30 conversion crown race
3) Brake bleed kit
4) Brake olive

Inexpensive solution to the stock fork with its integrated crown race. If your bike has the creaking, snapping noise from the headset bearings, this is what you need.

This is great news. Did you have to do any mods for the disk brakes? And what about the front wheel? Were you able to use the same wheel and hub?

Much thanks,

Larry

 

[Greentween]

That all stays same. It is really an easy swap. The steerer tube needs to be cut down so not everyone will be able to do the swap themselves but a LBS can do it.

If going to do yourself, there are videos on Youtube for cutting steerer tube. Also you will need a brake bleed kit if don't already have one. On my bike the brake hose had enough slack for when I cut off the fitting olive to be able to thread it thru the new fork.

 

[Greydog]

Thanks Greeny! I already bought the crown race adapter and the same fork. I found it for $75. I have cut steerer tubes before but I will leave mine long as I really needed a straight bar handlebar due to neck issues but I bought an adjustable stem and a drop handlebar that has a 5cm rise.

I use to build bikes in a bike shop but have no experience with hydraulic brakes so I will have the work done at my LBS.

 

[Bikebadger]

Changing the fork was a game changer for me, I deeply regretted the purchase and the endless back and forth with Yamaha. Greeny got me back where I needed to be . . on the road and trails.

 

[Greydog]

My Civante is at the bike shop now getting the fork swapped out. I can't wait. It should also drop the weight of the bike by at least 1 or 2 pounds which is a bonus.
I will report back once I have it out for a ride in a few weeks as it snowed yesterday and we expect snow all week after having unusually warm weather in the 50's and 60's here in the Twin Cities.

 

[Greydog]

I love my new carbon fork. The annoying cracking sound is gone. The bike rides a smidge smoother and the fork is about 450 grams lighter than the original, so it saves 1 pound in weight. I have dropped 4 to 5 pounds on the bike through various upgrades of carbon parts, lighter chain and cassette (it remains to be seen if the chain and cassette hold up).

 

[Exonerv]

New guy to the forum, but wanted to give a shout out to @Greentween for solving this dilemma. I just purchased a Wabash RT due to the crazy clearance pricing, and true to form it developed the crackling headset issue just after break-in. After multiple rounds of cleaning, regreasing, and trying every torque setting known to man - I went searching for answers. From all appearances, the warranty process is protracted so my plan is to order the parts listed above and do it myself.

I do have 2 questions primarily due to the wait times associated with obtaining the fork (late Oct-early Nov) and the fact that it's prime riding season:

1) Will it damage the frame continuing to ride the fork as is - noise be damned? I'm assuming it's causing some movement of the bearings and I'm concerned with the integrated headset becoming ovalized as a result.

2) Has anyone tried to solve the problem using Loctite 680 or Park Tools RC-1 retaining compound to eliminate the play in the bearings?

I appreciate the resource of other's shared experiences and look forward to contributing to the forum going forward.

Mike in NC

 

[Greydog]

It won't damage it to ride it. I rode my bike for 2 years before swapping in a carbon fork. I got my fork from China in less than 10 days. I took my bike to a bike shop and they tried everything to fix the cracking but were unable to do so.

 

[Exonerv]

Good to know. Unless someone has experienced this sound it's hard to imagine how pervasive it is. I've been kind of amazed at how nothing I have done so far has had any effect on the tone or frequency of the sound. No amount of pre-load, cleaning or regreasing has dampened the sound one bit.

Has the replaced fork continued to resolve all issues? Approx how many miles on the replacement?

 

[Greydog]

I have a couple of hundred miles on it and no issues. I also put on Carbon Aero handlebars and a Carbon Seat Post. All bought from China.

 

[Bikebadger]

The Wabash RT has the same frame as the Crosscore RC. The RC has a SR Suntour NEX E25. 63mm Travel and 12x100 thru-axle hub. The fork can be purchased at numerous online vendors for less than $200. You would need to purchase the Cane Creek crown race separately. I think the Wabash RT with a suspension fork would make for a sweet ride