Just tries to remove my forks from my bike and the socket cap bolt in the headset just keeps turning without retracting. (me thinks the inside of that nut is rotating freely).

Its been in there for a while and I need the forks for a service but am now stuck.

– I tried hitting the bolt from underneath to see if I could make it bite but no change!.

– Have tried pulling on the stem whilst unscrewing to see it it would bite but no change!

What else can I do apart from drill the bolt out??

Thanks
Phil

doubt you could drill the bolt either if its just spinning..
Not quite sure how you could get that off.

If the star washer is defo turning then I guess the only way it’s going to come out is down. If you hacksawed the cap in two then you could tap the bolt and star washer all the way down and out.

With the cap off, the stem loose the forks will come off and you could put the forks into a vice to do the tapping bit.

I’m gussing caps are easy and cheap to replace, but I don’t know for sure.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers Si

Can you reach the bolt from underneath? Bend the prongs on the star nut so it no longer grips the steerer.

From underneath drill out the starwasher bit. As this is plastic I assume it is relatively easily- I would use a long drill bit and slow speed.
I assume you could use a hammer and chisel to break the plastic part.
Either way I would use caution and TJ’s method first.

If you look up the steerer tube can can you see that star nut turning? Might be the central section has come loose in which case drilling is the only way

The star nut is fixed but the silver threaded section is turning.
Couldn’t get to the prongs to bend them as they were a long way up.

Ended up taking a hacksaw to the top cap and dissecting it into 1/8th to enable me to remove enough to get the stem off.

Don’t like using a hacksaw as a biek maintenance tool – but couldn’t see another way.

All is good now – just need to band the star nut through.

Thanks for your advice 😉

don’t worry about banging it all the way through – just far enough down to get a new one in.

Fork steerers often get narrower towards the bottom and it’s a right pain getting a SFN through.

Better to get it out if possible, trying to get two out at a later date would be painful.