I'm getting a new pair of forks so I'll need a star fangled nut.
Or will I?
I don't much like the idea of installing something if I have only one attempt at getting it right. Especially involving a hammer... 
Is Hope's Hed Doctor a replacement for a star fangled nut and are there any other alternatives?
Ta muchly
yes the hope head doctor is a replacement but thats pretty much it for alternatives.
I got an x-lite jobber and....................... I now have star fangled nut back in, absolute waste of time. If your not confident at doing it yourself get lbs to do it.
A headset fitting tool is cheaper than a Hed Doctor.
Can't be that hard surely. It it goes a little bit wonky screw in a long bolt and gently tap it straight. And if it goes REALLY Pete, whack it right through with a, er, longer thing.
I've got Hed Doctors on both my MTBs. Pricey but never had any problem with them and at least transferable/removable if you want to change headtube length or swap forks.
These work quite well but never had issues with the sfn's personally.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=17766
there are others like azonic headlock but those are about £20!!!
A headset fitting tool is cheaper than a Hed Doctor.
rice is cheaper still, unless you buy a lot
I got a SFN fitting tool, think it was from wiggle and cost about £15, after I fitted one with a long bolt and a hammer and then a screwdriver cozz it went in a bit wonky. Very easy with the right tool.
Thanks for the advice, peeps.
Its easier to get the SFN started accurately if you put the bolt [or a longer one] into the star thing a few turns, clamp the bolt head in a vice or workmate so the whole thing is held firmly, then hold the forks and push them on to it. Its much easier to guide it accurately and its less inclined to slip sideways. Once both star bits are in the tube it will stay true and you can drive it as far in as it needs to go. Bit of a bodge but it works for me.
I've never known one slip once they are in, once everything else is tightened down there's no load on them.
A mate of mines fork steerer sheared across the SFN..! Was coz of bimetallic corrosion. I'm a little scared of them now, so +1 for hope hear doctors. BBB also make a cheaper, heavier one.
hed doctor - great for carbon steerer roadie type shenanegins. otherwise:
sfn - problem for which solution was found, job done.
A nice cheap trick to make fitting these easier- get a bit of cheap M6 threaded bar (couple of quid) and thread it through the star nut so that it sticks up a little through it. The bar then goes through the steerer, and stops you from getting too squint. You can finesse that a bit if you really want to but there's no real need.
(you can whack a couple of washers on the bottom end, and a nut, and use that as a puller to draw the star nut in but I don't bother, I just whacks it wiv da ammer.)
I bought the basic SFN fitting tool from CRC for £11.99 last week and it does the job simply and easily. X Tools one i think. Makes fitting it so easy (did one on an old fork to test it then another one on my nephews new forks) Both went in dead straight and dead easy.
Used a head doctor for the 1st time last week. Came with the headset. Doesn't instill me with confidence but neither does a star nut. I always make sure the stem is doing the clamping/holding duties. Star nut (etc) is only there to load bearings really IMO.
All my bikes, never a problem ever. I never got on with SFNs...
Another vote for an SFN fitting tool.
None of the alternatives i've tried are any good compared to an SFN (for jey XC use) and its been used 3 or 4 times around the immediate family so it's more than paid for itself.
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