Install the pre-adjusted Expander Assembly A with the Top Cap ⑦ as shown in Fig B, into the Carbon Steerer ①. Tighten the Expander Assembly with a 5mm hex wrench to 60-90.
The FSA compression plug is so more elegant than a star nut as you can remove it easily should you want to recut your steerer tube. This permits you you to cut the tube a little long at first to experiment so you know the exact length you need. Also, if you upgrade the fork you can remove it and re-use it. Anyone who has trouble installing this plug is out of their league for doing fork installations, it is simple but you need some mechanical aptitude.
Getting it snug enough was easier if you use the T-handle type of allen wrench but not essential. I use these even on alloy steer tubes because they are removable and easy to install. PROS: Easy to remove, Easy To Install CONS: Star Nuts Are Free. I hate star nuts, so I have tried a couple of alternatives. The others did not grip the steerer tube securely enough, so I couldn't get the headset tight enough, so I went back to star nuts. But I decided to give this one a shot before giving up on the idea completely. It works just as well a star nut.
![Fsa Carbon Fork Expander Installation Carpet Fsa Carbon Fork Expander Installation Carpet](https://www.bike24.com/i/p/9/4/4549_00_d.jpg)
And there's no star nut to go off-axis, or to interfere with cutting the steerer tube, or to get pushed down too far by accident, etc. The only drawback is that it took some tinkering to find the sweet spot where it slides in but yet it grips the steerer just enough that you can tighten it. If too loose, it just spins when you try to snug it up.
PROS: Never Goes Off-axis, Quality Construction, It Just Works CONS: Install Took Three Tries. FSA does not include instructions nor are they available on their site so it took a bit of searching online and taking the thing apart to figure out the basic of it. It's actually 2 parts in one. The compressor part with it's own bolt and the top cap. I'm still unable to get tight enough to bind the fork so I'm unsure how much preload you can actually get on this.
If FSA would just put instructions online with as far as installation depth of the compressor and torque ratings that would help a lot. CONS: Lack of instruction. Jenson USA ships worldwide, including APO/FPO addresses.
For a quote, simply add the items you are interested in to your shopping cart and look for the 'Shipping Options' box. You don't have to login or create an account to see shipping charges. Some manufacturers restrict where we can ship their products. If this item has shipping restrictions, they are listed below. If you'd like to buy an item that we cannot ship to your preferred address, we can accept your foreign credit card and ship to a USA address for you. Get free 1-day California shipping with your $50 purchase today, on most orders.
Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in California(no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items.
Hi all How about some collective advice with regard to carbon steerer tube expander plugs? I've just bought a replacement carbon fork for my Specialized Allez. The new fork has a carbon steerer tube and I now need to buy an expander plug to allow for setting of the pre-load on the headset bearings. I'm new to carbon steerer tubes and would appreciate your recommendations for an expander plug. I'm interested in your reasons for your preference as there seems to be a number of designs available, varying lengths, materials and construction. Haven't been able to search any concise thread on this so hope to create one here.
Appreciate your response! Thanks Battaglin, appreciate your reply and take your point regarding generic forks. I should have stated that my new fork is a Specialized Carbon 4; maybe someone can tell me which plug Specialized used as original equipment with this fork?I don't know what specialized use but I have the columbus 'gap cap' in 3 carbon steerer tubes (despite the name it's a compression plug). They have a knurled outer surface that prevents slippage in the steerer tube without needing heaps of force, and they're 45mm long which gives a bit more support inside the steerer if you want to move your stem up and down a bit. Highly recommended. See this from columbus' website - scroll down to 'Gap Cap'.
Is the typical clamping torque recommended for stem bolts sufficient to crush carbon steerer tubes ie without an expander plug fitted??unlikely, if treated with care and the stem's steerer clamp is free of burrs. Good carbon fibre is incredibly strong stuff but needs to be treated with respect. Every set of manufacturer instructions I've seen for carbon steerer installation recommends having the plug under the stem clamp. I have seen a carbon steerer tube ruptured as a result of torquing up the expansion plug too high - an expensive mistake. For all that, I find the extra support from the long plug comforting, but that's me. Thanks rkb, take your point re the pre load on the headset bearings. I was more concerned I guess with the potential for crushing the steerer tube with tightening of stem bolts, but seems unlikely if tightened to appropriate manufacturers torque value.
All good, appreciate your interest!For the stem bolts I highly recommend getting one of these-Ritchey torque key- It has a preset 5nm and a 4mm bit that will fit Thomson, FSA, Ritchey, and most other stems. Use it for the stem bolts on the carbon steer tube as well as the face plate bolts for your carbon bars. IMHO carbon steerer compression plugs are basically worthless. They don't really do anything (they certainly suck at compressing the headset significantly) and once you tighten the stem are just added weight, because if the stem comes loose, the plug sure isn't going to hold the stem onto the steerer. They need something more effective, maybe a carbon version of a star nut?
Or better yet, a stem that has a bolt to draw it down onto the steerer. Then the cap is just there to make the steerer solid where the stem clamps down. Best you bring your fork when you shop for carbon plugs. Apparently the inside diameter of carbon steerers are not standard in size. My reynolds ouzo comp fork fits great with FSA compressor plug, but is a bad fit with other generic taiwan forks.So glad to find this thread.
The ass hole I bought my Merlin Agilis from, among other things, put a standard compression nut inside the Reynold Ouzo. I have gone over the inside and outside of the steerer tube and it's smooth as silk so I'm not concerned it's been damaged.
However, I was completely unaware that some of the carbon plugs have different lengths? The traditional plug it came with is maybe 2' long at most so no way would it reach below the stem bolt.at least until I cut the rest of the extra fork off.which I don't want to do for resale issues which have hurt me in the past not having any extra steerer tube to work with for the next guy. How long do these plugs get?