Headshok experts needed!

[Swede]

I recently picked up a Cannondale Silk Adventure with a very poorly Headshok Ultra.

I was told I would need a HDTL146 to remove damper but these are no longer available so I bought a Bitul FK072 which apparently is a copy.

It arrived this morning but it doesn’t fit.

Am I using the right tool and that I just need to somehow pull the top cap further out or have I got the wrong tool?

 

[paddlingpool]

You probably need the shallower HDTL145 headshok castle tool

 

[Swede]

I do, but Bitul don’t make an equivalent. Had to use the hacksaw…

 

[Swede]

With the damper out I could complete the disassembly but as you can see the bearings and shims were toast.

 

[Swede]

You can buy replacements, but the shims come in different gauges and mine were so rusty I wasn’t sure what size I needed (I couldn’t measure), so rather than making an expensive mistake I sent it off for servicing.

The repaired fork works just fine but it’s a little soft. Does anyone know where the white spring is in the spring hierarchy? Cannondale offered them in different colours depending on their hardness(?) but I’ve found nothing on this colour.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Great work with the tooling.

My experience of headshok is that they always look like that inside

The travel isn't very progressive, so if you're used to a standard fork, they feel wierd, like they travel too far.

Good luck! We used to keep those shims in stock to step the head tube back down to 1&1/8, then fit RS or Marzocchis

 

[Swede]

It’s a bit of a mullet but should be good for winter training.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Looks good. Maybe you could disable the headshok and run a larger tyre.
I can see why it'd feel too soft

 

[Cloverleaf]

Depending on the ID of the spring you might be able to firm it up or tune the progression with elastomers slipped inside. Ideal? No. A way of making it do what you need it to do?