Can I reassemble my new (used) mtb?

[emily_in_nc]

Need some advice from the wrench-inclined!

I am pretty much a novice when it comes to bike maintenance. I know how to pump up a tire, change a saddle for a more comfy one, take pedals off and on, and clean and lube my chain, and that's about it. I've never even changed a tire without help (let's just say my husband spoils me). :eek: Please don't laugh!

Anyway, I just bought my dream mountain bike (used off ebay), a Titus Racer X, and it arrived today in a huge UPS bike box (Yippeeeee!! :D ) When I unpacked it, the front Rock Shox fork was off completely, along with the stem, and there was a ziplog baggie of spacers and other round little screwy parts of various sizes. The headset is still on the head tube.

What I am wondering, is putting the fork back through the head tube and reassembling all the little spacer and round rings and stem something I can figure out how to do myself? Even my husband has never done this before. Or should I just put all the parts back in the box and have the LBS reassemble it?

[Note: I do plan to take the bike to the LBS immediately for servicing; the seller suggested that the front shock should be overhauled and the rear shock tuned for my weight, but I'd love to be able to put the bike together beforehand for ease of transport and so that I can check the standover and so forth.]

Thanks for any help you can provide. If anyone knows a helpful web link showing how to do this (with pictures!), that would be great too!

Thanks from a wrenching newbie... :o

Emily

[DebW]

Emily, can you give us a picture of the loose parts, the head tube with its fittings, and the fork crown? I've done plenty of headsets, but they've all been threaded headsets. I've been reading up on threadless headsets, however, and they differ only in the locknut/top cap. According to Sheldon Brown's site, you've probably got a 1 1/8 inch threadless headset. Direction for installing and adjusting that can be found at the Park Tool web site http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=65. Also see my recent post under the headset thread here for tips on proper adjustment. You really can do this. Get some good grease (Pedro's Syn Grease) and think about how the bearings, cups, and races fit together (make sure the bearing ring is oriented correctly). Then it is probably just a matter of greasing the bearings and bearing surfaces, putting a bearing ring over the fork steering tube against the crown race, sliding the fork steering tube into the head tube, sliding on the top bearing, attaching the top race, then the spacers, then the stem, and finally adjusting. The pictures on the Park site should make things clear.
Good luck. PM me if you have questions.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks Deb! It was actually much simpler than I expected. I did check the Park Tools site, then realized that I didn't have nearly as much to do as they indicated on their headset page. The headset was all in, so all we had to do was grease the fork steerer tube, slide it up through the headset, put on what I guess is the race, then the spacers, then the stem. It seemed really easy. However, since I am going to the LBS tomorrow to have the bike serviced, I'll have them check it. The fork may have to come off again anyway for servicing, but I mostly wanted to get it on for the time being so I could roll the bike in the shop (and check the standover, which is just fine).

Thanks so much for taking the time to post. There were no replies when I got started on the job, so we were forced to figure it out on our own (hubby and I), and we did just fine (I think!!)

Emily