Problems with Fork Heads (Kwik Links)

- A lot—this one wasn't any better, after all
: a) The threaded sleeve was crooked
; b) The fork could only be opened with a lot of force, but now it won't close anymore;
c) The pin was pressed in at an angle and is welded in place

When I ordered those items again in December 2008 (Topmodel, Sirnach), I was terribly disappointed: The quality was terrible, and it no longer had a “V” on it, but an “A” (A for “reject” or “scrap”). Even the replacement shipment I received after filing a complaint didn’t help.

- d) The pin falls out when the fork is opened

Then I heard from somewhere that the Vogel model could no longer be manufactured due to defective tools, and that the successor model was now the one with the “A.” After hearing that, I didn’t dare to for two years

No more buying fork heads!

Then came the 2010 Friedrichshafen trade show, where I found a little bag containing 5 fork heads:

“Krick, Model Building at Its Best,” it said.

And what a stroke of luck: they’re still around—those good old things! What’s written on the package is actually what’s inside: five pieces, all of the same precise design—hard to believe!

The precisely parallel fork closes on its own after being spread apart with a screwdriver, with the pin automatically fitting into the opposite hole. The threaded sleeve is straight, and the thread also makes a good impression (though one piece has a slight amount of play). There’s not a single sharp edge anywhere where you could get hurt.

So, feeling pleased, I ordered 20 new Krick-brand fork crowns from Hope, convinced that my fork crown problem was now solved. However, the shipment contained Classic Modell brand fork crowns, which at first glance could very well have been Krick

(after all, Classic Modell is Krick’s authorized importer). When I inquired with Hope, they confirmed that, according to Classic Modell, the fork heads were from the same manufacturer as Krick’s. Fair enough.

After unpacking them, it became clear to me that the steerer tube saga wasn’t over yet: the quality varied greatly—6 were good, 8 were passable, and 6 were rejects.

With the six worst ones (see photo), everything was so crooked that the fork couldn’t be closed even with pliers:

After this unsatisfactory experience, I ordered two other brands (Kavan and Graupner) from Hope to test, and I found them in my mailbox

(Young Philipp Hochuli gets things done quickly and without any hassle.)

On the Kavan model, the tabs at the back are slightly flared (which helps prevent the rudder horn from getting pinched), but they aren't quite parallel. On all of them, however, the threaded sleeve is angled.

Graupner’s quality varies widely: 50% good, 40% acceptable, 10% rejects (the fork cannot be closed even when pressed together). The threaded sleeves are all straight, and the threads are good. Unfortunately, the product has sharp edges that can cause injury.

Of the products I looked into, Krick (€5.00/10 pcs.) is top-notch. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a supplier for these clevises in Switzerland, because the official

importer (Classic model) unfortunately sells its own brand, and Krick only ships to private customers in Europe—and, as we all know, we don’t fall into that category.

Kavan (CHF 6.10/10 pcs.) offers quite good, consistent quality. If the threaded sleeve were straight, it would come close to Krick.

Classic Modell (CHF 6.–/10 pcs.) and Graupner (CHF 5.60/10 pcs.) lack consistent quality above all else. Alongside good parts, there are unfortunately also some that you’d prefer to stamp with an “A.”

Those of us who switched to ARF models two years ago because of the poor-quality fork heads can finally build models ourselves again, thanks to Krick and Kavan!

Speaking of ARFs: I recently witnessed a cheap, nearly-ready-to-fly foam electric jet with retractable landing gear lurching across the entire grass runway at full throttle, howling loudly, before coming to a stop at the end of the runway. That’s when it dawned on me what ARF stands for: Almost Ready to Fly—meaning it’s only almost enough to fly (take off) ...