Help with forks

[Mr. Cow]

Hi All

The steerer tube on my forks has split at the top, which I think then makes the top cap eventually slacken off causing slop in the headset. Also not helped by not being able to tighten the top pinch bolt on the stem properly, as it is at this point where the steerer is split. Furthermore, there is a fair bit of corrosion around the crown where the steerer is bonded to the forks, and after almost 34k miles it's probably time they were replaced.
But I am stuck to find out which forks would be compatible. Can anyone give me an easy way of measuring the existing ones so I can buy a comptible replacement?
There's all this stuff about "rake" which I don't get. All I can work out so far is my current forks are "tapered", with the upper bearing a 1.1/8", and the lower a 1.1/4", both 45x45degree angular contact bearings (although that might be the other way round - the top is smaller diamater than the bottom).

Also any recommendations for fork suppliers? Am I best of going to the lbs as presumably there may be some cutting of the steerer necesarry ?

Thanks !

 

[Cycleops]

You’re probably better off going to your LBS, they’ll have all the correct tools, bearings cutter etc.

 

[vickster]

What bike? What fork?

 

[Titanium]

Would you be able to take a few photos, at various angles and perspectives, to show what sort of forks they are, and the type of bike frame?
Then we can probably come up with some suggestions. There are always forks up for sale... on ebay there's usually quite a good choice.