Some advice about fitting headsets & crown race..

[Hilts]

Need to put a new headset and crown race on my Explosif frame/Track two forks and wanted some advice..

Should I ..

1) Take it down the LBS and get them to do it properly (anyone got an experience of how much this is typically charged at ).
2) Buy a tool such as the Park Bearing Cup Press (as I’m bound to need it done again in future) and do it myself. Although that doesn't fix the crown race issue.
3) Hammer, Block of wood, brute force and ignorance…

 

[mattpayne]

when i worked at a bike shop the following worked well...

get friendly with the bike shop... share the mechanics love of retro skinny steel... (a few choice comments about his bike work well here )

buy a couple of bags of chips and wander in one quiet afternoon...

hey presto, full use of the facilities for a couple of quid...


Headset press - you could buy one, but the one at the bike shop will be heavier and better... dont use hammers and wood! if you love your bikes and your bikeshop is half decent you will get a lot of help just by being an enthusiast!

 

[mh1000]

Deffo use a headset press, whose you use i'll leave you to decide

The bike shop I worked at, the going rate for most jobs was an 6 box of jam doughnuts, although that was for recognised faces! if you turned up with doughnuts and a frame needing a headset fitted you may have got strange looks

 

[Stick Legs]

Funny that, when I worked at a bike shop Snickers ice creams were always the tender for such jobs...

 

[cchris2lou]

I disagree .

a long tube of Plastic pipe and a good hammer will fit your crown race safely . and a long threaded pole with 2 big wahsers and bolts will fit the rest .

 

[m1kesmith]

on my aluminium full sus frame i used a long bolt and 2 big washers. On the titanium one i figured the worst that could happen is wrecking the headset and used a couple of planks and a hammer.
as for the crown race... i'd recomend fsa headsets. the crown race has a split ally ring that fits between the fork crown and the bottom bearing... easy to fit and remove! (not too sure on the retroness)

 

[mh1000]

I disagree .

a long tube of Plastic pipe and a good hammer will fit your crown race safely . and a long threaded pole with 2 big wahsers and bolts will fit the rest .

Im sure that would work fine, as it is effectively a homemade press.

I think were all pretty much in agreement that is is preferable to use a workshop press or self constructed press type jig as opposed to big hammer, lump of wood, brute force, whilst lining it all up with a squinted eye

 

[gump]

Well you pretty much need the headtube to be paralell regardless of which method.
I have used wood + hammer, and home made press thing, both are fine.
Key thing is to be careful and take it slow. A press just makes cock ups less likely.

 

[Moonkatuk]

Same here, go steady with the cups. If you want to fit/remove the crown race try and find some copper or brass drifts. You can get these from traditonal hardware shops and because they are softer than the steel race they won't damage it.