Headset removal/install

jp_nyc said:

I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to invest in headset tools
so I can finally do all work on my bikes. I guess I'm the one to answer
that.

My quesion is, what tools will I need to do all headset work? I checked
the Park website, and this is what I came up with:

1. Head cup removal tool (RT-1)
2. Crown race puller (CRP-1)
3. Bearing press (HHP-2)
4. Crown race setting tool (CRS-1)

The Park website also mentions a measuring caliper. I'm not sure what
that is, or what I would need it for.

Hammer, hex wrenches, grease, etc I have. Am I missing something? Some
of these tools are pretty expensive. I'm open to alternative
suggestions, or tools I might do without.

The obvious alternative is to pay your LBS a few bucks to do this for
you, assuming they have the expertise to do it properly. A quality
headset, like a Chris King, should last the lifetime of a frameset.
Buying all the tools to perform what is essentially a one-time
operation is not cost effective, IMO.

jp_nyc said:

2. Crown race puller (CRP-1)
Some of these tools are pretty expensive.
I'm open to alternative

If you're not planning on re-using the crown race, a drift punch and
hammer work OK on a lot of forks (all?). Sometimes you probably could
even re-use the race after removing it in this way.

JT

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jp_nyc said:

I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to invest in headset tools
so I can finally do all work on my bikes. I guess I'm the one to answer
that.

My quesion is, what tools will I need to do all headset work? I checked
the Park website, and this is what I came up with:

1. Head cup removal tool (RT-1)
2. Crown race puller (CRP-1)
3. Bearing press (HHP-2)
4. Crown race setting tool (CRS-1)

The Park website also mentions a measuring caliper. I'm not sure what
that is, or what I would need it for.

Hammer, hex wrenches, grease, etc I have. Am I missing something? Some
of these tools are pretty expensive. I'm open to alternative
suggestions, or tools I might do without.

Thanks.

Calipers ("measuring caliper" is a vague term, they're talking about a
vernier caliper, sometimes called a micrometer, but most commonly just
called calipers) are the most commonly used precision measuring tool
when it comes to bikes. Google images for vernier caliper. With
headsets, the most obvious way it's relevant is for checking
compatibilities, and they're also useful to see what something actually
measures in spite of what it's trying for. There are plenty of
measuring jobs where they're not necessary or not strictly necessary,
but they're definitely the best when seeing if a headtube is 30 or
30.2, or a crown race is 26.4 or 27, etc. Really calipers come into
play all the time and are worth having if you're into working on bikes.

There's quite a few other tools to add to the list if you want to do
*everything* yourself. The biggest question marks are the cutting tools
(headtube reamer facer/reamer, and crown race mill to a lesser extent),
which are very expensive. I'm not sure what the civilian rate is on
these but it would take quite a few uses out of them to have it make
more sense to buy them than have a shop do it. How necessary they are
is contentious and you'll hear different things, especially from the
wood-blocks'n'hammers contigent, but basically at least the
reamer/facer is necessary if you want to be able to install a headset
and know it's as good as it can be, and some frames you'll meet might
have actual problems with head tube facing, and sometimes you might
want to put a currently available ISO headset in a JIS frame (there's
not a lot of availability for JIS headsets), and nice new frames really
should have their headtubes faced, etc. There's plenty of situations
where just popping in the cups is fine, but if I'm messing with
someone's headset I always want to have access to these tools if need
be.

For doing overhauls on headsets that you know aren't having problems
with facing, you don't need these, nor do you need any of the cup/race
installation/removal tools.

For threaded headsets you'd also need headset wrenches, which come in
many sizes with 32 and 36 the most common.

Nate Knutson said:

jp_nyc said:

I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to invest in headset
tools so I can finally do all work on my bikes. I guess I'm the one
to answer that.

My quesion is, what tools will I need to do all headset work? I
checked the Park website, and this is what I came up with:

1. Head cup removal tool (RT-1)
2. Crown race puller (CRP-1)
3. Bearing press (HHP-2)
4. Crown race setting tool (CRS-1)

The Park website also mentions a measuring caliper. I'm not sure what
that is, or what I would need it for.

Hammer, hex wrenches, grease, etc I have. Am I missing something?
Some of these tools are pretty expensive. I'm open to alternative
suggestions, or tools I might do without.

Thanks.

Calipers ("measuring caliper" is a vague term, they're talking about a
vernier caliper, sometimes called a micrometer, but most commonly just
called calipers) are the most commonly used precision measuring tool
when it comes to bikes. Google images for vernier caliper.

To the OP:
Verniers are the best when it comes to bikes. Verniers can be mistreated
pretty heavily before they don't function correctly. Dial calipers can have
grungy gears and condensation in the dial, etc. Digital calipers are not
only generally junk, they're friggin electronic! Since when did rulers need
batteries?

Unless you have a visual impairment, vernier calipers are the only way to go
unless you're OCD and can keep your stuff in order.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

jp_nyc said:

I'm open to alternative
suggestions, or tools I might do without.

*Cyclus* headset tools are professional-quality and cheaper than Park's.
The head cup press and remover are most handy and a joy to use compared
with bodging without the proper tools. Even if no money is saved, it is
convenient not to have to wait or leave your bike at the shop to get a
headset fitted, and just satisfying to DIY (and to know that you could DIY
whenever necessary), like with everything else on the bike.

Not quite so difficult or inconvenient to deal with forks, so crown race
remover and setter could be left until another time if the budget is
tight.

~PB

So, last year I invested in an $80 set of tools (cyclus from BC /
renaissance cycles / banana_brain on ebay) to do all the headset work.
I have 20 bikes so it was worth my while.

Now, I can put the cool tool down a head tube and give it three whacks
and out pops the lower bearing cup, unharmed.

I _don't_ have a crown race remover - i still need to use a
screwdriver wrapped in electrical tape and gentle tapping for that.

A few days ago I pressed a headset back into my trek 500 frame. It
was so easy that I let my kids do it. When I got done, i reflected on
whether it was really worth the $80 when i could have down the same
thing for about $12 (long lag bolt, lots of washers, two nuts, and my
giant crescent wrench.)

I haven't had the opportunity to use the crown race installer
(basically the cup popping tool fits into a giant sheath that can fit
down over a steerer tube and tap on all sides of a crown race at
once, as long as the steerer isn't too big - 25" may be the limit..)

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

jp_nyc said:

I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to invest in headset tools
so I can finally do all work on my bikes. I guess I'm the one to answer
that.

My quesion is, what tools will I need to do all headset work? I checked
the Park website, and this is what I came up with:

1. Head cup removal tool (RT-1)
2. Crown race puller (CRP-1)
3. Bearing press (HHP-2)
4. Crown race setting tool (CRS-1)

The Park website also mentions a measuring caliper. I'm not sure what
that is, or what I would need it for.

Hammer, hex wrenches, grease, etc I have. Am I missing something? Some
of these tools are pretty expensive. I'm open to alternative
suggestions, or tools I might do without.

I've done several headset/fork installations on new frames and
replacements/swaps on old ones. I don't use tools other than basic hand
tools. No problems yet.

Peter, what basic tools do you use to install a crown race? A friend
and I are puzzling over this right now.

Ken

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jp_nyc said:

I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to invest in headset
tools
so I can finally do all work on my bikes. I guess I'm the one to
answer
that.

My quesion is, what tools will I need to do all headset work? I
checked
the Park website, and this is what I came up with:

1. Head cup removal tool (RT-1)
2. Crown race puller (CRP-1)
3. Bearing press (HHP-2)
4. Crown race setting tool (CRS-1)

The Park website also mentions a measuring caliper. I'm not sure
what
that is, or what I would need it for.

Hammer, hex wrenches, grease, etc I have. Am I missing something?
Some
of these tools are pretty expensive. I'm open to alternative
suggestions, or tools I might do without.

I've done several headset/fork installations on new frames and
replacements/swaps on old ones. I don't use tools other than basic
hand tools. No problems yet.

On 27 Mar 2006 00:45:15 -0800, [email hidden] (Donald Gillies)

Quoted message said:

A few days ago I pressed a headset back into my trek 500 frame. It
was so easy that I let my kids do it. When I got done, i reflected on
whether it was really worth the $80 when i could have down the same
thing for about $12 (long lag bolt, lots of washers, two nuts, and my
giant crescent wrench.

Bike Nashbar made a tool like the long bolt setup you describe and
sold it for about $20 for awhile -- worked fine for me. But I
recently got a bike-specific press. Haven't used it yet so I'm not
sure of any differences.

JT

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Road Man said:

Peter, what basic tools do you use to install a crown race? A friend
and I are puzzling over this right now.

A pipe of the proper size will work.

I'm curious about what basic hand tools are used to remove the cups
from the head tube.

JT

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John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Quoted message said:

A pipe of the proper size will work.

I'm curious about what basic hand tools are used to remove the cups
from the head tube.

A pipe of the proper size will work :-)

I use a soft round pipe, about 1" in diameter, with a flat edge.
Gently tap around the edges with a light hammer slowly moving the cups
down. The pipe should be softer than whatever the cups are made of.
For alloy cups, a piece of hardwood will do it.

If you are working on steel frames on bikes of less than Tour de
France quality, I think the "traditional" tools work just fine. Lets
face it, this is hardly a precision mechanism. When I work on engines
and the precision is measured in thousandths of a inch, I worry about
the "right" tools. When I work on headsets on bicycles, I think blocks
of wood, small hammers, and a light touch get the job done without any
danger (speaking of which, we use punches and blocks of wood when
working on press fit engine parts too :-)

MHO, but I'm a hack,
Bob

jp_nyc said:

I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to invest in headset tools
so I can finally do all work on my bikes. I guess I'm the one to answer
that.

My quesion is, what tools will I need to do all headset work? I checked
the Park website, and this is what I came up with:

1. Head cup removal tool (RT-1)
2. Crown race puller (CRP-1)
3. Bearing press (HHP-2)
4. Crown race setting tool (CRS-1)

The Park website also mentions a measuring caliper. I'm not sure what
that is, or what I would need it for.

Hammer, hex wrenches, grease, etc I have. Am I missing something? Some
of these tools are pretty expensive. I'm open to alternative
suggestions, or tools I might do without.

Thanks.

Specialty bicycle tools, even the Park ones(some are much more
expensive), can be expensive but if you want to have a bike shop in
your garage, so you can do any work, then get them. Probably don't
bneed the CRP-1 tho, if the race is steel, you can tap it off with a
punch. But if you do get it, need a vice to hold it.

Bob said:

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Quoted message said:

A pipe of the proper size will work.

I'm curious about what basic hand tools are used to remove the cups
from the head tube.

A pipe of the proper size will work :-)

I use a soft round pipe, about 1" in diameter, with a flat edge.
Gently tap around the edges with a light hammer slowly moving the cups
down. The pipe should be softer than whatever the cups are made of.
For alloy cups, a piece of hardwood will do it.

I don't understand. Is the pipe relatively small and are you sort of
tapping the pipe at an angle -- that is not parallel to the head tube?

JT

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John Forrest Tomlinson said:

I don't understand. Is the pipe relatively small and are you sort of
tapping the pipe at an angle -- that is not parallel to the head tube?

JT

The pipe is reactively large so that the curve of the pipe contacts a
larger amount of the cup inner lip. The "ideal" arrangement would be a
pipe that has an OD the size of the ID of the head tube so that you
get full contact on the entire race lip - but since there are often
bits things that project into the head tube and the "other" cup to
deal with, the pipe has to be smaller. Go slow, tap light, you don't
need much force. a copper pipe is nice for steel parts.

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

If you're not planning on re-using the crown race, a drift punch and
hammer work OK on a lot of forks (all?). Sometimes you probably could
even re-use the race after removing it in this way.

I've been getting by for 15 years doing it this way. I've never damaged
a headset. Of course, in that time, I've probably only
installed/removed 10 headsets -- not a high wear item.

I just get a really big 3/8" slotted screwdriver and tap it with a
rubber mallet. For the frame races, I install them by holding a small
section of scrap 1x4 pine flat against the race, and gently tap it with
a rubber mallet.

One disclaimer is that all my bikes are steel. Some aluminum steerers
though (no problems with those).

-Mike

And also, a lot of your repliers are overlooking that some fork/race
combinations (suspension forks in probably nearly all examples) gives
you zero overhang of the race for a punch.

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Mike Reed said:

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

If you're not planning on re-using the crown race, a drift punch and
hammer work OK on a lot of forks (all?). Sometimes you probably could
even re-use the race after removing it in this way.

I've been getting by for 15 years doing it this way. I've never damaged
a headset. Of course, in that time, I've probably only
installed/removed 10 headsets -- not a high wear item.

I just get a really big 3/8" slotted screwdriver and tap it with a
rubber mallet. For the frame races, I install them by holding a small
section of scrap 1x4 pine flat against the race, and gently tap it with
a rubber mallet.

One disclaimer is that all my bikes are steel. Some aluminum steerers
though (no problems with those).

Nobody has mentioned dead blow hammers and mallets. First
time I swung it I said `Where have you been all my life?'
Tailor made for persuading precision parts. Here is a
commercial site with a cut away picture

<http://www.wihatools.com/802serie.htm>

--
Michael Press

Michael Press said:

Nobody has mentioned dead blow hammers and mallets. First
time I swung it I said `Where have you been all my life?'
Tailor made for persuading precision parts. Here is a
commercial site with a cut away picture

I've been meaning to pick one of those up for a looong time. I still
have some allowance left this month...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

jp_nyc said:

I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to invest in headset
tools

-snip-

Quoted message said:

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I've done several headset/fork installations on new frames and
replacements/swaps on old ones. I don't use tools other than basic
hand tools. No problems yet.

Road Man said:

Peter, what basic tools do you use to install a crown
race? A friend
and I are puzzling over this right now.

A piece of pipe. It can have a Campagnolo logo, a Bringheli
sticker, a Var bronze liner or it can just be a foot of
water pipe from a hardware store.
For aluminum seats, use the proprietary adapter or a piece
of scrap headset or similar to avoid gouging the surface.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971