Head Set Fork Crown Race



N

Neil Smith

Guest
Dear All,
I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
the fork that would seem to require this.
Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the race. I
of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size. I am trying to
install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531 fork.
Thanks,
Neil
 
There is the additional question of have I got the write part. It is a +20
year old fork. Should the race slide on, onto the ridge or is it normal for
it to be taped?
"Neil Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Dear All,
> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
> tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
> the fork that would seem to require this.
> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the race. I
> of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size. I am trying
> to install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531 fork.
> Thanks,
> Neil
>
 
Neil Smith wrote:
> Dear All,
> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
> tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
> the fork that would seem to require this.
> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the race. I
> of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size. I am trying to
> install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531 fork.

When I replace the forks on one of my bikes last year, I tapped the race
off the fork with a hammer and a piece of metal, and then tapped it
onto the new fork in a similar way, making sure I did not hammer the bit
the bearings roll on.
 
On 14/11/2007 18:21, Neil Smith said,
> There is the additional question of have I got the write part. It is a +20
> year old fork. Should the race slide on, onto the ridge or is it normal for
> it to be taped?

Taped? The crown race should be a tight fit, hence the need of a tube
to fit it. You do need to make sure you have the right headset as there
are a few sizes for the crown race. Talking of fitting, you can do it
without a tube. I use an old blunt screwdriver and tap it down with a
hammer, gradually working my way around so that the race doesn't tip.
Needless to say, you don't hit the bearing surface. This isn't ideal,
but it does work so long as you're very careful and take your time.
You'll know when it's seated fully and squarely because the sound will
change.

If you use this method, after fitting the forks to the frame and
everything tightened down, make sure that the forks steer smoothly all
the way with no tight spots. If you have a tight spot, something isn't
square.

Or just get your LBS to do it :)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/
 
Neil Smith wrote:
> Dear All,
> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube
> shaped tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is
> a ridge on the fork that would seem to require this.
> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the
> race. I of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size.
> I am trying to install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531
> fork.

If you have a crown race from an old headset (preferably a chunky steel
one), you could try putting that on top of the new crown race and tapping it
with a screwdriver and hammer. Upside down might help.

~PB
 
Neil Smith wrote:
> There is the additional question of have I got the write part. It is
> a +20 year old fork. Should the race slide on, onto the ridge or is
> it normal for it to be taped?

It's normal for there to be some resistance and tapping required.

Note that crown races come in different sizes, even for 1 inch headsets, so
you might have the wrong one for your forks if it seems impossible to fit.

~PB
 
Thanks Pete, that seems a very practical suggestion - if I have the right
headset! How do I determine that?
"Pete Biggs" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> Neil Smith wrote:
>> Dear All,
>> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube
>> shaped tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is
>> a ridge on the fork that would seem to require this.
>> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the
>> race. I of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size.
>> I am trying to install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531
>> fork.
>
> If you have a crown race from an old headset (preferably a chunky steel
> one), you could try putting that on top of the new crown race and tapping
> it with a screwdriver and hammer. Upside down might help.
>
> ~PB
>
 
Neil Smith wrote:


>"Pete Biggs" <[email protected]> wrote in
>message news:[email protected]...
>> Neil Smith wrote:
>>> Dear All,
>>> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube
>>> shaped tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is
>>> a ridge on the fork that would seem to require this.
>>> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the
>>> race. I of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size.
>>> I am trying to install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531
>>> fork.
>>
>> If you have a crown race from an old headset (preferably a chunky steel
>> one), you could try putting that on top of the new crown race and tapping
>> it with a screwdriver and hammer. Upside down might help.

>Thanks Pete, that seems a very practical suggestion - if I have the right
>headset! How do I determine that?

When you've got the old race off compare it with the new one.

Alternatively have a look here
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-headsets.html


--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
 
Neil Smith wrote:
> Thanks Pete, that seems a very practical suggestion - if I have the
> right headset! How do I determine that?

Have a go with anything you've got and hope for the best

or

Take measurements and refer to www.sheldonbrown.com/headsets.html

~PB
 
The crib sheets suggests 26.4mm. The information provided on the shimano web
site is not clear but suggest that the part is comaptible with either 26.4mm
or 27mm. But without special equipment how to you measure this?
http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/media/t...-7410-6500/78A0B_EN_v1_m56577569830605230.PDF
Thanks
"Phil Cook" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Neil Smith wrote:
>
>
>>"Pete Biggs" <[email protected]> wrote in
>>message news:[email protected]...
>>> Neil Smith wrote:
>>>> Dear All,
>>>> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube
>>>> shaped tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is
>>>> a ridge on the fork that would seem to require this.
>>>> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the
>>>> race. I of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size.
>>>> I am trying to install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531
>>>> fork.
>>>
>>> If you have a crown race from an old headset (preferably a chunky steel
>>> one), you could try putting that on top of the new crown race and
>>> tapping
>>> it with a screwdriver and hammer. Upside down might help.
>
>>Thanks Pete, that seems a very practical suggestion - if I have the right
>>headset! How do I determine that?
>
> When you've got the old race off compare it with the new one.
>
> Alternatively have a look here
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-headsets.html
>
>
> --
> Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
 
Neil Smith wrote:
> Dear All,
> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
> tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
> the fork that would seem to require this.
> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the race. I
> of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size. I am trying to
> install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531 fork.

I recently bashed a crown race into place with a mallet and a piece of
plastic waste pipe. I happened to have the pipe lying around but they
only cost a couple of quid anyway. It fitted very nicely and I felt
that the plastic was less likely to scratch or dent anything than a
screwdriver or similar.
 
In news:ce1f1652-7b52-496d-b277-66ed8ea6b2d7@c29g2000hsa.googlegroups.com,
POHB <[email protected]> tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us:

> I recently bashed a crown race into place with a mallet and a piece of
> plastic waste pipe. I happened to have the pipe lying around but they
> only cost a couple of quid anyway. It fitted very nicely and I felt
> that the plastic was less likely to scratch or dent anything than a
> screwdriver or similar.


I have the barrel of an old track pump to perform this function. Only
problem is that it won't work with these new-fangled 1 1/4" steerers :-(

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
Three blind mice, see how they run. Is this /really/ the best
way to test shampoo?
 
In article <[email protected]>, Neil Smith
[email protected] says...
> The crib sheets suggests 26.4mm. The information provided on the shimano web
> site is not clear but suggest that the part is comaptible with either 26.4mm
> or 27mm. But without special equipment how to you measure this?
>

You really need a vernier caliper to measure it. If your fork crown
race seat is 26.4 and the headset only comes in 26.4 and 27.0 you don't
need to measure it anyway because 27.0 will be a loose fit and 26.4
won't quite go on by hand. However there are a few forks out there with
odd sized seats, so don't force it if it doesn't want to go on with
gentle persuasion - just gently tap it down with a small hammer,
alternating between the front and back. Be careful it doesn't go far
askew as this can burr the fork or crack the race.
 
Quoting Neil Smith <[email protected]>:
>I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
>tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
>the fork that would seem to require this.

SJS Cycles do a headset press which is merely moderately expensive, if you
are the sort of person who is excited by the mere fact of owning tools. I
am.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!
Today is First Monday, November.
 
David Damerell wrote:
> Quoting Neil Smith <[email protected]>:
>> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube
>> shaped tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There
>> is a ridge on the fork that would seem to require this.
>
> SJS Cycles do a headset press which is merely moderately expensive,
> if you are the sort of person who is excited by the mere fact of
> owning tools. I am.

Cyclus headset tools are releatively inexpensive, but still it adds up to a
fortune if you want the whole set. There's one to press the head cups, one
to remove them, one to fit the crown race, one to remove it.

I recommend the press at least because a) it's really nice to use, b) it's
sometimes too difficult to bodge without a proper tool without causing
damage, especially with tight-fitting alloy cups.

~PB
 
In article <Tth*[email protected]>, David Damerell
[email protected] says...
> Quoting Neil Smith <[email protected]>:
> >I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
> >tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
> >the fork that would seem to require this.
>
> SJS Cycles do a headset press which is merely moderately expensive, if you
> are the sort of person who is excited by the mere fact of owning tools. I
> am.
>
Not much use for fitting the crown race though.
 
Quoting Rob Morley <[email protected]>:
>[email protected] says...
>>Quoting Neil Smith <[email protected]>:
>>>I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
>>>tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
>>>the fork that would seem to require this.
>>SJS Cycles do a headset press which is merely moderately expensive, if you
>>are the sort of person who is excited by the mere fact of owning tools. I
>>am.
>Not much use for fitting the crown race though.

Oh, yes. Whoops. Well, he'll need a headset press _next_.

I must admit for crown races I'm quite happy just to make the tube shaped
tool be a suitably shaped tube.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Kill the tomato!
Today is First Tuesday, November.
 
in message <[email protected]>, Neil Smith
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Dear All,
> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
> tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
> the fork that would seem to require this.
> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the race.
> I of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size. I am
> trying to
> install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531 fork.

A headset I installed recently - an Alpina, which was supplied with a Dolan
frame - has a split seaty-bit-that-goes-on-the-forks, and so could be
installed without special tools. I don't know how common this is now but
it's a jolly good idea, in my opinion.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Due to financial constraints, the light at the end of the tunnel
has been switched off.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Simon
Brooke
[email protected] says...

> A headset I installed recently - an Alpina, which was supplied with a Dolan
> frame - has a split seaty-bit-that-goes-on-the-forks, and so could be
> installed without special tools. I don't know how common this is now but
> it's a jolly good idea, in my opinion.
>
I had an Ultegra headset like that once - unfortunately it wasn't
supposed to be split. :)
 
The problem was that the fork was JIS 27mm and the race was 26.4mm. Phoned
the supplier who sent out a replacement for 99p. Shame the shimano
documentation is so ambiguous.
"Neil Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Dear All,
> I need to install a new head set. Apparently I need a special tube shaped
> tool to tap the headset's fork crown race into place. There is a ridge on
> the fork that would seem to require this.
> Is it possible to do this without a tool and with out damaging the race. I
> of course do not have access to any metal tubes of any size. I am trying
> to install a shimano 105 HD onto an old Reynolds 531 fork.
> Thanks,
> Neil
>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
FS: New Shimano Deore XT head set
Replies
0
Views
504
UK and Europe
Ian
I
Q
Charity Bike ride from London to Wales- St David's Head
Replies
2
Views
1K
UK and Europe
QFoundation
Q
P
[light hearted] Hitherto unreported head-covering issues
Replies
5
Views
366
UK and Europe
burtthebike
B
D
Head torches
Replies
34
Views
830
UK and Europe
dabac
dabac
P
See-behind-your-head-a-scope
Replies
4
Views
819
UK and Europe
tam
T
Top Bottom Back