is reaming really necessary?

[[email protected]]

I often notice that people buy a new headset and fork which I suppose
they fit themselves.When I read about how to do this I just back off ,
feeling inadequate again.
Is it actually as easy as getting the new fork and slapping the headset
on it and the headtube, or is it to be expected that special tools will
be involved.
If this is the case I shall ask the lbs to do it because I should not
approach my frame with a sharp implement, not after the last time.
TerryJ

 

[Jon Senior]

[email protected] wrote:
> I often notice that people buy a new headset and fork which I suppose
> they fit themselves.When I read about how to do this I just back off ,
> feeling inadequate again.
> Is it actually as easy as getting the new fork and slapping the headset
> on it and the headtube, or is it to be expected that special tools will
> be involved.
> If this is the case I shall ask the lbs to do it because I should not
> approach my frame with a sharp implement, not after the last time.

Headsets... Grrr.

With a modern bike, swapping the headset is not a particularly difficult
thing to do, and if the frame was set up properly in the first place no
cutters are necessary.

If you have an old frame which uses JIS standard 1" instead of ISO
standard 1", you need a reamer and facer, and a crown face cutter[1].

A headset press is a good thing to put the cups in, but a soft-faced
mallet and a piece of wood make a poor man's substitute. Old cups can be
removed with a the same mallet and a flat head screwdriver. Don't rely
on your LBS actually having the tools to do the full job. Only two that
I'm aware of in Edinburgh actually own a reamer and facer (I've brought
the total in the city up to three!).

Jon

[1] Next tool on the shopping list after this evening's discovery that
it is not possible to "convince" a 26.4mm crown race to play with a
27.0mm crown! That'll be a trip to EBC tomorrow lunch time.

 

[Jon Senior]

[email protected] wrote:
> I often notice that people buy a new headset and fork which I suppose
> they fit themselves.When I read about how to do this I just back off ,
> feeling inadequate again.
> Is it actually as easy as getting the new fork and slapping the headset
> on it and the headtube, or is it to be expected that special tools will
> be involved.
> If this is the case I shall ask the lbs to do it because I should not
> approach my frame with a sharp implement, not after the last time.

Headsets... Grrr.

With a modern bike, swapping the headset is not a particularly difficult
thing to do, and if the frame was set up properly in the first place no
cutters are necessary.

If you have an old frame which uses JIS standard 1" instead of ISO
standard 1", you need a reamer and facer, and a crown face cutter[1].

A headset press is a good thing to put the cups in, but a soft-faced
mallet and a piece of wood make a poor man's substitute. Old cups can be
removed with a the same mallet and a flat head screwdriver. Don't rely
on your LBS actually having the tools to do the full job. Only two that
I'm aware of in Edinburgh actually own a reamer and facer (I've brought
the total in the city up to three!).

Jon

[1] Next tool on the shopping list after this evening's discovery that
it is not possible to "convince" a 26.4mm crown race to play with a
27.0mm crown! That'll be a trip to EBC tomorrow lunch time.

 

[David Martin]

Jon Senior wrote:

>
> [1] Next tool on the shopping list after this evening's discovery that
> it is not possible to "convince" a 26.4mm crown race to play with a
> 27.0mm crown! That'll be a trip to EBC tomorrow lunch time.

Are you sure it is a 27.0 and not a 26.5 (french size)? My road bike has
a 26.5 and it broke the 26.4 I put on it in fairly short order. I
replaced it with the 26.5 and it is now happy in the extreme.

...d

 

[David Martin]

Jon Senior wrote:

>
> [1] Next tool on the shopping list after this evening's discovery that
> it is not possible to "convince" a 26.4mm crown race to play with a
> 27.0mm crown! That'll be a trip to EBC tomorrow lunch time.

Are you sure it is a 27.0 and not a 26.5 (french size)? My road bike has
a 26.5 and it broke the 26.4 I put on it in fairly short order. I
replaced it with the 26.5 and it is now happy in the extreme.

...d

 

[Jon Senior]

David Martin wrote:
> Are you sure it is a 27.0 and not a 26.5 (french size)? My road bike has
> a 26.5 and it broke the 26.4 I put on it in fairly short order. I
> replaced it with the 26.5 and it is now happy in the extreme.

Very much so. It wasn't even possible to get a 26.4 on to it, let alone
with the fear of breaking it. And the head tube was reamed to take
30.0mm cups.

A quick trip to EBC at lunch tomorrow should solve it. Then I can
happily put the fixer back together.

It will have a new sprocket & chain, new headset and new bottom bracket
since the steering was indexed, the bottom bracket made grinding noises
and the sprocket had splayed under the pressure exerted by an uncentred
chainring (Which is another task for tomorrow).

Jon

 

[Pete Biggs]

[email protected] wrote:
> I often notice that people buy a new headset and fork which I suppose
> they fit themselves.When I read about how to do this I just back off ,
> feeling inadequate again.
> Is it actually as easy as getting the new fork and slapping the
> headset on it and the headtube, or is it to be expected that special
> tools will be involved.
> If this is the case I shall ask the lbs to do it because I should not
> approach my frame with a sharp implement, not after the last time.

The bodges don't work well when the cups happen to be a tight fit for the
frame. It is sooooo much easier with a proper press.

Reaming and facing isn't usually necessary, though.

~PB

 

[spademan o---[\) *]

"Pete Biggs" <pwrinkledgrape{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:
> > I often notice that people buy a new headset and fork which I suppose
> > they fit themselves.When I read about how to do this I just back off ,
> > feeling inadequate again.
> > Is it actually as easy as getting the new fork and slapping the
> > headset on it and the headtube, or is it to be expected that special
> > tools will be involved.
> > If this is the case I shall ask the lbs to do it because I should not
> > approach my frame with a sharp implement, not after the last time.
>
> The bodges don't work well when the cups happen to be a tight fit for the
> frame. It is sooooo much easier with a proper press.

And you can make your own very cheaply with a piece of threaded rod, some
nuts and washers.

Steve.

 

[Paul - xxx]

[email protected] composed the following;:
> I often notice that people buy a new headset and fork which I suppose
> they fit themselves.When I read about how to do this I just back off ,
> feeling inadequate again.
> Is it actually as easy as getting the new fork and slapping the
> headset on it and the headtube,

It can be .. So long as the frame is good already, re-facing isn't
strictly necessary. I've swapped forks and head races three times on
one bike with a good quality steel frame and had absolutely no bother,
but I did fit a good quality Cane Creek Aheadset.

> or is it to be expected that special tools will be involved.

There _is_ the chance that things can go wrong, though, and this is
where good tools, a decent workshop, and some confidence might help.

> If this is the case I shall ask the lbs to do it because I should not
> approach my frame with a sharp implement, not after the last time.

Sounds like a good idea. If you're a little hesitant, just when you
need to be firm, then that's when mis-aligned cups start to happen ..

--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
(8(!) Homer Rules ...
"A ****** is a ******, no matter what mode of transport they're using."

 

[Pete Biggs]

spademan o---[) * wrote:

>> The bodges don't work well when the cups happen to be a tight fit
>> for the frame. It is sooooo much easier with a proper press.
>
> And you can make your own very cheaply with a piece of threaded rod,
> some nuts and washers.

That's better than mallet & block of wood but still nothing like as good
as a *proper* press.

~PB

 

[David Martin]

On 19/1/05 3:15 pm, in article [email protected], "Pete Biggs"
<pwrinkledgrape{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote:

> spademan o---[) * wrote:
>
>>> The bodges don't work well when the cups happen to be a tight fit
>>> for the frame. It is sooooo much easier with a proper press.
>>
>> And you can make your own very cheaply with a piece of threaded rod,
>> some nuts and washers.
>
> That's better than mallet & block of wood but still nothing like as good
> as a *proper* press.

Mallet, block of wood, and a threaded rod, washers and nuts..

works for me (after sanding the paint off the inside of the head tube.)

Facing the head tube shouldn't need to be done more than once unless it has
been seriously maltreated.

...d

 

[Pete Biggs]

David Martin wrote:

> Mallet, block of wood, and a threaded rod, washers and nuts..
>
> works for me (after sanding the paint off the inside of the head
> tube.)

Depends on frame & headset, diameters do vary slightly. Threaded rod
method was awful last time I tried it. Cyclus press costs about thirty
quid.

~PB

 

[Eatmorepies]

> Headsets... Grrr.
>
> With a modern bike, swapping the headset is not a particularly difficult
> thing to do, and if the frame was set up properly in the first place no
> cutters are necessary.
>
> If you have an old frame which uses JIS standard 1" instead of ISO
> standard 1", you need a reamer and facer, and a crown face cutter[1].
>
> A headset press is a good thing to put the cups in, but a soft-faced
> mallet and a piece of wood make a poor man's substitute. Old cups can be
> removed with a the same mallet and a flat head screwdriver. Don't rely
> on your LBS actually having the tools to do the full job. Only two that
> I'm aware of in Edinburgh actually own a reamer and facer (I've brought
> the total in the city up to three!).
>

Are these road frames? I've swapped plenty of headsets on mountain bike
frames using the mallet and wooden block method - never a problem. The
bearing seats are aluminium so they bash in quite easily - if I ever did
have a problem with tightness I would try freezing the bearing seats before
fitting.

John

 

[Jon Senior]

Eatmorepies wrote:
> Are these road frames? I've swapped plenty of headsets on mountain bike
> frames using the mallet and wooden block method - never a problem. The
> bearing seats are aluminium so they bash in quite easily - if I ever did
> have a problem with tightness I would try freezing the bearing seats before
> fitting.

Old Skool! These are 1" threaded headsets. They came in two (three if
you count the old French one) standards. One (JIS) had a cup OD of
30.0mm and a crown race ID of 27.0mm. The other (ISO) had a cup OD of
30.2mm (IIRC) and a crown race ID of 26.4mm. On a press fit these
differences can be significant.

The otehr major problem is stack height (As I discovered today!). I
thought that the 105 headset had the same stack height as the original
one, but the old one was apparently 5mm smaller. Consequently, I can't
fit the lock washer or locking nut!

I now have a replacement fork (From the Bike Station again!), but this
will not be usable until I've had it cut to 26.4mm. Time to invest in a
crown race cutter methinks... tool collection increases[1].

Jon

[1] When I do get one, if anyone in the Edinburgh area wants their
headset upgrading, let me know as it's a shame to own such tools and not
use them!