Nearing completion on my first build and have a cheap campy recessed threadless headset on the way. The guy on shiftless bastards used a bunch of fancy tools to install a headset but said it could be done with more agricultural tools. Is it easier to install a threadless headset? any tips?
you can use some timber and a hammer, <a href=“http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/09/29/homemade-headset-installation-tools/”>you could also make your own tool.</a>
I take mine to the LBS, it doesn’t take long and and shouldn’t cost much.
as far as I can tell, you need some sort of spike and a hammer to get the old headset out, but after that don’t really need tools.
A long flat head screw dirver (perhaps one you don’t car too much for) will generally get the cups out in a pinch.
Put the screw driver through the head tube and rest it on the top lip of the bottom cup and give the top of the screw driver a whack. Try to do it in small steps moving your way around the cup and trying to keep it coming out as evenly as possible. Flip the frame over and repeat the process for the top cup.
ooooorr, grab a grinder with a cutting disc, 30cm length of 20mm steel pipe, slot 1 end about 10cm on both sides and flare the 2 halves for a cheapy cup extractor.
Jeremy
You can make a cup remover from a piece of pvc or steel pipe that you cut slots into and flare out. Or you can very carefully use a wide flat head screwdriver and tap, tap, tap around the cup to drive it out. Not such a good idea on alloy cups, or if it’s a tight fit. Go slowly, work your way around the cup.
The DIY headset press is easy and cheap, it’s simply threaded rod, washers & nuts.
If you care about your headset / frame, do as mckenny does and go to your LBS.
The one thing you seem to have forgotten here is your crown race. You will need a crown race remover & especially an installer to do it properly, and you should also ream/face your fork and headtube at the same time.
is that all i should ream?
What you do in your own time is your business brendan.
Slow Friday?
haha post of the day!
but if you do it carefully, can’t you use the same hammer/flathead combo to get the crown race out?
kids are out at the gym.
Yes, but, the crown race and bottom cup take a majority of the force associated with a headset and as such should be installed as parallel as possible. You will also find it hard to install the crown race without scoring the bearing face sans the correct tool.
Again in a pinch cut an appropriate size hole in a piece of soft wood to rest on the crown race, grab a larger piece of steel pipe and use it to drive the race on.
Before this, check that the crown race is the correct size for your fork as there are a few different sizes in threadless world and you’ll either split the race or it will be too lose, a set of calipers helps immensely.
Jeremy