fitting a headset without proper tools

How hard is it to bang in a headset with a block of wood and a big mallet (or similar)

If this is a really bad idea than for the sake of a tenner I’ll just let the LBS do it.

Depends how competent a mechanic you are. If you’re able it’s easy and rarely causes any issues. If not….

mallet and block of work can work. So can a big g-clamp. but if you’re likely to do more than 4 headsets in your life (at a tenner a go), get a Cyclus headset press for £35.

it’ll either work a treat or wreck the frame.

I had a threaded rod and washers thing that cost a fiver for a few years but recently bought a proper press for £40. Both work fine but the proper tool is a lot easier – the hammer and block of wood thing always felt a bit risky for me.

you already have the proper tools for the job 😀

How much is the frame worth to you?

How bad would you feel if you wrecked it?

Out of interest, has anyone actually ever wrecked a frame doing this themselves – not mate of a brother’s wife’s sister in law’s cousin once removed heard a story… 😉

I use the wood and hammer, never a problem just take it easy and make sure you go in straight and don’t clump it too hard until it’s most of the way in don’t forget to grease it.

zero risk IMHO.
If the top of your headtube cannot take a gentle tap with a mallett then tbh I would rather know before riding it than after.

yes split the headtube on nice orange alloy frame with hammer and wood – gutted

having said that i succsfully put one in on a marin ally frame 3 yrs later – using thread and bolt and then a hammer

I just installed a headset this morning with two bits of oak and some threaded bar. Ive done it with a workshop persuader in the past too.

The headtube in some boiling water and the headset in the freezer for a while, dab of copperslip, and it shouldnt be that difficult.

fish wife – Member
yes split the headtube on nice orange alloy frame with hammer and wood – gutted

So it is possible 🙂 I’d love to see how far off straight you did it 🙂 As I said, competent mechanic or…

point of order he did not break his headtube he ragleyed it

Headset cups in the freezer

Best bit of bike advice I ever heard, depending on your frame you’ll be able to almost get them in by hand after that.

ragleyed it

One for the urbandictionary 😉

Spending £10 to put a bit on a frame that probably cost hundreds is cost effective.

I spent out on a Cyclus installer – brilliant tool. Headsets go in in seconds, silky smooth. Bashing with hammer and wood would make me nervous.

I can get bits machined ,so I always use alloy inserts that are the exact size for the cups.
Then a threaded rod and washers on the outside.

In the past I have had some alloy cups that were quite delicate on the edge ,so I was never in to whacking things with lumps of wood.

Oh , and +1 for cups in the freezer 🙂

I’ve belted a few in in the past but a reducer headset for my mmmbop I had a right ‘mare getting in (the headtube was fine BTW)
Steel frame = hammer, ally frame maybe, carbon and or expensive frame nope.
Freezer/boiling water will try that next time.

Yeah I don’t think I’ve ever fitted a headset “properly”! I always just bang it in with a rubber mallet.

Cups in the freezer is a great idea. Head tube in boiling water I’d be nervous about. Its gonna confuse the structure of the material and one way that could go is turning it to jelly (not actual). keeping it in the house or in the sun for a while should have the same results.

Its gonna confuse the structure of the material

go on…..

A 6″ G-clamp and a coupel of bits of wood worked perfectly for me.

Got the clamp in Aldi for about three quid

Its gonna confuse the structure of the material

*insert comment about American Steel frames having less irony in them than British ones here*

Threaded bar, nuts and some large washers cost very little, and are a lot safer than using a hammer. Works for me.

I’ve done it before with hammer + wood, but the threaded bolt/washers seems good – just quick question though, do you install both cups at the same time, or do one side then the other?

I do one then the other. If you’re using flat bits of wood you need to concentrate on keeping the plane of the surface parallell with the plane of the headtube face. With two cups at once youd need another pair of hands.

A proper press has profile heads which centre the cups.

Thought so, thanks.

I used to use a Black and Decker workmate when fitting headsets to BMX’s, seemed to work a treat, though it was a bit awkward. 😆

Well I got the cups in using a mallet and wait for it…

A wooden chopping board 😀

Tapped the cup in the bottom cup in a little way and then placed it cup down on the chopping board and whacked the other sie of the tube. Just checked it was going straight after each whack. Turned the frame over and did the top cup.

Quality bodging! Oh and don’t tell the wife 😉

Hammer is only “unsafe” if you’re a hamfisted bodger. And to be fair, lots of people are, and it’s right enough that they shouldn’t do it, even if they don’t ovalise the headtube they’ll probably hit themselves in the face with the hammer.

But for everyone else, it’s absolutely fine. I’ve found headsets that I couldn’t fit with my headset tool (Works Components, On One Smoothie) but I’ve never found one I couldn’t rubber mallet.

I like one of the ‘quick clamp’ type clamps that have a couple of handles that you squeeze together. They’re not quite strong enough to pull the headset all the way in but then a quick tap with a rubber mallet and the headset pops all the way it. The nice thing about using a clamp is that it is slow and you can see if you are putting it in squint and do something about it

‘workshop persuader’ may have to get marked on several tools now 🙂

Home build rite of passage.

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Scandal Bike Build[/url] by fantasticmrmatt[/url], on Flickr

32mm waste pipe is also very good at seating the Crown race

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Scandal Bike Build[/url] by fantasticmrmatt[/url], on Flickr