Home made tool for installing crown race?

Hi all.

I have generally always used split race headsets so installing the crown race is easy. Before that I used the gentle application of a screwdriver and a mallet.
However I have a fancy headset I don’t want to damage which doesn’t have a split race.
Crown race installation tools are comedy expensive so I was thinking of using some waste water pipe. Would 32mm size work ok on a 1.1/8th steerer?
Any experiences or other gentle methods to use?

32mm waste is fine.

I tend to wrap the top in gaffer tape to stop it splitting when it’s hit with the hammer.

I’d split the crown race. Its just easier all round.

but yes a suitable length of plastic pipe works.

There are some who would advocate splitting the race yourself with a hacksaw.

I always split the crown race (unless of course it’s a loose bearing headset…). Never had an issue.

See what i mean…crossed in the post

Although it scares me to death thinking about doing it I think splitting the race may be the way forward. It’s a Token Tiramic headset with lovely sealed bearings so should be fine. Getting the old crown race off my pikes wasn’t much fun so avoiding havig to do that ever again would be a bonus.

Thanks all!

I used a bit of wood with a hole cored in it the size of the crown race and a rubber mallet.

Is this it?

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/headset/product/review-token-tiramic-10073

It has a split race in the picture…

I bought a crown race tool from Wiggle for not too much cash.

It’s one of those things that is such a pain when you don’t have one that I got sick of bodging it that I just stumped up for one.

That’s the one (mine is gold!) but mine isn’t a split race. Weird.

I got mine second hand, never been taken out of packet. Was waiting for the OEm one to wear out which is has now done. Mine might be an earlier one with no split race? I suppose it shows its ok to do it though. 🙂

exactly…

Just slide it on with a bit of grease. Then assemble stem etc as normal on the bike. Then tighten up the top cap this will push the bearing race down into place. I have used this technique loads and it works fine and requires no special tools.

Hope headsets come with a ready-split crown race. Sorted.

B r – 🙄

So instead of using the brand new headset I have you are suggested I go out and buy a completely different one? Awesome advice there.

I’d just cut it- done this to plenty of others. (including my Hope, which didn’t come with a split ring for some reason) Think the only reason not to is with weird/oversized ones, like the On One smoothie adaptor or a King steerer-scorer.

I use a piece of softwood batten and a hammer – keep tapping it all around until it is home.

Splitting them means they are no longer sealed. Obviously if they have rubber seals, it is a very bad idea (Cane Creak 110 and others?). And I get fed up having to change headset bearings.

Personally I think it is much better to get the right too and a length of pipe (alu scaffold for 1.5″) and do it properly, it is a 1 minute job.

I used a bit of wood with a hole cored in it the size of the crown race and a rubber mallet.

This. A short length of 4×2 seems perfect.

Vacuum cleaner tube.

nikk – Member

Splitting them means they are no longer sealed. Obviously if they have rubber seals, it is a very bad idea

Perfectly possible to split the race without cutting the seal!

I tend to use an old mudguard, the clamp for the seatpost over the steerer tube and hit it with a hammer, the mudguard’s plastic so does damage the race.

If the seal is on the race?

And then the cut would negate the seal?

Also a split seal is weak, a whole one is strong. Splitting it puts all kinds of different stresses on your steerer, allowing movement where you really want things to be solid.

Surely it is more work cutting the blooming race than just hammering home the race correctly?

I mean, it is a 1 minute job that is dead easy, especially with the right tools. Why make it more complicated and bodge it in the process? I don’t understand.

what rubbish

Also a split seal is weak, a whole one is strong. Splitting it puts all kinds of different stresses on your steerer, allowing movement where you really want things to be solid.

I assume you mean a split crown rather than split seal.

Seals are VERY rarely part of the crown race (at least ones that can’t be removed from it and refitted) so cutting the crown race is a non-issue for that.

Splitting works just fine. In theory, maybe it means some slightly different stresses and potential movement. In reality it works just fine and I’ve never seen damage resulting from it.

OTOH, having worked in a shop for a while, I saw a few damaged steerers where people had struggled to get a tight crown race to seat properly…

well I really went for the bodge job. Found that the fork steerer fitted exactly into seat tube of old bike frame that’s ready and waiting for the skip.

So crown race on forks, then slamming it down onto seat tube of old frame, meant equal pressure all way round and fitted perfectly after a couple of bangs.

Excellent point, well made, and so polite to! What a nice chap.

Yeh 🙂

Seals are VERY rarely part of the crown race (at least ones that can’t be removed from it and refitted) so cutting the crown race is a non-issue for that.

But if the race or cup has seals, then splitting the race negates the seal and allows dirt / water etc in.

Splitting works just fine. In theory, maybe it means some slightly different stresses and potential movement. In reality it works just fine and I’ve never seen damage resulting from it.

Fair enough, but I still feel it is a bodge.

OTOH, having worked in a shop for a while, I saw a few damaged steerers where people had struggled to get a tight crown race to seat properly…

Wrong tools + ineptitude + impatience = broken bits 🙂

Wrong tools + ineptitude + impatience = broken bits

Agreed – Hammering a crown race on is a simple enough job most of the time but IME, splitting is even easier and IMO puts less stress on the steerer (particularly when fitting). Mind you I have seen a mechanical numpty wreck a crown race splitting it too 🙂

I’m not convinced that the split really makes any quantifiable difference to sealing either. I do know an anal type who uses a blob of bathroom silicone sealant to fill the gap though 🙂

And I don’t see it as a bodge given that plenty of headset crown races are supplied that way.

If I’d just shelled out on a nice new headset I’m not sure I’d bodge installing it…and believe me I’ve done some stupid bodges in the past. Still get grief for bodging my rear mech with a picture hook the day before a race. It didn’t work.

On the of-chance that you’re based in North London you can borrow crown race tool.

Plastic waste pipe works very nicely.

Somewhat randomly, my axle stand fits a 1.5 race almost perfectly.

nikk – Member

If the seal is on the race?

Yes. Cut metal part, leave seal intact, function isn’t affected.

The tube from a big cling film works well.

I used some plastic plumbing pipe and a rubber mallet worked well.

So instead of using the brand new headset I have you are suggested I go out and buy a completely different one? Awesome advice there.

As long as you remember the advice next time you buy a headset, you won’t need to ask ‘how to’. 🙂

fwiw my cane creek 110 has a split race but with an intact seal around it.
Also for loose ball 1 1/8″ headsets that you cannot split, the top half (as in the bit that goes up and down not the foot part) of my one of my halfords axle stands has just the right internal diameter to go on the race without touching the actual smooth bearing surface and you can hit it really hard for stubborn and slightly-too-wide (04/05 rockshox iirc) steerers.

I use the (white/grey) insert for MDPE water pipe, slide it on, and tap it (and the race) carefully into place with a small pin hammer – which being small, gives you a pretty precise blow.

The inserts are very cheap, and whilst tough; still soft enough to not to mash anything in use. You’ll get bigger sizes at your local farm store / bigger plumbers merchants.

Had real trouble getting a CK race on a steel fork recently with the waste pipe trick, just would go.
Heated the race up on the hob, not for too long, placed it over the steerer & womp, fell straight down over the lip & seated perfectly, I was amazed!

Take one of these, remove the roller tube, perfect.

Is that an old one? My one was solid:

I don’t see how that could work. Look at the race above, how do you cut that so that there isn’t a channel past the seal?

Look at this page. The split Hope headset looks lame, check that channel going outside to inside:

Look at the amount of crud that is inside of that when it gets taken to bits after use:

Nikk ;If you rotate the split race 90º you won’t have the mud problem.

Mtfu and split the race