Should I?
Gazlar
Posts: 8,084
After fitting my new bits and pieces and giving black forest a well deserved clean and lube, I noticed a horrid grinding noise and play around the steerer. On closer inspection, surprise surprise the cheap standard headset is shagged, not a prob though, straight online order a shiny new cane creek from Mr Merlin, send him 23 British pounds, thankyou, goodnight.
But now I'm left with a dilemma. Being quite new to this lark, I've never fitted a headset, but it looks quite simple, so do I ?
A- buy the correct tools knowing they are an investment.
B- pay a professional to do it because that's what they're there for.
C- bodge it with a hammer and plank and spend the money I've saved on booze.
You are the jury, you decide
But now I'm left with a dilemma. Being quite new to this lark, I've never fitted a headset, but it looks quite simple, so do I ?
A- buy the correct tools knowing they are an investment.
B- pay a professional to do it because that's what they're there for.
C- bodge it with a hammer and plank and spend the money I've saved on booze.
You are the jury, you decide
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Comments
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10 quid my lbs is charging me for crankset / BB fitting and doing the cane creek headset cups. get you 2.5 pints of p!ss water that these days.0
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iv fitted many headsets with a wooden mallet. its not recomended, and i probably wouldnt on a 2.5k yeti or turner, but TBH its not hard, just be carefull.I like bikes and stuff0
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great, so far its a tie between b and c, which means the LBS are going to fit iot for me with a plank and a hammer :!: :!:0
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The question is - how expensive was your frame?
If it's carbon. Take it to the LBS. If it's a standard steel/alu job, do it yourself.
The original cups might be stubborn to start with. Get something in there and tap them out with a hammer. You won't be needing them again, and even if you do, they'll no doubt be fine.
Stick a little grease on the new ones to assist getting them in...and back out again! Stick a chock of would on top and tap again with a hammer - you can be more gentle this time. They should slide straight in. Get them properly seated. Job done.
No special tools required.0 -
no its not anything fancy and carbon, its a 700 quid focus black forest, I think its now a safe bet im going to bodge it, just wierd that I threatened to fit my brakes with a hammer, now heres something I do get to fit with one0
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A bit of wood & hammer is OK for steel headsets, but if you fit an alloy one like this you can distort it a bit I think. I mention this as I fitted one this way a few years ago & while it looked seated correctly it tightened as I turned the bars. It could have been a faulty one I guess.
I would recommend getting one of these: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=10225 Cheaper than the Park budget option & much better. You can sometimes pick up the same unit for less on ebay or other sites. It might take a while to pay for itself but tools are ace!0 -
Make a headset press.
You need a long threaded bar, a load of washers with an outside diameter about the same as the flat part in the headset cup and a couple of nuts that fit the bar.0 -
I wasted lots of time making a headset puller, unless you can keep the bar dead centre of the headset tube they start going in on the skew anyway. I took it off & tapped the cups in, they went in real easy.
I was surprised as my last experience with a headset was on a skyway ta back in 1984, me & my dad couldnt get the buggers in, that had to go to the shop!Banned from singletrack forum again :-)0 -
I think I'm gonna go at it hammer and tong, it arrived this morning, I ordered it at 3 yesterday afternoon, so once again absolutely fantastic service from the guys at merlin.
One last question though, do I need to fit the star nut that comes with it? or should I be ok using the one already lodged in my fork?0 -
Thought so, I have the tools now, i have the knowledge, tommorrow is judgement day!!!!0
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I fitted my headset in my carbon frame just the same as I have with every ally/steel frame I have ever had0
