New forks - advice please

supersonic

Looks like you have a standard cup external headset - the pig should fit, but the cups are quite deep. This would be my choice:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... tedKingdom

Cartridge bearings are easier to look after and replace. All new headsets come with a crown race. Fitting the cups and removing the old ones is the hard part!

pulck

Brilliant. Thanks for the suggestion - have ordered it.

el_presidente

I have loosened the crown race with hammer & srewdriver. It just needs a few taps, the fork steerer tube reduces very quickly so as soon as it is loosened the race just drops off. You are chucking the fork out anyway so don't worry about marking that with the screwdriver.

For fitting to a new fork I used some plastic pipe that I had knocking around. If you haven't got any take the crown race down to B&Q to get the right size. To fit, slide the race on the fork so it is straight and snug, then slide the pipe on top of the race. Then turn the whole asssembly upside down, hold both fork legs and bang the pipe on the ground to drive the race home. Ensures that you aren't bashing any delicate bits of the fork.

Are you happy with how to change the headset on your frame?

pulck

el_presidente wrote:

I have loosened the crown race with hammer & srewdriver. It just needs a few taps, the fork steerer tube reduces very quickly so as soon as it is loosened the race just drops off. You are chucking the fork out anyway so don't worry about marking that with the screwdriver.

For fitting to a new fork I used some plastic pipe that I had knocking around. If you haven't got any take the crown race down to B&Q to get the right size. To fit, slide the race on the fork so it is straight and snug, then slide the pipe on top of the race. Then turn the whole asssembly upside down, hold both fork legs and bang the pipe on the ground to drive the race home. Ensures that you aren't bashing any delicate bits of the fork.

Very helpful, many thanks. Presumably you're using plastic pipe (not copper) to avoid damaging the crown race. But I will make sure I'll get something robust so as to avoid snapping the pipe.

el_presidente wrote:

Are you happy with how to change the headset on your frame?

I hadn't really thought about this. Isn't this just a straightforward swap? I thought the most difficult bit was getting it in the right order, but I assumed it would be delivered in the same state as it should be mounted.

el_presidente

Yes I used plastic pipe.

Changing the headset is a fairly involved job as it is an interference fit with the frame so needs some welly both to get the old one out and then press the new one in. There are various methods ranging from using a big hammer (cheap but high risk of damage) to buying an expensive headset press. Have a look round on google and see what you reckon. When I get home I'll post a pic of my homemade headset press. try this for starters http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-how-to-replace-a-headset-22331/

pulck

Thanks. Hadn't appreciated refitting the headset was so tricky!

When I took my old fork off, my headset didn't appear to be too difficult to remove - I did most of it all by hand (apart from the crown race, which I left on). But I must admit, I didn't pay that much attention to what was left in the head tube and what I'd managed to remove.

I'll do some research online, as you suggest, and see if I'm still brave enough to give it a go. The bottom line is, mine is a cheap bike and although I don't want to bugger anything up, at least I won't be fouling £100s of components if I make a mistake.

Edit:
I've just seen a cheapo headset press on Ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEADSET-PRESS-INSERTION-TOOL-LOW-COST-HANDLE-/110827334663?pt=UK_Spots_Leisure_Cycling_Tools_RepairKits&hash=item19cdd2ec07#ht_694wt_1187

Will this help, or is it not even worth considering?

el_presidente

That tool looks reasonable enough to me, at 2.99 you can't go wrong!

this is what I bodged up to use



Make sure it's straight and go very steady.