Crown Race installation - any tips?

arlowood

Recently acquired a Genesis Equilibrium frameset and am planning to build it up over the next few months as funds become available to source the relevant parts.

The frameset came with a pretty basic FSA external headset with caged bearing races. I decided to replace that with a sealed bearing headset and to that end I purchased a Cane Creek 40 unit.

Just installed the external cups today but am having difficulty fitting the crown race onto the steerer. I am using a piece of plastic waste pipe that is just the right diameter to slip over the steerer and sit on top of the crown race bearing. However up to now I have not been able to persuade the crown race to bed down over the small seating area at the fork crown.

I have applied grease to the mating surfaces and have used a mallet on the end of the plastic pipe to try to get the crown race to bed down but no joy so far. Thought about heating up the crown race but the Cane Creek one comes with an integral flexible seal and I suspect that any heating would damage this.

Are there any special tricks to this?? - or should I just persevere with more force??

ugo.santalucia

Take it to a shop

woolwich

Old 1" crown races came in several different standards that was difficult to spot by eye. I am not sure about 1 1/8th stuff but it might be worth a measure.

Plastic pipe trick should work ok providing the pipe is pretty firm and not flexy. I have filed a very small leading edge on the crown for the really stubborn ones. This usually works fine.

topdude

Use a metal pipe or take to LBS.

sungod

it takes a fair amount of force to get a crown race seated, a 'real' setting tool is a heavy metal tube, 3-4 whomps is usually enough

i suspect you are applying nowhere near enough force, if your plastic tube is deforming under the load, it may not be able to properly seat the race

either improvise a better tool, or as above, take it to lbs, assuming they're willing it's a less than 1 minute job

dennisn

arlowood wrote:

...... and have used a mallet on the end of the plastic pipe to try to get the crown race to bed down but no joy so far. Thought about heating up the crown race but the Cane Creek one comes with an integral flexible seal and I suspect that any heating would damage this.

Are there any special tricks to this?? - or should I just persevere with more force??

Yes, there is a "special trick to this". It's called using the correct tool and you're not.

arlowood

dennisn wrote:

Yes, there is a "special trick to this". It's called using the correct tool and you're not.

Bit reluctant to splash out £50 to £70 for a crown race installation tool to do a job that I am unlikely to repeat in the next year or longer.

The plastic pipe worked fine on my last build but the crown race on that occasion was a bit less substantial (Cane Creek S6)

Will contact my usual LBS to see if they can do the job and give me a quote - should be less than £50 I'd hope

ugo.santalucia

It was 12 quid in Richmond, I suspect it's going to be less in your neck of the woods

jgsi

If you have a bit more old hoover pipe left... more welly with the mallet..it will go.. have faith .
failing that the bike shop should just charge a quid a thump with the heavy duty tool

jermas

I always hacksaw a split in one side of my crown races. It makes fitting them very simple. Also removal is easy. I've never had a problem doing this.

dennisn

arlowood wrote:

dennisn wrote:

Yes, there is a "special trick to this". It's called using the correct tool and you're not.

Bit reluctant to splash out £50 to £70 for a crown race installation tool to do a job that I am unlikely to repeat in the next year or longer.

The plastic pipe worked fine on my last build but the crown race on that occasion was a bit less substantial (Cane Creek S6)

Will contact my usual LBS to see if they can do the job and give me a quote - should be less than £50 I'd hope

A threaded rod, couple of heavy duty washers and a couple of nuts and you've pretty much got the so called "special tool" for headsets. Pretty cheap too.

arlowood

dennisn wrote:

A threaded rod, couple of heavy duty washers and a couple of nuts and you've pretty much got the so called "special tool" for headsets. Pretty cheap too.

I've already used that set-up to install the bearing cups. The crown race is the bearing "seat" that sits at the bottom of the steerer tube where it meets the fork crown. This provides the pivoting point for the lower cup bearing.

Different animal entirely is needed to install it onto the steerer.

dennisn

arlowood wrote:

dennisn wrote:

A threaded rod, couple of heavy duty washers and a couple of nuts and you've pretty much got the so called "special tool" for headsets. Pretty cheap too.

I've already used that set-up to install the bearing cups. The crown race is the bearing "seat" that sits at the bottom of the steerer tube where it meets the fork crown. This provides the pivoting point for the lower cup bearing.

Different animal entirely is needed to install it onto the steerer.

Sorry. My mistake. My brain got ahead of itself. :oops:

bikaholic

Use one of the old headset cups and an adjustable spanner (or anything else that will fit on top) to install the crown race.

Grease the base of the steerer tube and put the old headset cup narrow end down onto the crown race, the spanner goes ontop, then, whack the spanner with a hammer - rotating the spanner around a quarter turn each you need to do it.

This ensures that the crown race sits flush with the shoulder of the forks.

The hammering may cause a few marks on the crown race if the old headset cup is made of steel, but the marks will not affect the headset's function.

Also, be sure to protect the fork dropouts from damage as you hammer the crown race on.

arlowood

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Had another go with the plastic pipe but only succeeded in getting the crown race partly on and at an angle. :roll:

Gave up and took it to my LBS. Job done more or less on the spot at a cost of £6.50.

Should have bitten the bullet at the outset

paulbnix

I had a similar problem fitting a crown race using some plastic plumbing pipe.
In the end I padded out the end of the pipe with some duct tape until it was a snug fit on the race then wellied the end of the pipe onto the floor.
Worked a treat.

k-dog

Yep, more force really is the trick - and sometimes warming the race in the oven can help by expanding it a little.

paul64

Resurrecting this thread if I may with a quick question. Rebuilding a bike from bare frame and forks, I have cleaned the crown race but I can't say this was easy or that it feels smooth. Instinct says I should buy a new one instead of refitting this 10 year old one, would you agree?

Background if it helps - just had my steel Roberts frame resprayed and the resprayer removed the crown race from the steerer first. I returned home with it, frame and forks now finished and were returned to me by post. so I have to refit the crown race to the steerer tube. I'll try and get LBS to fit to the steerer as suggested on this thread as I don't have tools for it at home.

arlowood

paul64 wrote:

Resurrecting this thread if I may with a quick question. Rebuilding a bike from bare frame and forks, I have cleaned the crown race but I can't say this was easy or that it feels smooth. Instinct says I should buy a new one instead of refitting this 10 year old one, would you agree?

Background if it helps - just had my steel Roberts frame resprayed and the resprayer removed the crown race from the steerer first. I returned home with it, frame and forks now finished and were returned to me by post. so I have to refit the crown race to the steerer tube. I'll try and get LBS to fit to the steerer as suggested on this thread as I don't have tools for it at home.

Get a new one and get your LBS to fit it. £5 for the new crown race and maybe £10 (inflation over 3 years) to get it fitted.

The old sayings are true - "Why spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar"

paul64

Much appreciated Arlowood, will do

ugo.santalucia

Depends which bearings you have. If it's a sealed cartridge, the crown race does very little and you can keep your own.

paul64

Hi Paolo, it is a sealed cartridge and the LBS said the same adding it's a 1" and less common. They refitted it with their decent workshop tools together with upper and lower headset for £20. Was still a better option than me struggling with it and investing in tools I would use rarely if at all.

Next unexpected challenge is a new seatpost binder bolt as the Roberts has the classic lugs behind the seat tube as part of the frame. I've bookmarked some options and will work out tomorrow if I need 16, 19, 22 or 25mm. Frame is looking good, once it's all rebuilt I'll put a pic in the steel bikes thread.

Nick Payne

Bringheli make steel single size crown race slide hammers. I bought a pair years back in 1" and 1-1/8" sizes for about $US8 each, and have used them to fit dozens of headsets without problem.