# Home installation of headset cups-



## Marc (Jul 15, 2008)

I've done the threaded rod before, but I never thought to use the copper reducers.  Great idea-

http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/09/29/homemade-headset-installation-tools/

Should go in straight and true.  I've also read if your cups are aluminum... since it has a very high coefficient of thermal expansion, that putting them in the freezer prior to installation also helps.

Headset cups, fork crown races and star nut installations are quite possibly the very worst part of putting a bike together.


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## bvibert (Jul 15, 2008)

Marc said:


> I've done the threaded rod before, but I never thought to use the copper reducers.  Great idea-
> 
> http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/09/29/homemade-headset-installation-tools/
> 
> ...



Looks like a good idea, and still much cheaper than buying the right tool.  I haven't had the pleasure of preforming any of the above procedures yet, but you can bet that when I do I'll be using home made tools such as these.


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## MR. evil (Jul 16, 2008)

Thats pretty cool! I am sure I will use both the cupr press and race press that at some point.

Any idea what is the best way to remove the race from a fork without damaging it?


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## Marc (Jul 16, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> Thats pretty cool! I am sure I will use both the cupr press and race press that at some point.
> 
> Any idea what is the best way to remove the race from a fork without damaging it?



Without damaging the fork or without damaging the race?


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## MR. evil (Jul 16, 2008)

Marc said:


> Without damaging the fork or without damaging the race?



Both if possible.


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## Marc (Jul 16, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> Both if possible.



Heh, that's the million dollar question.  They make U-shaped removal tools, though I don't know how effective they really are.  Not damaging the steerer is easy... not damaging the race is challenging.  Best way to do it is tedious, but typically involves a flat head screwdriver and wedging around the race in between it and the fork crown gently until it comes free.

It's actually not too bad, I've done it a few times... success will depend on how patient you are and how thick and what material the race is made from.

If the race and the steerer tube are different materials... i.e., the steerer is aluminum (almost always is) and the race is steel (sometimes is) put the whole fork in the deep freeze for a while.  Since aluminum's coefficient of thermal expansion is so much higher than steel's, it will contract much more than steel will and make it easier to get the race off.


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## MR. evil (Jul 16, 2008)

Marc said:


> If the race and the steerer tube are different materials... i.e., the steerer is aluminum (almost always is) and the race is steel (sometimes is) put the whole fork in the deep freeze for a while.  Since aluminum's coefficient of thermal expansion is so much higher than steel's, it will contract much more than steel will and make it easier to get the race off.



How long do you think it would need to go in the freezer for?


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## Marc (Jul 16, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> How long do you think it would need to go in the freezer for?



Well if you had some frozen peas or something to put on top, probably not long.  Maybe an hour or two and the fork would probably be the same temp as the freezer.


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## bvibert (May 9, 2009)

Marc said:


> Headset cups, fork crown races and star nut installations are quite possibly the very worst part of putting a bike together.



I still haven't done headset cups, but have done fork crown races a few times and a start nut once.  I really didn't think that either operation was that difficult.  The crown races I've removed by gently tapping a flat head screw driver around it to work it up.  That tends to ding up the crown a little bit, but it's not a big deal to me.  I've read that some people tap a butter knife in there to get things started, seems like it would work pretty well to me.  To install it I just use piece of PVC pipe and slowly tap it down evenly.  The star nut I just used some random socket and tapped it in as straight as possible.  I was a little worried that it wasn't going in straight enough, and that I'd wreck it, but it seems to have turned out ok.


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