# Headset up removal question



## DirtyMartini (Aug 5, 2010)

whoops, I mean "Headset cup" removal.

I need to remove the pressed internal cup from my 44mm ID semi-integrated/zero-stack headtube.

I'd like to do it myself instead of paying the min $20 labor at my LBS for 5min of work, so I'm going to try to borrow a headset cup removal tool. 

My question is, do you use the 1 1/8 cup remover tool or the 1.5" cup remover tool? The 44mm "semi-integrated" headtubes are between the two in size.

Or, better yet, does anyone have any tricks for removing these cups without special tools?


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## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

the 1 1/8 works, home made ones can be made with various tubing or your favorite screwdriver. the real tool works fantastic, screwdriver method is less than stellar.


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## 4JawChuck (Dec 1, 2008)

Piece of 1" wood dowel works great and takes less than 30 seconds to remove the insert, don't have a piece of dowel?...cut off a piece of broom handle...same effect. Reinstall new one with piece of clean flat wood and a hammer.

Never seen a need for fancy tools to remove these simple parts on a bike.


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## Nick_M2R (Oct 18, 2008)

I use a socket with a length attachment, whacks the cups out in about 30 seconds


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## DirtyMartini (Aug 5, 2010)

But how do you guys use a tool that isn't flared (eg broom handle, wooden dowel, socket) for the first cup. If there's only one cup installed, it's east to pound out. But when there's two cups installed, the pounding out the first seems tricky because the ID of both cups are the same, so a straight dowel that fits through the ID of the one cup won't span the ID of the other cup, so you'd need to go in at an angle. Going in at an angle and rotating the placement of the impacts may be okay, but it makes me uncomfortable.

I think I'm going to get a piece of thick walled PVC, cut some slices in one end and make my own tool. It only has to last for one cup.


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

Maybe they have tapered HT?


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## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-Headset-Cup-Remover/


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## aerius (Nov 20, 2010)

DirtyMartini said:


> If there's only one cup installed, it's east to pound out. But when there's two cups installed, the pounding out the first seems tricky because the ID of both cups are the same, so a straight dowel that fits through the ID of the one cup won't span the ID of the other cup, so you'd need to go in at an angle. Going in at an angle and rotating the placement of the impacts may be okay, but it makes me uncomfortable.


Going in at an angle and working your way around works just fine. Basically, bash one side till it moves a bit, bash the opposite side to even it out, and repeat till the headset cup comes free. I've done it at least a dozen times with my own bikes with everything from an el-cheapo headset to a Chris King, works like a charm as long as you're careful.


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## DirtyMartini (Aug 5, 2010)

Thanks for the advice everyone. My hardware store didn't have the right sized copper tubing so I ended up buying 1ft of heavy gauge PCV piping for $0.89. I needed about a 1" OD; turns out " 3/4" " piping (not tubing) has about a 1" OD.

I used a hack-saw to cut down into the pipe length-wise about 6". I cut twice at 90 degree to each other to so the pipe would have 4 "legs" just like the tools you can buy.

I then recalled my college engineering materials class on polymers and dipped the 4 legs in boiling water for about 30 sec, then bent each of the 4 legs outwards ~1" 
PVC bends really easy when hot and doesn't have much or any elasticity or "springyness."
I then jammed a socket between the 4 legs to keep them spread apart and put the tool in the freezer for about 5 min. 

Inserted the small end of the tool into the head tube, the legs snapped into place really nice inside the head tube and I pounded out the cup with a hammer. 

I'm sure copper would last longer than PVC, but I just needed to do this once and I can probably get a few jobs done with the PVC.

Thanks again everyone!


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## benmills (Sep 25, 2013)

I just bought a Park Tool RT-1 as my upper cup is 1 1/8" and the lower cup is 1 1/4". There are in a 44mm head tube. The flared part of the tool passes right through the lower 1 1/4" cup and barely catches the 1 1/8" cup. How is it meant to work at all for the 1 1/4" cup? I could direct it at one side and then the other, but I thought the purpose of the tool is apply pressure evenly around the cup.


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## spyghost (Oct 30, 2012)

find any firm rod of some sort in your home that cannot damage aluminum like wood, plastic... literally anything you can insert the head tube and bang the cups with. i got pvc pipes thin enough to get in the 1-1/8" cup so i'm happy with it. remember to bang it using the 12-6-3-9 pattern if you can't flare out the end.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

Old seatpost works perfect if you have one laying around.


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## mtndude23 (Apr 18, 2012)

benmills said:


> I just bought a Park Tool RT-1 as my upper cup is 1 1/8" and the lower cup is 1 1/4". There are in a 44mm head tube. The flared part of the tool passes right through the lower 1 1/4" cup and barely catches the 1 1/8" cup. How is it meant to work at all for the 1 1/4" cup? I could direct it at one side and then the other, but I thought the purpose of the tool is apply pressure evenly around the cup.


Are you sure the lower cup isn't 1.5"? Normal tapered headset is 1.5 on the bottom, you'd need the wider park tool for that one.


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## benmills (Sep 25, 2013)

I ended up using a 1" wooden dowel and banging it in a 12-6-3-9 pattern as suggested above. It was too hard to hold the frame, aim the dowel and swing a hammer, so I ended up not using a hammer. Instead I carefully banged the dowel down into the headset cup using the frame as a guide. Worked well, though it's one of those horrible jobs where you feel like you could damage something.

Now I'm wondering whether I can reuse the cup. It came out straight and there doesn't seem to be any damage. I'm embarrassed to say that I'm only doing this because the shop pressed in the cup without thinking that the logo should point forward. Ridiculous that I felt like I needed to fix that, but this is my dream build!

Regarding the lower cup size, it'd definitely a 1.25". I realize I'm on a mountain bike forum where 1.5" lower cups would be more common, but this is actually a drop bar bike.


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## Jak0zilla (May 16, 2010)

benmills said:


> I'm embarrassed to say that I'm only doing this because the shop pressed in the cup without thinking that the logo should point forward. Ridiculous that I felt like I needed to fix that, but this is my dream build!
> .


Not ridiculous, and honestly it's kind of sloppy to not line it up. I do it, on anything with a logo to line up - no matter how cheap it may be. Especially if it's a high end build you'd be well within your rights to go back and ask them (politely) to re-do it.

Shop mechanics really should pay attention to this stuff, it's important to sweat the little things (valve caps, cable crimps, lining up labels) in order to let your customers know that you've done a good job that's worth paying for.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ It's these little details that demonstrate thought, consideration and pride in their craft.


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