# Pressing headset? WTF?



## aBicycle (Jun 13, 2012)

OK, so why do all the tools for this cost so much?

I wanted to install a tapered 44mm cane creek headset but then I realized I need $90+ of tools to install it? I mean really? I have to have these stupid special cane creek doodads to add to the press to keep the press from damaging it? Why is that? Why did they design it like that?

Is the Chris King inset 7 this picky about how it's installed? I could buy that for less than the stupid cane creek if the tools for the cane creek cost that much.


And why does the tool to install 1.5" crown races cost so damn much? $70? for a hollow stick? WHY?!?


----------



## Paul.C (Aug 13, 2011)

That's the cost of cycling. You can do a search for DIY headset presses and DIY crown race setting tools and find some cheap alternatives. I made my headset press for about $7. My headset removal tool was $5 and my crown race tool was about $8. Do some research and you might find that most of the proprietary bicycle tools can be had for less. The park tools are made to be used on a daily basis whereas most DIY guys will use it a few times a year. If you don't like the idea of making your own tools then get ready to shell out some serious dough.


----------



## equalme (Sep 8, 2010)

Paul said it perfectly. If I had the extra funds, I wouldn't mind having a legit headset press. But for now...I'll make do with my diy press as well. 

All you need is a threaded rod, washers, nuts, and two blocks of wood.

For a crown race setter, a pvc pipe and a hammer.


----------



## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

yah DIY, search it out on this forum.

Made my own, work great, cost next to nothing.


----------



## irishpitbull (Sep 29, 2011)

Or you can pay 20 bucks and have it done by shop.


----------



## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)

My way is a bit cave-man...

I set the bottom of the head tube on a board on top of a work bench. Place the top headset cap on carefully. Then place a board over it, then hit it with a rubber mallet. It's a bit precarious but it's worked over a dozen times for me. Plus it doesn't take more then a few seconds. 

Headsets only go in one way or they dont go in at all. Nothing to worry about unless your frame is carbon. :thumbsup:


----------



## aBicycle (Jun 13, 2012)

How tight do these things fit? Would it be possible to just press them in bare handed?


----------



## MRisme (Mar 22, 2010)

I actually spent the money on the cheaper Park home headset press and the special cups from Cane Creek... I still ended up using a block of wood and hammer.


----------



## skankingbiker (Jan 15, 2010)

aBicycle said:


> Would it be possible to just press them in bare handed?


ahhh....NO.

A PVC tube with electrical tape at one end has worked well for me as a crown race setting.

For pressing the cups, $10 in supplies from a local hardware store should get you what you need....a big a$$ bolt, some brass bushing/rubber washers, fender washers and a nut.


----------



## Hudnut (Apr 12, 2005)

skankingbiker said:


> ahhh....NO.
> 
> A PVC tube with electrical tape at one end has worked well for me as a crown race setting.
> 
> For pressing the cups, $10 in supplies from a local hardware store should get you what you need....a big a$$ bolt, some brass bushing/rubber washers, fender washers and a nut.


this^
just do 1 cup at a time. grease the threads of the rod. fender washers can do the job


----------



## Paul.C (Aug 13, 2011)

measure your headtube from top to bottom. Buy a piece of threaded rod that is long enough to accomodate your head tube and your headset cups one at a time with additonal space for your washers and nuts to thread. I went ahead and got one that was about 12" long to accomodate multiple sized head tubes and headsets. buy 6-8 fender washers that are large enough to cover your head tube. I also bout 2 rubber fender washers the same size. Then buy at least 3 nuts to thread onto your bolt, 1 to advance the headset and the other 2 to lock the opposite side of your press to the headtube. I used the 2 nuts just as a safety precaution. The trick to pressing everything in straight is the copper fittings that go inside the headtube while pressing.

This one isn't mine but it is basically the exact same thing.


----------



## aBicycle (Jun 13, 2012)

This cane creek and chris king stuff says that you have to have their special pricey tools to keep from damaging the races and the crown race. I'm guessing that is BS?


----------



## Paul.C (Aug 13, 2011)

Yep, I used my DIY press for my cc 40 series with no issues at all.


----------



## dhelm72 (May 4, 2012)

I use a big c-clamp with a piece of wood on each side to protect the bearing cups. I twist, check that it is all going in straight, twist, check again, twist, check, etc... It takes less than a minute and I already own the clamps. All of the above mentioned DIY methods work. I would be nervous about the hammering method since it is hard to control with any level of precision.


----------



## Magnum Ti (Jun 30, 2011)

Resurrecting an old thread..I did this last night with a homemade headset press from the instructions listed on MTBR..but..

Can I over press it? I made it really nice and snug, but I could have gone a little further....??


----------



## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

Hard to tell without seeing, if you think it's pressed in all the way it probably is.

LOL @the caveman strategy I did the same thing wouldn't necessarily recommend it but it did work, the bolt/nut/washer way should work fine though.

Unless you install alot of these or work at a shop I wouldn't shell out on the fancy tools.

I suppose you could press them in by hand if your last name was Schwarzenegger.


----------



## bing! (Jul 8, 2010)

find a bike coop. they have tools.


----------



## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

Every manufacturer that makes headsets is rolling their eyes at this thread.


----------



## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

Install: hammer and a phone book [I didn't have any wood handy].
Remove: hammer and a long flathead screwdriver.

If you don't have a hammer, you can use a rock [nature's hammer].


----------



## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

Honestly i have use a 2x4 and a rubber mallet on numerous brands of standard 1 1/8" headset over the years with out a problem. And I have use a cheap 1/2 socket extension and a 18mm socket to remove my headsets for all those years because it was what I had at the time. 

I have a performance brand headset press and use washers over the headset press thingies to press the Chris king headsets I have so that the washer press the cups and not the bearings. Cost me a few bucks for the press and the washers.

Finally I use a short steel pipe to set my fork race and a screw driver to lift them. I have used this on carbon steerers too. I'm still alive and the bikes still work.


----------



## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

pinkrobe said:


> If you don't have a hammer, you can use a rock [nature's hammer].


The true Caveman way!


----------



## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

hahah this is such a righteous thread  Love it . As most have mentioned , either make your own or buy the tools ... Good luck using bare hands lol .


----------



## fahza29er (Jun 26, 2012)

I have the Park pro headset press, it does everything and easy to install, heavy as **** though but built to out last me, my kids will get it and down the line it will go. For FS bearings I just use what everyone else does, threaded rod, some nuts and a bunch of different sized washers. I got a super deal on the head press so I jumped at it is why I have it. Alot of the tools are easy to make. the bearing remover and head set remover are easy to . Take a right size pipe, make 4 cuts bend the tongs back and insert and hammer out bearing or headset. Thats all the Park ones are be it a little more tough and pro looking but how often do you really remove your headset?


----------



## jc1surf (May 30, 2013)

hi magnum, how'd ur headset press go? i was also worried that i would accidently over press it. i just did my first headset press today and worked amazing for a whopping $7. $2.6 for bolts and washers, and $5 for beer. 

wondering i screwed it so much that the wood began to crack, should i be worried the cups are in "toooo" tight? also, on the upper cup it went in pretty much straight, but upon closer inspection, one side seem not to be flush w/ the face, like .5mm or maybe less in a gap. 

should i be worried for this gap, or should i remove and do over?

thanks for ur tips and advice 
JC


----------



## mitzikatzi (Sep 9, 2008)

jc1surf said:


> ..snip..
> 
> wondering i screwed it so much that the wood began to crack, should i be worried the cups are in "toooo" tight? also, on the upper cup it went in pretty much straight, but upon closer inspection, one side seem not to be flush w/ the face, like .5mm or maybe less in a gap.
> 
> ...


Either your frame needs/needed to be faced or you didn't press the cup in squarely.

3 thread bumps is plenty


----------



## jc1surf (May 30, 2013)

pardon me for the 3 thread bumps. 
and thanks for the tip. i think i am going to remove and reserve the process and see what happen to the alignment. and deff check if needs facing. 
prob do what the other fellas did, and freeze the cups before install

thanks again.


----------



## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

customfab said:


> Every manufacturer that makes headsets is rolling their eyes at this thread.


Why, exactly? I've been installing headset cups and crown races using homemade tools since the 90s. Hell, I learned the technique talking to guys at Hutch's and Sunnyside in Bend. And it's not like headset manufacturers have their stuff together - even Chris King's traditional design was flawed and allowed lateral movement because it didn't have a compression washer (like in Cane Creek's headsets.)

If you're not ham-fisted, you can install headset cups and a crown race easily with some homemade tools. I've put thousands of miles on a MTB that I used a block of wood and a mallet to install the headset.

Sure there's always a "better" way to do things, but that's usually pretty expensive and for most applications the DIY technique works just fine.


----------



## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

jtmartino said:


> Why, exactly? I've been installing headset cups and crown races using homemade tools since the 90s. Hell, I learned the technique talking to guys at Hutch's and Sunnyside in Bend. And it's not like headset manufacturers have their stuff together - even Chris King's traditional design was flawed and allowed lateral movement because it didn't have a compression washer (like in Cane Creek's headsets.)
> 
> If you're not ham-fisted, you can install headset cups and a crown race easily with some homemade tools. I've put thousands of miles on a MTB that I used a block of wood and a mallet to install the headset.
> 
> Sure there's always a "better" way to do things, but that's usually pretty expensive and for most applications the DIY technique works just fine.


I know that a good mechanic could adequately press in headset cups with some homegrown press, the concept isn't rocket science. On the flip side somebody with zero experience could botch a headset install with the right tools. My general goal on this board is to steer people in the direction of doing things the ideal way. Sure there are plenty of ways to make it happen and other people are willing to suggest those. Sometimes I even put those ideas in the back of my head to use when I'm at a race in some far off corner of the world where I don't have access to the ideal tools. At the end of the day if somebody is going to go through the trouble of making a headset to the kind of tolerances that a King or Cane Creek 110 is made to I'm only going to press it in the correct way.

Kings headset design didn't really show it's weakness until long travel single crown forks came into vogue. It worked fine for the first 10 years.


----------



## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

customfab said:


> I know that a good mechanic could adequately press in headset cups with some homegrown press, the concept isn't rocket science. On the flip side *somebody with zero experience could botch a headset install with the right tools*. My general goal on this board is to steer people in the direction of doing things the ideal way. Sure there are plenty of ways to make it happen and other people are willing to suggest those. Sometimes I even put those ideas in the back of my head to use when I'm at a race in some far off corner of the world where I don't have access to the ideal tools. At the end of the day if somebody is going to go through the trouble of making a headset to the kind of tolerances that a King or Cane Creek 110 is made to I'm only going to press it in the correct way.


Good post. Your comment in bold is very true, and a good reason for a lot of people to not try this at all. But for those with a little wrenching experience, this is not a challenging process (at least for most.) But hey, like with anything else, this is a "try at your own risk" kind of thing - people need to be responsible for their own actions. Basically the exact same message I tell people whenever they try to do anything with their bike.



customfab said:


> Kings headset design didn't really show it's weakness until long travel single crown forks came into vogue. It worked fine for the first 10 years.


I've seen steer tube scoring on short-travel forks - it happened to the carbon steerer on my SID WC. Definitely something to keep in mind for all setups, especially since head tube length and fork are pretty variable.


----------



## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

Upgrading the King to the GripLock bearing cap eliminates that problem:
Bearing Caps | Chris King Precision Components


----------



## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

bad mechanic said:


> Upgrading the King to the GripLock bearing cap eliminates that problem:
> Bearing Caps | Chris King Precision Components


should have just paid the cane creek license fee from the beginning


----------



## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

reptilezs said:


> should have just paid the cane creek license fee from the beginning


They did:
Interbike 2010: Chris King Grip Lock System

They chose not to use it for some reason or other.


----------



## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

bad mechanic said:


> Upgrading the King to the GripLock bearing cap eliminates that problem:
> Bearing Caps | Chris King Precision Components


Good post - just wish they had the updated part 10+ years ago when it was needed!

Here's another great article about Chris King - plenty of awesome pictures to keep us drooling, and their business practices are top-notch.

Chris King's Noble Vision: Products Near Perfection and Earth-Friendly Manufacturing - Pinkbike


----------



## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

jtmartino said:


> just wish they had the updated part 10+ years ago when it was needed!


Agreed, though their o-ring system worked ok for a good long while.


----------



## TheeSuperUberV (Jun 10, 2013)

Can the Park HHP-2 remove headset cups too?

Or do i also need Park RT-2 Headset Cup Remover Tool?
Park RT 2 Bicycle Head Headset CUP Remover Tool NEW | eBay

Thank you


----------



## bvibert (Mar 30, 2006)

TheeSuperUberV said:


> Can the Park HHP-2 remove headset cups too?
> 
> Or do i also need Park RT-2 Headset Cup Remover Tool?
> Park RT 2 Bicycle Head Headset CUP Remover Tool NEW | eBay
> ...


The HHP-2 is just for installing. If you need to remove cups from a frame then you'll also need a cup removal tool like you linked to.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

TheeSuperUberV said:


> Can the Park HHP-2 remove headset cups too?
> 
> Or do i also need Park RT-2 Headset Cup Remover Tool




If you're careful you can safely tap them out with a long drift punch, gentle taps on one side then the other inside the head tube.


----------



## bigkat273 (Jan 16, 2008)

Get a length of 1 or 1.25 inch copper pipe depending on ht dia, cut down one end into quarters and insert a rubber stopper to spread the flanges apart. Liberally apply hammer.


----------



## TheeSuperUberV (Jun 10, 2013)

*#70buckstheymustbeouttatheirminds!*

Thank you aBicycle & everyone for your ideas. After buying $$$a new wheelset & front shock$$$, I couldn't bear to spend more on unnecessary stuff. I had to go back to my roots of 80's BMX self-mechanic. So I was initially gonna buy Park Tool HHP-2 $140, but to save money I looked at HHP-3 $64. Finally decided on a 10" C-Clamp $25 for the bearing cup press. I got the wood/rubber mallet/hammer. Saved $40 to $115!

Instead of Park Tool RT-2 cup remover, I bought a 10" long drift punch (3/16" point) $9. Saved $21!

Currently working on getting a PVC pipe instead of Park Tool CRS-15 Crown Race Setter 1.5 inch $70 #70buckstheymustbeouttatheirminds! But what diameter PVC pipe? Should it be exactly 1 ½"? How much should it cost? My Fox front shock's steerer tube is tapered 1-1/8 - 1-1/2 inch. My 10" crescent wrench's open jaw is just 1/16" shy of 1 ½". If I get a bigger-jaw crescent wrench, would it work to sit it on the crown race, going around the crown race, tapping down on the wrench? I'm 42 now, but I may have done that in my BMX days; don't remember. Thanks

update: i found this; gonna see if it helps http://forums.mtbr.com/downhill-freeride/setting-crown-race-tapered-steerer-769441.html


----------



## TheeSuperUberV (Jun 10, 2013)

The guy in the link below mentioned to also get PVC 1.5" cap & PVC 1.5" coupler. Is that really necessary & why? Also this guy made a PVC pipe 3 feet long. Just curious as to why he recommends that length Hack Racer: Make your own crown race setting tool for $5


----------



## fahza29er (Jun 26, 2012)

Well from pressing a headset I would purchase the park tool, worth every penny.
As for the race tool, I all so use a PVC pipe, the race is easy to set and the park tool is over priced for a hollow tube. Its your bike do as you wish but if I am installing a 200 dollar Kris King headset I want it done right. On my old cromo bike hell a flat table a 2x4 and a mallet was all you needed, but with todays frames last thing you want to do is hammer the **** out of it to get the headset in.


----------



## TheeSuperUberV (Jun 10, 2013)

Okay, i'm all set. Got me two PVC pipes (why 2? they're cheap & i still saved $$) schedule 40, 1.5 inch, 1.60" ID. And two caps = $6.72 total

And to think, i was gonna spend $70 !!!


----------



## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

When is the Park Tool worth it, when $5 worth of all thread does the exact same thing?


----------



## tomacropod (Jul 23, 2004)

bad mechanic said:


> When is the Park Tool worth it, when $5 worth of all thread does the exact same thing?


When you have a shop, do hundreds a year with the owners of expensive bikes watching on. Having said that, I have the park at home, and the cheaper cyclus at the shop. Mine were all done with wood and hammer for years.

As with many things like this, it is possible to do a good job without the right tools, but it is harder to do a bad job with the right tools.

- Joel


----------



## BlackMamba2012 (Nov 24, 2011)

This also a good tool also does pressfit bottom brackets i use mine alot.
Sette ST-107 Bearing Cup Press | Sette | Brand | www.PricePoint.com


----------



## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

If you make your own installer out of the threaded rod and washers and nuts...if I remember right,somebody once said it's good to use a rod with kind of fine threads per inch.That way you can make corrections and changes in smaller increments.
...Then everything goes on slowly and precisely.
Z


----------



## Brandon_oma#692 (Mar 3, 2010)

A quality bench vice is a good investment and works great for pressing in cups and bearings. Mine came from an auction. Just make sure it has enough travel. I have used it for headsets, bmx bottom bracket bearings, motorcycle swingarm bearings, automotive hub bearings etc...

I have always used a hammer for crown races.


----------



## unrooted (Jul 31, 2007)

I always use a hammer and screwdriver to install and remove headset races! Just a lot of small taps away from the bearing interface, takes a lot of patience but I've yet to do any damage to a king, cc or cheap-o race.

I've always used a long bolt and washers to install the headset, I typically use steel bearings, but somehow I lost them so I drilled a hole in two peices of plywood last time. zero issues. I would love to have every tool in the Park Catalog, but I can only afford so much!


----------



## White Bear (Jun 12, 2013)

BlackMamba2012 said:


> This also a good tool also does pressfit bottom brackets i use mine alot.
> Sette ST-107 Bearing Cup Press | Sette | Brand | www.PricePoint.com


This is a nice tool, however it accommodates 1" to 1 1/8" headsets, not tapered or 1.5" headsets. I had to send it back! 

I'm looking for a nice tool like this that does tapered headsets!


----------



## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

White Bear said:


> This is a nice tool, however it accommodates 1" to 1 1/8" headsets, not tapered or 1.5" headsets. I had to send it back!
> 
> I'm looking for a nice tool like this that does tapered headsets!


All you need is the 1.5" driver attachment. Cheap on fleabay:

1 5" Bicycle Headset Press Driver Tapered Headsets | eBay

Or just make it yourself:

http://forums.mtbr.com/tooltime/any...eadset-remover-crown-race-remover-741679.html

Unless you're a shop, you're going to use it what, once every couple of years? No need to drop the coin on a dedicated tool.


----------



## White Bear (Jun 12, 2013)

jtmartino said:


> All you need is the 1.5" driver attachment. Cheap on fleabay: [


Awesome, thanks for the heads up! I normally would use a DYI tool as shown, however I get a bit nervous when pressing a CK headset into a $3k carbon frame.


----------



## Birdman (Dec 31, 2003)

I've used the bolt/nut/washer method for a few installs, but when Nashbar's headset press went on closeout ($40ish), I jumped on it. Much much easier to do with a dedicated headset press.

I still use my homemade cup remover and race installer though.

JMJ


----------



## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

Old thread revival alert but I did not want to start a new one.

I have a HPP 1, I think at least since I bought it sometime in the 90's and I also have some spacers designed for Chris King head sets which I unfortunately can not find right now but the new one I will install will be a Chris King.

I assume that it will be no problem using it for the new to me tapered head sets but does anybody know if I should upgrade to the new step guides?

I am not sure what changed regarding headsets designs that made PT update the step design.

Thank you


----------



## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

acer66 said:


> Old thread revival alert but I did not want to start a new one.
> 
> I have a HPP 1, I think at least since I bought it sometime in the 90's and I also have some spacers designed for Chris King head sets which I unfortunately can not find right now but the new one I will install will be a Chris King.
> 
> ...


i would not bother with the new park bushings. just get the proper ones for your headset. most headset are sealed bearing now so the king type adapters is what you need anyways


----------



## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

reptilezs said:


> i would not bother with the new park bushings. just get the proper ones for your headset. most headset are sealed bearing now so the king type adapters is what you need anyways


Cool, thank you.


----------

