[MMcG]

I stumbled upon a nice study piece of PVC pipe at the hockey rink a few weeks ago. Pair that up with an old bottom cup of a headset and voila you've got yourself one nice homemade crown race installation set up!

Still need to find a more reliable way to remove them though - anyone got any ideas that is better than the screwdriver/rubber mallet method?

 

[BadDNA]

Take a length of copper pipe, longer than your head tube and a cap to fit it. Solder the cap to one end and slit the other end 5-6 inches down the length twice at 90 degrees to each other. You should now have a capped piece of copper pipe with four "fingers" at the other end. Spread the fingers out so they're wider than your head tube. Pull the pipe through the headset until it snaps in place behind the bearing cup and then use your rubber mallet to pound it straight out. Turn the tool around and repeat for the other cup.

Edit: Intructables link: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-Headset-Cup-Remover/
He only makes one cut, I made a second one at 90 degrees to the first and I also capped the end so that it wouldn't tear the crap out of my rubber mallet.

Edit 2: I'm dumb and didn't read your post completely, just use a screwdriver and mallet to remove it.

 

[MMcG]

Take a length of copper pipe, longer than your head tube and a cap to fit it. Solder the cap to one end and slit the other end 5-6 inches down the length twice at 90 degrees to each other. You should now have a capped piece of copper pipe with four "fingers" at the other end. Spread the fingers out so they're wider than your head tube. Pull the pipe through the headset until it snaps in place behind the bearing cup and then use your rubber mallet to pound it straight out. Turn the tool around and repeat for the other cup.

Thanks - but I was referring to something to remove the crown race from a fork without gouging it all up.

 

[BrooklynMachine]

A (small) pinion gear bearing splitter works, in fact, it's basically the same thing as some bike specific tools (minus an attached slide hammer).

 

[1453]

I stumbled upon a nice study piece of PVC pipe at the hockey rink a few weeks ago. Pair that up with an old bottom cup of a headset and voila you've got yourself one nice homemade crown race installation set up!

Still need to find a more reliable way to remove them though - anyone got any ideas that is better than the screwdriver/rubber mallet method?

the tube of a D-cell maglite also works well, the tailcap gives a good surface for the hammer to land.

 

[in the trees]

My PVC headset crown installation tool goes very well with my $5 threaded rod/nut/washer headset cup installation tool. Both work like a charm!

toby

 

[mcrumble69]

I stumbled upon a nice study piece of PVC pipe at the hockey rink a few weeks ago. Pair that up with an old bottom cup of a headset and voila you've got yourself one nice homemade crown race installation set up!

Still need to find a more reliable way to remove them though - anyone got any ideas that is better than the screwdriver/rubber mallet method?

Nice find MMcG....
In a pinch I have used a plastic Shop Vac hose extension tube or a steel 90's Kona frame with the headset cups still in it

I would also like to hear some homegrown ways people are removing them.

 

[pyynö]

+

Blade of a knife is easyer on the race than a screvdriver when wedged/forced between the race and the forkcrown. Tap gently from opposite/different sides

If you do the same with a flatblade screwdriwer the race can snap, seen it happen.