How is it done? Is there a special tool or trick? I've never done this before, but I'm going to attempt one tonight so any help you guys can offer would be great.
Pressing on a crown race
- Thread starter bdamschen
- Start date
Slide hammer. Basically a heavy pipe that slides over the steerer tube. Grease the race and the crown liberally, then thwack it till it seats. A longer pipe and a regular hammer can be used as well.
However, this can damage the face of some (most) races, so some sort of protective collar should be used between the pipe and the race. Chris King makes special collars for their races. You can use a PVC fitting in some situations.
I just bought some PVC pipe from Home Depot that was slightly larger than my steerer tube.
Bang bang bang done.
Protect your dropouts so you don't damage them - either hang the crown off something or put something soft under the dropouts.
Bang bang bang done.
Protect your dropouts so you don't damage them - either hang the crown off something or put something soft under the dropouts.
A 2x4 attached to a workbench with about 6" hanging off works well as a "saddle" to place the fork on under the crown, that way you're not applying any force to the lowers or dropouts.
Or you can just stare at the crown race intently and will it on....
If you're using a slide hammer or heavy metal pipe, you shouldn't have to put the fork down on anything. Hold it in your hands and a couple 'whacks' with the pipe/hammer and the crown race is seated. I don't think I ever set a fork down on dropouts or the crown to seat a race. It just doesn't take that much force.
Now, seating the star-fangled nut,... that's another story.
Now, seating the star-fangled nut,... that's another story.
The method I've used in the past is to slide the race on and tighten my bench vice so the jaws just touch the steerer and use drop gravity to set the race.
well shoot, everything was going great: I had my pvc pipe, I had my rubber mallet, I had the fork. What i didn't have, was the damn race because its still stuck on the other fork.
So now my question is: How the heck to do you get the race OFF of a fork?
So now my question is: How the heck to do you get the race OFF of a fork?
Cheap:
Pin punch and a hammer. Tap tap tap, turn, tap tap tap, turn...
Cheaper still:
Old flat screwdriver and a hammer. Tap tap tap, turn, tap tap tap, turn...
I was afraid you'd say that...
Nice one!
1/4" drive socket with the top cap screw coming out the drive end.
Mike
I just bought the actual tool a few years ago, but that would have saved me a few bucks.
The tool works so much better than the ghetto, homemade solutions. I've tapped in a few star nuts using homemade setters, but the first time I used the proper tool was like a revelation.
The next time I have to set a star nut, I'm buying the tool.
The next time I have to set a star nut, I'm buying the tool.
What I did until I bought the tool, was clamp the stem above the top of the steerer, put the top cap bolt through the top cap and onto the star nut and pound the star nut in with the stem as a guide.
I have a star nut setter and agree it works best but I got caught without it once and figured out the socket trick. It worked very well.
Mike
Mike
I just have a long bolt I run into the star nut with a headset cap. Clamp an old stem on top of the steerer and use the headset cap to guide the star nut into place.
The star nut tool with tube guide so it slides in perfectly straight is like 14$ at performance. Works marvels.
I just deep throat the steerer tube and set the race with my teeth.
It's good practice for future prison life.
It's good practice for future prison life.
I have a pedro's tool with a sleve guide that works great. After working with park tools all my life in shops and switching to this, i was in awe. When using the park tool without a guide, the nut usually doesn't startout strait in the tube. So in the process of pounding it in further, the threaded pin has to torque the nut out strait, vs. just being able to "push" it in. If you set enough starnuts, the gay little pins snap off, this is why Park sells replacement.
I guess the moral of my story is to buy a pedro's tool, or tool of any reputable brand as long as it has the simple little sleeve guide.