 Easiest way to put on the lower cone (If it's not a split type) is to get a block of wood, drill a hole slightly bigger than the 1 1/8" diameter of the steerer tube through the centre of the block of wood and put that over the bearing cone (The fork steerer goes through the hole), hitting the wood on either side of the steerer with a hammer (Or just hammering with the wood depending on the weight of a block you've got) to push the cone on. If you want to make a cheap headset press, I made one from two 1cm ish thick plates of steel (Cut from 50 or 60mm diameter bar stock), with a hole in their centre, which I run some M12 threaded bar through, using nuts on the bar to squeeze the headset cups in - just make sure the cups are straight as you press them in - by using a thicker threaded bar and thicker plates, possibly with a conical surface if you want to be really fancy, it should be possible to make a headset press that centres and aligns automatically, still for very little money compared to buying an official one. A splayed style headset cup remover can be made from an old handlebar (Preferably a steel one) if you're careful too, though they're available cheaply enough now that it's not worth the effort of making one unless you have the parts already and a lot of free time: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10223 ...
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 or you could take a pack of bickies with you to your lbs and ask nicely
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| Edited: 17/07/08 15:53 |
or you could take a pack of bickies with you to your lbs and ask nicely whoops
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| Edited: 17/07/08 15:53 |
 Biccies don't pay the mortgage....
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 Biccies don't pay the mortgage....
But they do make fat freindly spanner monkies.
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It irks me a little that "spanner monkeys" are expected to do favours for folk for biscuits / jaffa cakes. If you didn't buy the part from the shop why should they fit it for a couple of hob nobs? How many other industries would you try this in? Builders? Carpenters? Car mechanics? Nope, they would quite rightly tell you to sling your hook. I don't even do jobs on mates bikes for biscuits. Hard cash or lager thank you!
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 What about Cadbury's chocolate rolls?
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maybe by giving them bickies in return for a favour does not give shops an income but by doing that i would go back in to the shop and but some thing because they were helpfull
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karl just going out if you can make it 
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 Easiest way to put on the lower cone (If it's not a split type) is to get a block of wood, drill a hole slightly bigger than the 1 1/8" diameter of the steerer tube through the centre of the block of wood
What, with a 1 1/8" drill bit?! Not sure many people would have one lying around, unless they build ships for a hobby... Easiest way is to use threaded bar as you say. Others I've seen include old BMX hubs, g-clamps, and a sash cramp.
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 Buy the part from the LBS. £10 more - free fitting usually. Used to do it myself but now can't be bothered, especially with £1000 plus frames. There's a lot to loose and littlte to gain.
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 Or, you can buy the 'rocket' tool for £10, a headset press for £35 - £80 (depending on how posh you want your tools to be) and a race seating tool (read: Big tube that slides over the steerer and has an enclosed end for you to tap on) for about £20. For less than £100 you could have all the tools you'll need to do the job and charge your friends £5 every time they need it done.
To quote a mechanic friend of mine: Spankin'
While I can understand people thinking it's in a bike shops interest to do things like fitting headsets for free - it really isn't and if you're buying bits off the internet to save a few quid, why the bloody hell should they help you out for nothing? You want good service and someone you can visit - buy from your LBS, you want to save money and do it yourself - buy over the internet. If you go the internet route be prepared to book your bike into the workshop and pay for the work you're having done.
All this is irrelevant if you have a good relationship with your LBS of course as I'm sure they'd be only to pleased to help out a mate.
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| Edited: 20/07/08 17:50 |
 or you could take a pack of bickies with you to your lbs and ask nicely A great course of action that one, spend a few pennies in there then rock up with cakes on a day you know the gaffer isn't there = free work! Or even better present a problem that annoys one of the mechanics so that he wants to get it sorted.... this got me a free headtube facing once! schweeet!
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 My new headset and forks should be arriving tomorow which means i shall start building my 456  I have a rocket tool to remove my old cups even though i don't need to as i have a new headset and i have a cyclus headset press. It was 40 quid and tomorow it will be pressing its 4th headset. Tbh i just prefer having the tools to do it at home. Saves money in the long run.
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Too right, I've got all the kit and I have put in and out about 6 headsets on my own bikes and numerous mates have borrowed them, so they have definatly earnt themselves back again in terms of saved money from the bike shop. Also taking a headset cup out makes it a lot easier to service it properly.
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And you get the added satisfaction of the right tool for the job
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