Replacing a headset: frame prep needed?

[Sergeant Pluck]

I'm getting conflicting advice on this.

I want to replace the headset on a 6 year old alloy frame. There is nothing much wrong with the headset but I am renewing the forks and might as well do this too. The new headset will have a split crown race so that end of it should be fine. The existing headset races seem well located: although there is slight wear, there is no "binding" so I am assuming the races are parallel. I will be knocking the old races out with a proper tool. I will either borrow or make up a press to fit the new races.

Is there, then, any reason why I ought to have the frame prepped / re-faced??

[border-rider]

No.

I've done shedloads over the years and never had an issue.  If the headtube needed refacing you would, as you say, have had problems with the old headset

[Sergeant Pluck]

Didn't think so but thought I'd check, thanks. 

Both my LBSs obviously want my £.

[Polar Bear]

Should be fine.

I bought one of these.  To date I have used it three times but it is so easy to use and does such a spankingly good job that I'd never go back to threaded rods, big washers etc., or mallet and a bock of wood either! 

edit:  it has been used six times but only three by me:  Lent out three times too.

[Biggsy]

Some headsets are more fussy about alignment than others, so it is possible that refacing could help a different one.  But don't bother if you don't fancy a trip to the bike shop.  Facing tools are very expensive.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I am loath to pay for a proper press that'll probably only be used once in a blue moon. I'll come up with something hopefully. I'm fairly sure with FSA headsets the pressure can be applied on the outer / upper edges of the cups, avoiding the need for specially sized tubes to put on the press.

If it had needed facing that would definitely have been a bike shop job. Hopefully it'll be fine. The last time I put in a headset I was happy to whack the cups in with a hammer and woodblock.

On the subject of headset fitting, isn't it annoying when you buy a bike and the lettering on the cups is not facing the right way ?

I'm a bit like that though. 

[rafletcher]

I am loath to pay for a proper press that'll probably only be used once in a blue moon. I'll come up with something hopefully.

Easy - wot I did was obtaine a lenght of M10 threaded rod - about 400mm, 4 M10 nuts, and a selection of thick washers up to 40mm diamter - makes an acceptable headset press.

[mattc]

Slight thread hijack:
I've had concerns about my headset for ages. It didn't seem to get better when I had it replaced!
Even if I think I've adjusted it right, it seems to be slightly stiffer with the bars turned left than turned right.

I'm suspecting non-straightness or misalignment of some component. Is refacing a good thing to try here? (I'm happy to pay my LBS, but not if it's unlikely to help).

M
p.s. I replaced a couple of headsets as a kid just using block of wood + mallet. No problems - but they were pretty crude/robust bikes ...

[Woofage]

Sorry for thread hijack #2.

I have a steel frame that needs a new headset. How best to remove the old one?

[Biggsy]

I am loath to pay for a proper press that'll probably only be used once in a blue moon.

That's understandable.  However, the Cyclus press works so beautifully that you forget about the cost.  There's no physical difficulty or worry about damage.

[andygates]

Sorry for thread hijack #2.

I have a steel frame that needs a new headset. How best to remove the old one?

'it it wi' 'ammer.

Remove the fork assembly so you've just got the races.  Find a Sturdy Rod that's a good bit longer than your head tube and use that as a drift to belt the old races out of the frame - go in through the top to engage the drift with the lip of the bottom race, and vice versa.

The fork cone responds to similar treatment.

[bikenerd]

I have a steel frame that needs a new headset. How best to remove the old one?

What Andy said.
If you can get a bit of brass or copper rod, all the better.  That way the damage will occur to the softer rod rather than your headset races or frame.

[Biggsy]

Slight thread hijack:
I've had concerns about my headset for ages. It didn't seem to get better when I had it replaced!
Even if I think I've adjusted it right, it seems to be slightly stiffer with the bars turned left than turned right.

I'm suspecting non-straightness or misalignment of some component. Is refacing a good thing to try here? (I'm happy to pay my LBS, but not if it's unlikely to help).

Check it's nothing to do with the cables.  If not that, I'm not sure how likely facing is to help.  I would be inclined to try new bearings or another headset first.

p.s. I replaced a couple of headsets as a kid just using block of wood + mallet. No problems - but they were pretty crude/robust bikes ...

...And headsets, probably.  I wouldn't want to bash a lightweight alloy cup like that.  And it's easier with some bike/headset combinatons than others due to sizes sometimes being slightly different from what they're supposed to be.  Headsets can be extremely tight, hence why proper presses are so large and heavy.

Re Hijack #2:
Old headset is best removed by a proper headset remover tool, or cheapest by any old tubing or rod you can find of the right size.  Insert into head tube and bash with a club hammer.

[Sophie Days.]

There's two issues to consider when deciding if any facing and reaming work is needed:

Firstly, when aluminium is welded it's unlikely that the headtube will stay round. A lot of high end frames that develop cracks in their headtubes are because they have never been reamed back to round after manufacture. Titanium and steel also distort, but along with with cheap, thick walled aluminium, are better able to resist being pushed back into shape by the new headset.

Secondly, the more expensive the headset, the tighter the tolerances in the bearings. It would seem a waste of money to fit a Chris King headset and not take the time to make sure it's in parallel and with the load being taken equally by all the bearings.

If it's going to be in the frame slightly 'a kilter', you might as well use something cheap where the differing size of ball bearings will make misalignment of no further disadvantage.

[Ian H]

You can make an adequate headset press with studding, nuts,and washers, as noted above. The main advantage of a proper tool is that it keeps the bearings in alignment so that they go in square and easily.

Reading Sophie's post, it occurs to me that being too cavalier with a hammer on an ali frame risks distorting or stretching the head tube - not that you can't do it, but more care needed.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Hijack away 

Lots of good info there.

I've decided just to get some 10 mm threaded rod and appropriate nuts and washers - costs buttons. I realise there is a risk that this will not fit the races totally parallel but I can't justify another £40 for this one-off job. Maybe when I have more space and do more fettling, yes, but not now so hopefully this will do the job. I'm fitting a fairly mid-range FSA headset as the bike doesn't warrant Chris King expenditure.

I'll let you know how it goes when the headset arrives.

[Ian H]

I've decided just to get some 10 mm threaded rod and appropriate nuts and washers - costs buttons. I realise there is a risk that this will not fit the races totally parallel but I can't justify another £40 for this one-off job.

They will go in parallel. The only risk is that they start off at a cock and thus distort the tubing. Take care as you begin to tighten the nuts that the races are sitting straight. It may take a couple of restarts to get it right.

[Woofage]

I have a steel frame that needs a new headset. How best to remove the old one?

What Andy said.
If you can get a bit of brass or copper rod, all the better.  That way the damage will occur to the softer rod rather than your headset races or frame.

Done it! I remembered that I had a short length of 30-something mm copper tube and used that. The bottom section came out without too much difficulty but the top cone was a real b***er!

[andrew_s]

Re Hijack #2:
Old headset is best removed by a proper headset remover tool, or cheapest by any old tubing or rod you can find of the right size.  Insert into head tube and bash with a club hammer.

Tubing is better than rod if it's the right size. The shape is a better match for the lip on the inside of the frame cup, and you can hold it in place with a finger on the inside.
I use a steerer rescued off a bent pair of forks.