Budget Head Set Press

[Smiley]

Which one do you own, looking to press my own olives :)

[old fat man]

bought some threaded 1/2" pipe at home depot, four big washers and two nuts to thread onto the 1/2" pipe. for the 1-2 headsets i press per year this has been a great solution. not as classy as the ones made for such a job but it was cheap and effective enough.

[Volant]

I did the same as OFM, but then, pricepoint and nashbar both put theirs on sale (they're both the same, one is black the other chrome). I had a 30% coupon from Nashbar, so I was able to snag theirs for $31. At that price, it's been a great product. Much better than the threaded rod and washers. Wait for a coupon, or special, and then pick one up.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14606-325_SETHP5-2-Accessories-42-Tools/Sette-Torx-ST-107-Bearing-Cup-Press.htm

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_125105_-1_201459_10000_201460

[xjoex]

I have the pricepoint one, its ok.

I used to use the threaded rod. That works well.

The pricepoint one is nicer only because it keeps the cups centered in the headtube.

I think I paid $25 for it on sale. From the looks, the pricepoint, nashbar and performance ones are all the same.

More pics and a review of the pricepoint one:
http://robonza.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-pricepoint-headset-press.html


-Joe

[keevon]

I built one of these to press a headset recently, worked alright. I ended up pressing in one cup at a time rather than both, and still had trouble keeping the cups aligned. Turned out fine, though.

http://www.cyclesnack.com/2008/12/diy-headset-press.html

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Iy5WWtdCTX0/SUULtqQZ4_I/AAAAAAAAEns/CYr1ZFRYhbw/s400/IMG_9778.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Iy5WWtdCTX0/SUR1fpYjt3I/AAAAAAAAEmo/-8TwqQHat3k/s400/IMG_9790.JPG
(not my images)

[jvp]

just make sure you don't do this:
http://web.me.com/awcg/iWeb/Springwood/Photos%202_files/purple1.jpg

as documented here:too much press (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=9732747&posted=1#post9732747)

[caleb]

I ended up pressing in one cup at a time rather than both, and still had trouble keeping the cups aligned. Turned out fine, though.


Even with the Park press I've never tried to do both cups at once. Seems like a lot of moving pieces to keep track of when the costs of failure are fairly high.

[eddief]

works pretty good, but i've had a couple of tight ones that required patience and prayer:

http://www.mindspring.com/~d.g1/headset.html

[KJMUNC]

Ditto what eddief and others have said, although I've just used the cheap-o version sans bronze bushings. Works fine for me and I've pressed in cups on everything from steel to carbon. $8.50 at my LHS.

[derosa_guy]

Do yourself a favor and buy a real headset press. I'm not going to say that the threaded rod doesn't work, but dude, buy a real press. Unless you are installing headsets on Huffys (non-Serotta built) you should be using real bike tools. Take pride in your tools! Besides, we're talking $55 here.

[acorn_user]

Bike tools etc has a couple of options below $80.
http://biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=662696828827&c=Tools&sc=Headset&tc=Press-Sets

[David Kirk]

Back in my racing days I needed to press a headset in at a hotel and I didn't have a press. Two blocks of wood, a car and a car jack got the job done.

Can anyone guess how it's done?


dave

[R2D2]

Back in my racing days I needed to press a headset in at a hotel and I didn't have a press. Two blocks of wood, a car and a car jack got the job done.

Can anyone guess how it's done?


dave
Lower the wheel onto top block while bottom block on ground and headset in between?

[jvp]

Probably not the wheel, just a flat part of the undercarriage frame lowered onto the top block., very slowly and carefully I imagine.

[woolly]

Doorframe of hotel room?

Edit - Doh - you said "car" too.

Back in my racing days I needed to press a headset in at a hotel and I didn't have a press. Two blocks of wood, a car and a car jack got the job done.

Can anyone guess how it's done?


dave

[Dekonick]

Wouldn't the cost of the car just make it cheaper to buy a press? :p

[JD Smith]

Wouldn't the cost of the car just make it cheaper to buy a press? :p

He never said the car was his.

[Volant]

Back in my racing days I needed to press a headset in at a hotel and I didn't have a press. Two blocks of wood, a car and a car jack got the job done.

Can anyone guess how it's done?


dave

You threw the two blocks of wood in the back seat, pawned the jack, and drove to the local LBS to have it installed with a Park HHP-2??

[David Kirk]

Probably not the wheel, just a flat part of the undercarriage frame lowered onto the top block., very slowly and carefully I imagine.

You guys nailed it.

Lower the rocker panel onto the block of wood. Install one cup at a time to reduce the chance of them cocking.

It was stressful when I did this but funny looking back on it now. The crowd of racers standing around watching at the time only added to the mood.

Dave

[David Kirk]

You threw the two blocks of wood in the back seat, pawned the jack, and drove to the local LBS to have it installed with a Park HHP-2??

Way off but probably would have been the best thing to have done. your reply gets the "made milk come out my nose" award!

holy **** that's funny.

Dave