Can this / should this cone come off for painting?
 

If so, how? Is it threaded?

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6b0ac2c479.jpg

Thats a crown race. Yes, it has to come off. Head to a bike shop or co op and have them pull it for you. And try not to paint where you reinstall it, as you will have to remove the paint in that area. Quick job with the right tool.

I use a bearing separator for this job. Crude tool that works OK, but not as good as a better tool, like we have at the co op.

Be sure to remove the headset cups on the frame as well, as well as bottom bracket cups.

I would just mask it off and paint away. If you paid someone to drive it off, you would just have to pay someone to drive it back on. In the long run no difference. Mask, paint.

Depends on the paint job. If going for a pro job, yeah, you may need to pull the race off the fork crown. If it's a home rattle can job, masking it may suffice. If powder coating, it (usually) must be removed.

I purchased an inexpensive puller tool like this $24 one:

crown race tool on amazon

It works best when getting it in place and working the race off by hitting the tool with a rubber mallet.

To reinstall, I use a 9" long section of 1" pvc pipe and the mallet (or floor).

Back in my bike shop days we had a section of galvanized sprinkler pipe that fit over the steerer. Use it like a slide hammer and the crown race goes right on.

Thanks y'all. That answers my question: it's not threaded, it's the same as the headset cups. Wanted to know before I mangled it trying the wrong way.Think I'll take it in to our machine shop at work and see if there's something that can help me get it off. If nothing looks like it'd work, I might just mask it. Or I could stop by a bike shop.

Getting it back on should be okay. We have many sizes of pipe scraps that should work. That's how I got the headset cups off.

For steel crown races, I clamp the fork upside down in my vise and tap it off with a hammer and punch. Light taps all around do the job.

I've done this many times, though nowadays I would use a purpose-made slide hammer. Very light taps working around the circumference will quickly remove it. The crown race seat is only a few mm high so as soon as you get past that, the race will fall off the steerer tube.

But if you take it of you need a crown race milling too to clean the paint off

-----

...masking after removal and prior to respray should suffice...



-----

This method works fine if you are careful. BITD we knocked these off in the shop with a Campagnolo tool and hammer. The campy remover was just a honkin U shaped steel thing. I'm not sure what the advantage of these newfangled fancy tools is. Oh, I guess you don't want to be hammering on carbon forks...

If you do take the fork to the shop, take it there after painting to have the surface faced before a new headset crown race is installed. This wasn't always done on production bikes. (I don't know what kind of bike this is)