adlai

Like, there's no reason for the diameter to increase that muchamuch the bottom of the tube. Putting the crown race over the 1 1/8 steerer it already is fairly snug. Knocking it fairly hard doesn't get it down enough and what little I can get down the paint is rubbing off. It would make more sense to just trim some material off.

I'm afraid that in the process of installing the crown race I'm going to crack the fork.

kingston 

You think that’s hard. Wait till you try to take it off.​​​​​​

Russ Roth

If it's painted is it metal? If so take it to a good shop and have them cut the crown race to size, you might be screwing up the race. If carbon you can try sanding down the clear coat.

79pmooney

There shouldn't be paint on the crown at the race. I don't know carbon fiber but a steel fork should be bare metal. I trust that you know there are several IDs for fork crown races. If this is a 1" fork (traditional steel) there are the European ISO and the Japanese JIS standards. Not very different but enough. Also everything is built to tolerances. A fork that is pushing the max and a crown that is pushing the min will be a very tight fit. A bikeshop with the proper cutter can bring your fork to correct. Easy job, expensive tool. While there, the shop can also face the headset so the top and bottom are exactly parallel. This can make a big different in hol long the next will last.

Even if all is proper, crown races are a tight fit. Not a place you ever want play. And races go 5-20,000 miles with very little attention. Good tools make installation far easier. Search other threads for homemade tools from pipe and threaded rod from Home Depot or the like. I bought the Park headtube race remover for !$60 as I recall and spent maybe $25 for everything else at Home Depot and used hacksaw ans file to make the tools.

Ben

Edit: posted accidentally before finishing

skidder

If you had the proper tool it'd take 10-15 seconds to hammer it into place on the fork. The old Nashbar used to sell one for $10 that worked great. Sometimes you can do it with a piece of galvanized pipe of the right size, but that can screw-up the bearing surface on the crown race.

Bigger 'grunt' for me was always the headset. I use the all-thread with washers and bolts method (easy to find on the internet). Buy the parts at Home Depot, Lowes, or similar. It's a 10 minute job in a bike shop, about 45-60 min at home using the all-thread method. MTB headtubes are thicker, takes more 'grunt' and force to get the headset seated correctly.

JayKay3000

Should be fine, just get a lot of lube, some pvc pipe with a similar diameter and a rubber mallet and give it a couple of love taps. Lube is mainly to stop it welding itself to the fork if water gets in.

I got my old race off by using a screwdriver and rubber mallet with a piece of bubble wrap over the end of the screwdriver and didn't damage the race or the fork.

Some of them are the split ring type of which I much prefer.

63rickert

Verify the diameter of crown race seat (on the fork) and the diameter of the crown race. There should be no paint on crown race seat. There should be no obvious clear coat on a carbon fork. Frame should have been prepped with a cutting tool and that would have removed any paint. Get this right. Whenever I work on old bikes it is wrong almost as often as right. Give people multiple “standard” sizes and they will make endless errors.

If you do not own a vernier caliper or do not know how to use one have the job done at a shop.

Miele Man

When I install a crown race without using the "proper" tool, I use an old crown race turned upside down resting on the new crownrace, to protect the new crown race bearing surface.

I also lube the area the new crown race is going on and also the inside of the head tube on the bicycle where the headset cups are going.

Cheers

nomadmax 

That right there ^ and get some engine assembly lube.

Miele Man

I just use the same marine grease that I use on my bearings and on my pedal threads.

Cheers

canklecat

Yeah, I took my fork to the LBS to pull the crown race before I send the headset to Chris King to be overhauled. The LBS has the pricey but excellent Park tool for pulling the crown race safely. Took them a minute and they charged only $5, but I gave them $10. Great shop. I'll take the fork and frame back to the LBS after the overhauled headset arrives to let their mechanic use their proper press to install it.

However I did buy one of those inexpensive split-end metal tube doodads for $20 to remove the press fit headset. That's easy and safe. Doing the reverse without the proper tool? Not so easy.

veganbikes

So hard? You just tap it on with the right tool it is generally quite easy. Unless you have the wrong crown race or you have excessive paint or something odd like that it should be fairly easy.