Mechanical BreakdownHomemade Crown Race Setting ToolFor about $10 at our local Ace Hardware store, we were able to construct two very critical, yet effective tools: the Headset Cup Press and the Crown Race Setting Tool, saving $190. For setting our Crown Race (which comes with the headset, providing the groove over which the bottom Headset Cup bearing rides along the top of the fork) we simply needed a pipe to fit over our 1 1/8-inch fork stem so we could slam the crown race down over the oversized flare where the stem meets the fork crown. Again, you need a special adapter from your Headset supplier (also Chris King in our case ~ $10) called a Crown Race Install Tool which prevents the force from crushing or deforming the race ring. For less than $5, we simply acquired a PVC Pipe from our local Ace Hardware store which was 13-inches long, 1 1/4-inches in diameter and has a 4mm sidewall (standard PVC Pipe); this gave us a pipe long enough and with a large enough diameter to fit over the fork stem with a little room to spare. We fitted a PVC Pipe cap onto one end and filed down the other end so that it was smooth and as flat as possible. Simply slide this tool over the stem after you place the race onto the stem flare and hit hard with a rubber mallet until the race is set flat onto the fork crown. It worked beautifully for us. Again, if you plan on doing one or two race settings per month, we recommend buying the Park Tool version which cost about $70.
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