How necessary is head tube reaming and facing?

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  • Hey,

    I have a brand new surly steamroller frame, was going to get it reamed and faced before installing headset, which would cost £25-30. Just rang up Archway Cycles who said they didn't have tools for reaming and facing but could install headset for just £7.50. Just wondering if it is worth paying £20 extra?

    Thanks.

  • I have never had it done on any frame and never had a single headset issue. And that is combined with me banging the cups in with hammer and wood!
    It is not something I would even think of having done.

    Probably not best person to answer though as I never keep my frames long enough to see any headset issues :-)

  • hammer and wood FTW!

  • According to this, Surly frames are reamed. All you may want to do is remove paint?

    http://www.surlybikes.com/blog/spew/spew_9_care_and_feeding_of_your_steel_frame/

  • chase and face your frames people. esp if you want to fit a decent headset / BB

  • Contact Retro di Corsa and he'll likely do it much cheaper.

  • It is definitely worth doing, although only really cheap frames are usually so bad for problems to show up (i.e. the headset binds when turned or is loose, but you can't get a proper adjustment in between). I'd prefer it to be done before painting on an all-weather bike, or you'll eventually get rust streaks.

  • I have never had it done on any frame and never had a single headset issue. And that is combined with me banging the cups in with hammer and wood!
    It is not something I would even think of having done.

    Probably not best person to answer though as I never keep my frames long enough to see any headset issues :-)

    I tried this once but it left deep marks in my wood. So now I use a rubber mallet.

  • In the past I've ruined plenty headsets (Campag record, cheap steel Tange Levin etc..., Galli, Zeus, Stronglight needle, ....)
    For me it was a clear sign not to mess with alternative tools.
    I also learned that a TOO TIGHT headset could be ruined within 1 or 2 days, but a too loose headset didn't cause trouble.

    Since Shimano introduced cartridge type headset bearings, it became a bit easier.
    The cartridges have some degrees "play" inside the holders/cups and are able to find the right position.
    So, even if the headtube is not faced perfectly and the cups are not exactly parallel, the bearings sit perfectly.

    So, yes, I do assemble headsets without proper reaming/facing/ press-in tools and ride those bikes. If possible with Shmn headsets, butr sometimes others.
    But I strongly recommend all others to have the cups/cones installed with the right tools.

  • i had to show proof that i had my head tubed reamed and faced to get chris king to cover their warranty responsibilities, so i'd recommend doing it if you have decent parts.

  • paging retro di corsa ,,,,, paging retro di corsa

  • Go into 14...jake would do it for less then that. I'm sure.

  • I agree with everyone recommending reaming and facing the headtube before first assembly - you may be lucky and it happens to all sit square, but even the manufacturer recommends it which implies they don't do it even before adding the paint. It can make all the difference to handling and life of the headset, even to the point of invalidating the CK warranty as mentioned above. That said, I would normally be happy to do this for forumongers for a couple of beers, but sadly I only own the tool for 1" headtubes - they are really expensive and I don't deal with more than a handful of 1&1/8" frames a year. Remember that from a bike shop's point of view, the cost of doing jobs like this also reflects the cost of owning and replacing the expensive tools - they don't last forever if you use them! I also recommend chasing the BB threads and possibly reaming the seat tube, these I can do.
    Cheers H

  • i have an 1inch and 1and 1/8 inch headtube reamer and facer plus the same sizing for crown race seat tool , BB facer and chaser ITA/BSA if someone wants to have their prepping done......cheaper than in the shop.....also wheelbuilding, headset and bb fitting....anything really....just drop me a PM..

  • pm'd broken_777

  • The headset cups may not be the exact same diameter as the internal diameter of the headtube.
    You may be able to force the headset cups into the gap but this is not good for the frame.

    Forcing the cups into the frame could stretch, sounds silly, but you cold stretch or cause the steel/aluminiuim to crack. These maynot be visible to the eye and over time will increase with riding. You could also fuck the headset.

    I dont have the expensive tools so I use a half round and some rough wet'n'dry to just relive and bumps and surface layer of the frame. Headset can be fitted with out smashing the shit out of it with a block of wood and rubber mallet.

  • ^ Sorry, but the cups are not supposed to be the 'same diameter' as the headtube - if they were they would not fit correctly and work loose. They are supposed to be an interference fit, which means the headtube must be a fraction of a millimetre SMALLER than the cups, and the cups NEED to be a press fit in the headtube. If you can push them in without a tool the headtube is oversize already. Cleaning up paint with wet&dry is not a bad idea, but you should not be trying to increase the size of the headtube by removing metal this way - it also has to be perfectly round for the cups to fit correctly, hence the existence of the reamer tool which size it and makes it perfectly round - exactly.

  • Is head tube reaming and facing necessary if you are swapping headsets on a bike? Or just for new frames?

  • It should only need to be done once per frame lifetime, unless the headtube faces have become corroded or have excess paint (e.g. after powder coating). Occasionally it can also be an expedient way of getting a slightly under-length steerer on a replacement fork to fit.

  • Cheers, that's what I thought (hoped)!

    I'm swapping the stock Ritchey headset on my Fuji for a Chris King (because I want to learn how to install a headset and like nice components), tool-wise I'm considering plonking down for:

    Chris King Cup Press Adaptor 1 1/8 Inch
    Park Tool HHP3 - Home Mechanic Bearing Cup Press
    Park Tool RT1 - Head Cup Remover - 1-1.8 inch - 1-1.4 inch
    Park Tool CRS1 - Crown Race Setting System

    Opting to take a hammer and screwdriver to remove the existing crown race rather than get the Park Tool remover as it costs almost as much as the other tools put together. I don't mind paying for the tools as I know I will use them from time to time, but is it pointless getting stuff like the RT1 for occasional use, i.e. would removing the bearing cups with an old seatpost suffice? And can the Crown Race be safely installed with piping of the right material and size?

  • Not sure how necessary the Chris King Cup Press Adaptor 1 1/8 Inch is/are, depends how good a fit the cups are on the press - regarding a press I highly recommend this:
    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Cyclus_Headset_Press/5300003485/

    It is workshop quality and cheaper than Park (I think).
    You should be able to drift out the old cups with an appropriate blunt instrument, but make sure to go slowly and evenly so as not to distort the headtube.
    And yes, any bit of pipe that is a good fit (not too loose) on the steerer will be good to drift the crown race on, again make sure the end is cut square otherwise it won't go on evenly. You dont need a hammer, once it has got started use the fork as the driver and hold the tube still if you see what I mean. You can tell when it's home as the sound of the impact will change.

  • Cheers mate, ended up ordering the Cyclus press from ukbikestore, and they also have a dirt cheap cup remover (£12):
    http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/38/e221/ice-toolz-headset-cup-remover.html

    In terms of the piping, is it a case of seeing what's lying around the house or can you have a piece of PVC piping made to fit? Take it it would need to be an exact fit so as to not damage the bearings racers on the crown race...

  • PVC!? You are joking surely? Only steel is real when it comes to bashing things... or bring it round with a beer and I'll do it for you ;-)

  • Right, digging up more old threads in an attempt to get a headset into my damned frame... and until I get it sorted I can't get back out and training!

    After originally asking for advice here about what size headset I needed, I also emailed wiggle (who sell what looks like an identical frame under another name) and took my frame into my LBS. Anyway, all of this means I am 90% sure that I need a "Cane Creek Standard" integrated headset. However when my LBS tried to instal one, they found it a very close but unusually tight fit and said that they didn't want to risk damaging the headtube by trying to force the headset into place.

    Do you think that reaming/facing and possibly "re-champhering" is the correct option here? From the look of the paint on the frame it doesn't seem to have been reamed/faced before so having read the rest of the thread I'd guess so but just want to confirm.

    Is reaming a relatively straightforward process that most bike shops should be able to do? I don't want my frame destroyed in the process!

  • Similar question, how can I tell if the headtube on my new frame has already been faced? Its brand new and not been built up before - what are he chances that the factory already faced it?

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How necessary is head tube reaming and facing?

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