Bicycle Headset Cup Removal Tool

Intro: Bicycle Headset Cup Removal Tool

How to make a home-made bicycle headset cup removal tool.

You will need the following materials:
48" of 1/8" steel (square section preferable but rod could work)
1 16 penny nail
tape and/or thread and/or super glue

And the following tools:
Hacksaw

STEP 1: Bend & Cut

Cut 6 pieces of steel 8+ inches long

Put a uniform 10 degree bend 3 inches from one end of each piece

Cut the point of a 16 penny nail off such that the head and shank are 3 inches long

STEP 2: Bind and Tie

Uniformly arrange the 6 pieces of bent steel around the shank of the nail.

Bind each piece to the nail with thread or tape. If you're using thread a figure-8 twist will hold the pieces tight to nail while allowing other pieces to get tight too. This is tricky, you want everything bound up tightly, proceed with caginess :)

If you're using thread then repeatedly and tightly wind the thread around the assembly. Use super glue to cement threads together. Wrap the assembly in tape. This will serve as your handle. Leave the top exposed, you will strike the exposed steel ends with a hammer to drive the headset cup out.

STEP 3: Usage

To remove the bottom headset up:

Insert the handle end through the cup and up through the head tube. The splines will snap into place (on top of the bottom cup) as you draw the tool up.

Loosely hold the handle while striking the exposed ends of the steel pieces. Ensure that you are driving the headset cup out squarely, you do not want to risk damaging (ovalizing) the head tube by driving the cup out haphazardly.

As the cup exits the frame be prepared to catch it so that it doesn't fall and get dinged.

Comments

[shabbysquire]

Quite good!

In the UK, the cheapest head set removal tool I could get was about £20. It's virtually useless as the tip of the splines are quite thin and are prone to slippage, whereas this tool seems more robust and has increased surface area to get those pesky head sets out!

[BtheBike]

good idea and good work . this should also work for certain old bottom brackets too.

[PetervG]

1: What is it again? 2: It's just like the same picture over and over. If you can take pictures after can't you in between?

[nmr8]

1: It's a headset cup removal tool, again. 2: Yeah, I know. More pictures would be better. The how-to was an afterthought, I can't exactly take picture back in time. Perhaps you'd like to build the tool and document it's construction more rigorously?

[PetervG]

I still don't get what a headset cup removal tool is.

[trebuchet03]

It's to remove the cups (2 of them) out of a bike headset. The cups support the fork and bearings allowing you to turn safely ;) They are also pressed in, so they can also be pressed/forced out.