Crown Race

[NorthernSky]

i removed the crown race from an old (road) bike fork while refurbishing. i noticed it had split so was going to replace it
however i see you can buy crown races which are already pre split for ease of installation
so is there much point replacing it?

what are the pros/cons of press fitting vs a split one?
is it just an old technique?

thanks

 

[Big John]

It's unusual, but not impossible, for a crown race to split so are you sure it's definitely not a split one that was on the fork? Has this crown race got a sealed bearing above it or loose bearings? If it's a sealed unit I'd leave the old, split one on the fork but if it's loose bearings rolling round on it I'd probably go for a replacement, if that makes any sense.

 

[rogerzilla]

What size is it?

 

[NorthernSky]

inside diameter is 30mm outside 41mm (if my eyes aren't lying to me )

it's definitely broken @Big John , I must have done it removing it. didn't quite realise it would have been press fit originally
i've ordered a new sealed bearing to sit on top of it

i couldn't tell if the old bearing was seal or had just broken. i could see the bearings by removing the loose cover. whether is was meant to be loose or not i'm not sure.

 

[rogerzilla]

inside diameter is 30mm outside 41mm (if my eyes aren't lying to me )

it's definitely broken @Big John , I must have done it removing it. didn't quite realise it would have been press fit originally
i've ordered a new sealed bearing to sit on top of it

i couldn't tell if the old bearing was seal or had just broken. i could see the bearings by removing the loose cover. whether is was meant to be loose or not i'm not sure.

Ok, so it's a 1 1/8" headset. Crown races tend to be headset-specific to achieve a close fit between the crown race and the lower cup, so it's best to get the right one (if available as a spare part).

Split races are quite common for 1 1/8", less so for 1".

 

[NorthernSky]

thanks, i'll see what the new bearing sits like on it, and get a new one if it's not snug

 

[raleighnut]

By the sound of it that isn't a 'race' it a support spacer, a race would have balls or rollers actually in contact with it.

 

[NorthernSky]

By the sound of it that isn't a 'race' it a support spacer, a race would have balls or rollers actually in contact with it.

hmmm, could be right. i don't know much about headsets and there seems to be so many types.
i'll see how i get on with this new bearing

 

[raleighnut]

hmmm, could be right. i don't know much about headsets and there seems to be so many types.
i'll see how i get on with this new bearing

If it's the same as the old one you'll be fine

 

[FrankCrank]

By the sound of it that isn't a 'race' it a support spacer, a race would have balls or rollers actually in contact with it.

That was my initial thought. I think it's called a compression washer. In my experience they normally sit at the upper race, which is why I held back to comment. It's easy to take apart a headset and put the parts back together in the wrong order, which may be the case here.