Anyone have a good trick for getting a tight crown race off? This one is on there really tight. I’ve never had one fight me like this before.
Tight crown race removal
- Thread starter CRASH
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
- Joined
- May 18, 2020
- Messages
- 849
- Reaction score
- 3,069
Two tips, I use a heat gun to warm stuck items and sweat penetrating oil (PB Blaster) into the gaps. There is a magic heat range where you can see the oil bubble into the gap as it penetrates, it is before there is any smoking but not much. Tip two is to tap it on tighter around the perimeter which frequently breaks things loose and with surface imperfections causes the stuck part to wobble up, then followed by normal wedging it out.
Edit for one more tip. The wedges that you can buy for hammer handles installation can be sharpened and tapped in around the base perimeter
Edit for one more tip. The wedges that you can buy for hammer handles installation can be sharpened and tapped in around the base perimeter
Last edited:
The embarrassing part is I installed it. That fork is bare metal. I was doing a mock up build. 
I use the same method. And then use a finely beveled putty knife to get under the race
My late BIL was a tractor mechanic for 50 years. He used to heat stubborn parts up with a torch and yell, "Shock the shaft!", then start hammering away.
I have had the unpleasantness a few times. The knife trick is always the one I use and it always worked for me. You need a knife with a rather thin blade, maybe a fruit knife. Then you carefully hammer it between the crown and the race and once it is stuck you carefully apply some pressure in all directions, just don't break the knife. Switch sides. Eventually it should get loose.
Last edited:
Thanks for all the help! I had a whole list of steps to try. I started with the wire wheel to smooth the steer tube so it would move easier if I got it loose. 5 seconds in with the wire wheel it popped loose! I feel stupid. I wrestled with that thing for 30 minutes last night, didn’t move an iota! So.. all done. I’m going to sand out the inside to give it a little more of a gap to accommodate for the paint. Thanks for all the help!
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Is that just a Y with a wedge ground into it? Interesting. I gougeded the heck out of the aluminum fork crown on RockRat jamming a screwdriver in there...
It is. Like hammering two flat screwdrivers a time!
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Wow, that's efficient, I could make twice as many gouges that way!
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
It's quite effective for removing sobriety, but not so much for crown races.
"The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all
And the sky was never blue
The stars are raindrops searching for a place to fall
And I never cared for you
I know you won't believe these things I tell you
No, you won't believe
Your heart has been forewarned all men will lie to you
And your mind cannot conceive
Now all depends on what I say to you
And on your doubting me
So I've prepared these statements far from true
Pay heed and disbelieve"
"The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all
And the sky was never blue
The stars are raindrops searching for a place to fall
And I never cared for you
I know you won't believe these things I tell you
No, you won't believe
Your heart has been forewarned all men will lie to you
And your mind cannot conceive
Now all depends on what I say to you
And on your doubting me
So I've prepared these statements far from true
Pay heed and disbelieve"
I’ve used utility knife blades and a hammer to tap around the race, then a thin blade screwdriver to gently pry up. The process takes a little time. I recommend a pair of gloves cuz them blades be sharp! I don’t know this from experience.....
Liar![emoji15]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Liar![emoji15]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
