Tips n Trix

[The Renaissance Man]

 

[ingola]

Very clever

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

that's been my go-to way for removing grips since learning it here on RRB when I joined.

 

[Ulu]

I like to blow them off with compressed air, but if the grips are old I soak them in hot water first.

So far I’ve never had to hammer one off, that I can recall.

 

[metalchewy]

I like to blow them off with compressed air, but if the grips are old I soak them in hot water first.

So far I’ve never had to hammer one off, that I can recall.

That's what I like todo as well except only use hot water if they are hard. I peel the edge back and put dish soap around the edge the use compressed air to blow the soap between the grip and the bar, and start to twist and they come off almost every time without issue.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

in the meantime, while you guys are off in search of hot water, soap and compressed air, the guy with the 7/8" wrench and a mallet took off both grips. haha

 

[ingola]

Placing the handle bars in the freezer works to but this is way easier

 

[Ulu]

Placing the handle bars in the freezer works…

That’s how they warm them up in Canada?

 

[68z27]

I tried that too but ran into some complications. So, I took the wheels off and tried just the frame, fork and bars but it still wouldn't fit.
Perhaps I'm doing something wrong.....

Placing the handle bars in the freezer works to but this is way easier

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I tried that too but ran into some complications

No no no, you're all backwards. That's the wheel in the freezer. What you want is to turn it upside down to get the grips in there

 

[68z27]

No no no, you're all backwards. That's the wheel in the freezer. What you want is to turn it upside down to get the grips in there

 

[Ulu]

I have a Wagner heat gun right next to the air compressor, so I don’t have to walk at all, unless the grips need to be washed too.

But for really old grips I do think that hot soapy water works the best, simply because they get more permeable with age and exposure.

Some plastics expand when you heat them and some shrink. This effect can also change with age. I am not hip to all the different plastics used.

 

[GeePig]

No no no, you're all backwards. That's the wheel in the freezer. What you want is to turn it upside down to get the grips in there

But you need to heat the rest of the bike up first, otherwise the heat in the bars will just be sucked away before you can the grips off.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

But you need to heat the rest of the bike up first, otherwise the heat in the bars will just be sucked away before you can the grips off.

That's just science

 

[RustySprockets]

I have a squeeze bottle filled with alcohol that I can squirt under the grip, then gently twist it until the bond is broken. It eventually works its way along the full length, the grip slides off easily, and the alcohol evaporates.

 

[Kevin B]

Disclaimer: Haven't tried this. Looks interesting.

 

[Ulu]

I saw some kids do this yesterday on TV, with a spray can duck taped to a sawzall. I was Waiting for the sawzall to puncture that can & watch it take off like a rocket painting spots over the whole shop.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

It's not complex, but I'll get Andre3000 to break it all down again

 

[MattiThundrrr]

The new chinese 27" fork had a problem

No crown race would fit snugly. Usually the race needs to be pressed on to fit. It had a tiny bit of play on this fork, and no other race in my parts would fit snugly, they are all the same. That race supports the most stress on the whole bike. I used aluminum tape wrapped about 8 times to get a good fit. Now the fork is good to go. Duct tape would have been too soft.

 

[Wildcat]

Usually a bearing race won't slide right on, the fork lip is slightly larger. It needs to be pressed on. I don't have a press, so I do it this way.
The fork sometimes needs to be filed down to fit the race. Only file a little at a time so the race fits very snugly. There can't be any play in the race.
Get your fork, the race, a hammer and wrench (could be anything larger than 1" or an adjustable wrench), bearing cap,
and a file if needed.
I always keep a nut on the end of the fork to protect the threads except when I'm working on it.

There's a lip where the race should sit.

Slide the cap over the race and line it up so the race is sitting level on the lip.

Now slide the wrench on, or line up a cresent wrench over the cap, keeping it lined up and level. This keeps the race from getting damaged. Tap gently and check it to see how it it sitting. If the race won't go on, increase the intensity of hammering. If it still won't seat all the way, you can file the lip. Do that little by little, frequently checking the race. When it looks close, then hammer it again. The race needs to be seated completely on the fork.

I made a video of how this works.