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Is it harmful to replace the race on an alumimum steerer?

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Is it harmful to replace the race on an alumimum steerer?

Old 07-29-07, 12:04 AM
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Is it harmful to replace the race on an alumimum steerer?

I am installing a new Ritchey WCS headset on a Lemond Poprad, including replacing the race on the aluminum fork (which has an aluminum steerer). I haven't worked with aluminum steerers before...is there any problem with changing races on an aluminum steerer? I'm asking because I removed the old race carefully and went to install the new one, but the new one slips onto the steerer with minimal effort (all the way to the fork) - it is not tight enough. I'm hoping it's just a problem with the new race, but I'm worried that perhaps the metal on the aluminum steerer was "mashed" to a particular shape by the previous race, and now a new race won't fit properly (?). Is this a concern with aluminum steerers? AFAIK this is the first time the race has been changed on this fork.
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Old 07-29-07, 12:28 AM
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race remover

how did you remove the race? hammer and punch? crown race remover?
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Old 07-29-07, 01:33 AM
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Hammer and flat-tipped punch, working slowly and evenly around the race.
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Old 07-30-07, 10:58 AM
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Did you check the crown race diameter of the old and the new parts? There are two standards out there 26.4mm and 27.0mm.
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Old 07-30-07, 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Steev
Did you check the crown race diameter of the old and the new parts? There are two standards out there 26.4mm and 27.0mm.
+1...
I'll bet you have the 27 on there and need the 26.4
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Old 07-31-07, 04:26 PM
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It's a 1-1/8" steerer, so there should just be one standard, right? It turns out the problem was with the race (whew). I took the fork to my LBS, they slipped on a couple of other 1-1/8" races, and there was plenty of interference in the fit. The LBS mechanic surmised the Ritchey race slips all the way on because the race is aluminum, but I don't see why that should make any difference. I measured the race ID with my calipers and it was 30mm, as it should be. Weird. Anyway, I found another race that matches the Ritchey race pretty closely and fits the steerer just fine. Thanks for the comments.
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