Originally Posted by
bulgie
Duly noted — I won't work on your bike! (I gotta ask though, how do you install or remove a crown race? Loosen a quill stem expander?)
I wouldn't like that to avoid assault with a deadly weapon, I have to use an inferior tool. Yeah I said it — the best press IMHO is inferior to a hammer, expertly wielded. I have a Var 07 but it's pretty much shop decor. After you tighten your cotters with whatever "proper" tool you like, I can get it in tighter with Mjolnir, and no damage done. I have done this test — use the Var and tighten the nut, then use the hammer and the nut is now slack, tightens a little more. You don't get that looseness in the nut if you reverse the order.
The super-brief peak force from a well-done hammer blow is higher than the static force you can get with a press.
I'm not trying to get anyone to switch to using a hammer. I agree that a good press is plenty good enough, and safer for most people who will never get enough hammer practice to get really good at it. That makes the press the best tool — for most people, tho not for me.
Mark B
Yup. And...
When removing a cotter, my favorite tool is a small vise made for use with a drill press. I put a socket (or some similar object) over the end of the cotter, tighten down on the vise until there's a fair amount of pressure pushing the cotter out. Then I bang on the vise with a hammer. One solid hit with the hammer, in the right direction, and the cotter pops right out. The hammer never touches the bike.