HillRider

Sure, if the races are smooth and not pock marked they can be made to work fine. Use decent quality bearing balls and good grease and you should be happy with it.

mattsl

Apologies for re-animating this zombie thread once more, but I made a serendipitous discovery of an inexpensive tool that fits. I found this thread after encountering a similar headset with the three notches on an 80's Univega. Thought this might help others who end up here via search.

My other hobby, homebrewing, came to the rescue. By my kegerator, I found my keg faucet wrench, used for attaching keg faucets to threaded shanks, like so



Turns out, this wrench is the right size to fit the notches in the headset:



You can google it as a "keg faucet wrench" or "keg spanner wrench." Mine cost $4 at the local homebrew store.

dedhed

A beer spanner is what I use on the "aero" headset lockring on my Gran Prix. Looks like this one.
cudak888 picture

Bill in VA

This! Use a brass punch to avoid marring or deforming the notch, or cracking the chrome plate on that headset.

Or go online and order a generic tool like this: https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bende...234533&sr=8-32

Dan Burkhart 

This is one of those times when one can be excused for resurrecting a zombie thread when useful info is added. Besides, reading through was entertaining.

Camilo

Enjoyed the thread very much and learned something. FWIW, unless I could have found the right tool locally, same day, I would have just taken a hammer and a drift / punch to it. Probably first tightened the adjustable cup to loosen the "problem" lock ring above it. Have used both of those techniques many times in my life.

As for the resurrection, absolutely worth while seeing a brewing tool put to good use.

Kimmo 

If you use a BB lockring tool you'll need to use a screwdriver or something to space the tool out so it doesn't pop out of the notch.

I think I read on here years back an AR-15 rifle wrench works, and you can pick em up for $5.

Lol, just noticed the mad zombie factor

sunburst

very cool discovery. And I've got a brewing supply store right down the street. Definitely a more elegant solution that my modded/filed pliers.
Btw, in post #74, I asked if these headsets can be made to work well. Mine did, and the overhaul has been very solid for years now.

Tenorsax

I recently went and broke the very same type of notched lockring on the headset of my kid's Bianchi - can anyone here point me to a source for such a part, or even a replacement headset? I've found some options online but would appreciate some knowledgable input before I spend the $$. Otherwise I'll have to try to scavenge for a whole bike, LOL! Thanks!

Raleigh71

Amazing!

I had this exact question a few months back when I was trying to service the headset on my c. 1985 (I think) Miyata 310 and was pointed to the tool illustrated above with the lock ring spanner tooth on a hinge.

It's an old fashioned tool but I actually bought one on ebay and It got shipped from Holland.

Here's the link to the previous thead on this:

Is there a dedicated tool to remove this steering tube lock ring.

And good luck with your 310. I think it's a great vintage bike.

vane171

It helps if you switch among the three notches, start with one, knock a bit, insert the screwdriver into the next notch and knock. Any hammer is fine, as long as you have some mechanical feeling for the job. But if you don't want to nick the ring at all, look around for old wrenches. To tighten the nut, also use one notch till almost tight and switch to second and third notch to finish the tightening.

Not sure how it is these days but in older days, new bikes came with basic tools in a pouch (often even in a small leather bag attached under the bike saddle) and one of those was a flat multi-nut wrench (nut holes of various sizes stamped into a flat wrench material) and the outer edges of this wrench were scooped out with a nob that would fit the nut cut out (like the one in OP pic). However it is probably much simpler to buy the Park tool as suggested here in the quote.

Tenorsax

Ice Toolz also currently makes a wrench for notched headsets, less expensive than Hozan, Park etc.

Crang

Wish I had found this thread a week ago. Just encountered one of these on a Tange Falcon headset on a Nishiki. The locknut was on gorilla tight and had to escalate through a few of the ideas in this thread that failed. A 3 day soak in Kroil and a torch failed. Park bottom bracket wrench too big. Hammer and screwdriver failed even with a BFH. My other hobby is wrenching on rifles so tried some specialty tools- the AR15 stock wrench repeated on this thread was too big. The one that fit was an M-14 Flash Hider Pliers- usually about $12 if you look around. Unfortunately for me, mine was too stuck despite the grip of this pliers, couldnt get leverage enough. Finally had to use giant channel lock pliers and mangle the nut.

Is there a source for a replacement locknut such as this? Its a gorgeous headset I would like to reuse otherwise.

Anyway- here are the M14 pliers- hopefully saves someone the trouble of using the AR stock wrench.

SurferRosa

I don't mind resurrecting an old threat as long as it's useful.

Personally, I wouldn't have a headset like this in my stable. There are much better solutions. (Cough! Campy Record. Cough!) But I've come across headsets like this on a bike I was overhauling. And I didn't have a "proper" tool. But I've always found something that worked -- usually some sort of combination between a screwdriver, rag and a bottom bracket spanner.

Ovenkooked

Thank you mattsl! This worked amazingly for my old Velo Sport!

macstuff

I've just thrown away the spanner lock ring and used the top nut to lock it down, Same as on 1/2 the headsets on Earth.
Done it on three bikes with no problems ever. The lock ring makes the top nut decoration.
I dont know how they could call it a high performance or high end headset design.
Heavy, and superfluous parts.