There aren't many welders where I live but I have been able to contact some of them. One told me that he didn't have the specific tool to deal with that part of the frame. Another told me that no welding was needed and that that part could be changed… And the last one I contacted told me that that part is where the bearings go, which is correct, but he recommended I just changed it. It seems that the last two thought that the cracked part is moveable…
So, what do you think, guys? Can I save this bike? This bike is dear to me because it was a gift from my grandmother. It is a 2001 full-suspension bike. I have serviced and repaired everything else but this is something that escapes from my knowledge, skills and equipment.
Thank you.
by Redditalan17
9 Comments
The bearing race that’s cracked is not part of the frame, it’s just a small piece of the headset. You can buy a new headset for like 20$, no expensive tools required.
You can just hammer that part out from the bottom of the head tube. Get a beefy flat head screwdriver or something similar and place it on the lip from the bottom of the head tube and hammer it around in a circle until it pops out then buy a new one.
I can entirely tell from the photos – Is that an external or internal headset? If it’s external, then just buy a new one.
If it’s internal (integrated) headset, then … you also need to buy a new one because no one is going to weld that for you, and if they did it would cost more than the price of a replacement bicycle.
The bearing race isn’t a part of the frame. Have it pulled out in your local bike shop and get a new set.
If you want to do it yourself, you’ll need something like [this tool](https://www.parktool.com/en-us/product/head-cup-remover-rt-1).
Or just go to your nearest bike co-op & get a top cup/bearing race for a pittance.
great time to upgrade to a sealed headset.
You can definitely replace that with a new headset. Now, my question is how the heck did that happen? If it was a collision or big fall the bike may have other issues too.
Just replace the headset? clearly isn’t part of the frame.. you can see where they are separated
Why not just go to a bike shop? They have the tools for it and would knock that out and press in a new one in few minutes.