Token bb installation

On the right is the driver—the hitch expands over the end and connects with the BB cup inside the BB shell. This is how the driver and hitch will sit inside the BB shell. The bearing-cup retainer screws onto the bolt which hold the driver and hitch square to the BB cup as you turn the bolt. These ruBBer retainers are fairly heavy duty.

But a good supply of extras comes standard with this toolset. With the bottom bracket still fully installed, the split steel hitch must be first inserted in behind it. The technique is to feed the hitch through on its side. Then rotate it forward. The driver inserts into it from the opposite side, then pushes the hitch flush against the inside of the bottom bracket cup.

The bolt is next. It inserts straight through. When the retainer sits snug against the BB shell rim, it acts as a nut to the bolt. Turning the bolt pressures the driver, with the hitch evenly applying pressure to the BB cup. No real force is required here. With a few turns of the bolt, the BB is progressively pushed out into the retaining cup.

A great advantage here, of course, is that you need not worry about the bottom bracket as it comes out. There will no be falling to the floor with this unit. You simply extract the driver and hitch together with the BB sitting in the retaining cup. Once you wind the retainer off the bolt, the bottom bracket is clear of everything. Or you can slip it back over the driver. You get a clearer picture of how this works when extracting the bottom bracket from the opposite side.

Because the bottom bracket has been removed from this side, you can insert the driver with the split steel-hitch already in place. Push the bolt through. Then the whole lot exits the shell from that side. If you are using a self-installing press fit BB such as the GP30, installation is a breeze.

That unit also comes with its own wrench, specific to the model. The video also demonstrates the process described here in exhaustive detail.

Applying grease makes sense where it is necessary to assist in the surfaces smoothly moving past each other. Or, in other words, so they do not seize up because they are too tight to easily turn into the BB shell.

Whether or not you will have to deal with a creaking pf30 BB sooner or later largely comes down to tolerances.

The first consideration is the BB shell. Frame manufacturers are exceedingly precise in machining the bottom bracket shell. If the specification is an ID of 46mm, you will likely find deviations of perhaps 0.

This one measures between Yes, your [alloy] frame could b e out by as much as 4mm. Nevertheless it may happen that your pf30 bottom bracket or the BB shell—or if you are really unlucky to get two outliers, both! In that case, some grease, or loctite, may be required to quieten things down. You should certainly follow manufacturers advice on what to in this situation.

Or experiment. There are many variables involved when it comes to how a bike behaves as an integrated unit. All come together uniquely for any particular bike build. And, as with the BB removal, we install one side at a time. These are the two instruments we need. The ring mounts onto the press-bracket.

Because this toolset is multifunctional, that recess serves other purposes. In order for the press-bracket to fit perfectly to the pf30 bottom bracket face, we need to temporarily fill that space. The first action is to seat the bottom bracket cup by hand as far into the cup as it can go. Then fit the ring to the press-bracket.

On the right is the 30mm outer diameter extension that will sit where the spindle will be installed later. This is threaded, so the bolt screws into it. The convex side will fit perfectly into the bottom bracket shell on the opposite side. We slot it into place and all that remains is to thread the bracket onto the bolt. This is the view just as the 30mm extension is about to enter the bottom bracket proper.

Once it does, the whole assemblage squares up. Even though the BB cup is sitting slightly askew in the BB shell here, it will be pushed parallel to the BB shell face almost immediately. It only takes a few turns of the bolt to pull the press-bracket in, and with it, our pf30 bottom bracket. Snug as a bug. Installing the BB in the opposite side means a small change in how we use the tool. Because we have already installed the pf30 BB into one side of the BB shell, this piece is designed to fit right over the top of it.

This way there will be no pressure exerted on the BB cup. Both sides tighten clockwise and loosen counterclockwise. Begin by removing both cranks. Inspect the threaded cups for tool fittings. There are many different designs and tool options.

Insert the tool fully and remove the non-drive left-side cup by turning counterclockwise, holding the tool firmly to the cup. Remove any internal sleeve. Take note of any spacers under the cup for reassembly. Begin with thread preparation. New cups may come with dry threadlocker already applied. The sleeve slides along the bearing cup as you press the cup in with the seal in place at that position. This variant has the same options. A self-installing, self-extracting model like this is the way to go should you be looking to avoid having to use a dedicated toolset.

A Shimano 16T wrench is all you need. Mount both sides into the bottom bracket shell. Then turn the drive side with the tool. The internal threads draw each side into the BB shell. Extract it by turning the drive side BB cup counter clockwise. This is a good move, by the way. The idea behind the BB92 standard is creating a beefier frame around a 24mm standard drive train.

Two different things entirely—apples to oranges if you like. BB30 refers to the spindle diameter, specifically:. BB92 refers to the bottom bracket shell width, specifically:. In this section I cover both installation and removal on a mountain bike. A very important point: avoid employing an impact tool to remove a press-fit bottom bracket.

You run the shaft, blunt end first, through the bottom bracket. You grab a hammer and bang away on the blunt end. The longer the bottom bracket has been in place, the harder the removal. Ok, not necessarily. Precisely machined tools, comprised of CNC-honed components, enable quick and gentle bottom bracket removal including BB92 along with all other types of press fit bottom bracket.

The video demonstrates in fine detail how to carry out installation or removal quickly and easily. For a summary keep on skimming down the page, or check out the video for detailed coverage of the procedure.

First up, a simple grease preparation procedure is important. Applying a light smear of grease to both the bottom bracket bearing cups and the bottom bracket shell is advised.

Installation and, maybe more importantly, removal becomes easier. There is is no particular method of application. I would make the point though, that if you mess around with bikes a lot, you will be in frequent contact with a variety of chemicals in the oil, grease, and de-greasers you use over the years.

Over the long term your skin will continually absorb tiny amounts. Over the long term that adds up. In the interests of reducing the odds of damage to your health somewhere down the track, keeping a barrier between your skin and these chemicals is beneficial.

Smearing grease on with a fine brush — a toothbrush will do the job — or fingers nitrile gloves are recommended is enough. All you need is a light smear across the 10mm where the bearing cup sits inside the BB shell. This tool is housed in a robust plastic shell with hard and durable — and flexible — closing clasps.

The retaining cup is used for both installing and removing a BB92 bottom bracket. Its thread takes the bolt used to press-in a bottom bracket and also serves as the capturing vessel when you remove a bottom bracket. This piece presses against, as well as inserting into, the bearing cup.