Home > categories > Hardware > Brackets > Help on installing a Bottom Bracket?
Question:

Help on installing a Bottom Bracket?

I tried greasing my bottom bracket so it'll be easier to take out next time, but I was having a hard time. I may have damaged my barrings, they're still rideable, but it might be a month before it just blows out. I always heavily grease my Bottom Bracket. But for my frame. The bottom bracket always gets stuck, no matter how much I grease it. Any ideas into how I can easily install and take out the barrings?

Answer:

is it sealed, or cup+cone style? your bb shell may be bent/warped or threads jammed or dirty wle
If they're sealed bearings simply put a flat head screwdriver through the one on the opposing side and work your way around tapping it with a hammer. If they're unsealed bearings they should more or less fall out of the cup. You can remove the cups the same way you remove the sealed bearings above. If it's a cartridge you unscrew it and replace the entire cartridge. When I installed my sealed bearings recently I was to much of a cheap bastard to buy a bearing press so I took a long thick bolt, two large washers and nut that fit the bolt. I built my own bearing press, I not only used it on my bottom bracket but I put my thread-less headset on with it also.
I would suggest going to the Park Tool site and reading the tutorial on how to service an old-style cup-and-cone bottom bracket. From your attempt at a description, I fear you know very little about this. If you do understand how to pull the cranks, loosen the lock-nut, remove the adjustable cup, inspect the bearings and spindle, and re-install everything using an appropriate spanner for the adjustable cup and how to properly adjust the bearing clearance. Then I can say that you do not need to heavily grease these components. A bit of grease applied to the spindle will prevent rust, and enough grease in the bearing races to hold the bearings in place is all you need.

Share to: