Truvativ Howitzer BB problem

Aux1

My crankset is about 2 years old, it's a Truvativ Ruktion with Howitzer external bearing BB. I removed cranks to install new chainrings and BB to just clean it up a bit and grease the splines and threads. There were 2 spacers on the drive side and one spacer on the other side between BB cups and BB shell.

Now I'm trying to put it all back together. The problem is, when I tighten the BB cups and then crank nuts all the way, it doesn't rotate smoothly. I have to loosen the BB cups and crank nuts to get smooth and noiseless rotation, but then the cranks have a tiny but perceptible ammount of play.

It doesn't feel right that they can't be tightened all the way. Can someone give an advice on how to set it up properly? I only have experience with Octalink, those needed to be tightened hard.

nicklouse

Ok forget the cranks.

fit the axle and cups with the same number if spacers in the same places.

how does it feel. if you cant get it right at this stage the bearings are dead.

Aux1

OK I'll try it when I'm back home, thanks.
Should I tighten the cups all the way, or do I have to find a spot with smooth axle rotation?

nicklouse

tight as it says.

then do one crank at a time as the crank arms then clamp the bearings in place against the raised part of the axle.

Aux1

Upon closer inspection, the bearings at non drive side were indeed spent, I missed that at first.
I got a pair of new cartridges from a LBS, installed the whole crankset, tightened strongly and now it seems okay. It rotates silently, and it makes 5-6 turns when I spin it moderately by hand (it does not just keep on spinning like the wheels do, though). Is that okay?

ilovedirt

Sounds ok to me now, truvativ BB's don't last long though, so it was a fairly safe bet that yours had had it after two years