What's the go with PF BBs

The Northern Monkey

BB30. Creaked from day one. Worst design ever.

rockmonkeysc

I have found they last just as long as a normal hollowtec 2 bottom bracket. They are just more of a problem to change.
I have now got a Hope press fit BB so I can leave the cups in the frame and swap the bearings.

coulddobetter

Sram on Boardman , 1000 trouble free miles. ( note Boardman had a bad reutation a few years back due to lack of factory lubrication of bearings )

rockmonkeysc

Bottom brackets have sealed bearings which are only lubricated when they are manufactured, not when they are installed.
My Boardman was assembled in Cambodia, can't stop singing Holiday in Cambodia (Dead Kennedys) when riding it.

cloudynights

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I have found they last just as long as a normal hollowtec 2 bottom bracket. They are just more of a problem to change.
I have now got a Hope press fit BB so I can leave the cups in the frame and swap the bearings.

Hope press fit won't fit in a anthem,the non drive side is the problem

chrisrobs

Ive have no end of problems with my pf bb30 on my specialized camber. I have to remove the crank arms every 3-4 rides and tap back in the sram converter shell on the drive side, as it keeps coming loose.

Can anyone recommend a better set up?

Thanks

Chris

rockmonkeysc

cloudynights wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I have found they last just as long as a normal hollowtec 2 bottom bracket. They are just more of a problem to change.
I have now got a Hope press fit BB so I can leave the cups in the frame and swap the bearings.

Hope press fit won't fit in a anthem,the non drive side is the problem

It's fitted and working fine. Fitted by my local Giant dealer who had fitted the same to several Anthems

Kowalski675

coulddobetter wrote:

Sram on Boardman , 1000 trouble free miles. ( note Boardman had a bad reutation a few years back due to lack of factory lubrication of bearings )

They still do. My FSA started creaking within 100 miles, had to whip it out and grease it. About the only grease in there was the bit blocking the drain hole in the BB shell...

njee20

BB30 on an S-Works Epic was dire, failed constantly. Bb95 on two Trek Top Fuels have been great. Both just bearings sitting straight in carbon frame.

cloudynights

RockmonkeySC wrote:

cloudynights wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I have found they last just as long as a normal hollowtec 2 bottom bracket. They are just more of a problem to change.
I have now got a Hope press fit BB so I can leave the cups in the frame and swap the bearings.

Hope press fit won't fit in a anthem,the non drive side is the problem

It's fitted and working fine. Fitted by my local Giant dealer who had fitted the same to several Anthems

Now that's interesting, my local Giant dealer, when they tried to fit one ( i was there also) the non driveside wouldnt seat properly, it caught on a flange in the frame, we checked and measured it and there was no way it was going to seat home, i will pop into hope and have a word with them this week just to double check if they've done a modification

rockmonkeysc

What year and size is your frame? Mine is a large 2011 frame, 26" wheels.

cloudynights

RockmonkeySC wrote:

What year and size is your frame? Mine is a large 2011 frame, 26" wheels.[/quote
2012 frame, medium,26" wheels

stubs

PF30 in a Vitus Rapide carbon fibre frame. Piece of Shit I would happily use the designers head as a football. Creaked within weeks and needs the preload adjusting every ride. Will be replaced with a Wheels manufacturing or Rotor set up when the original dies.

njee20

Bearings are bigger than a normal HT2 though, and the BB95 in the Top Fuel is basically the same thing, but smaller bearings (to work with 24mm spindles). BB30 should work on paper!

cooldad

njee20 wrote:

Bearings are bigger than a normal HT2 though, and the BB95 in the Top Fuel is basically the same thing, but smaller bearings (to work with 24mm spindles). BB30 should work on paper!

Just unfortunate we don't ride on paper.

Levi_501

Shimano: rough as a badgers back side and lasted all of FA

Real World Cycling/Enduro Fork Seal - Ceramic jobbie: smooth as silk

Lusting after a ceramic Hope PF41

njee20

Thinking maybe the narrower shell is the problem. The further apart the bearings the less torsional forces they experience when pedalling. Maybe the interference fit can't cope where a thread can

What narrower shell? Like I say, BB95 is basically the same thing (68mm shell, bearings drop straight into the frame), just with 24mm ID bearings, to work with 'normal' chainsets.

If anything they're under more stress as you have 5mm of spacers on the axle to compensate for the narrow shell, and yet I sold my first Top Fuel with the original BB after a year, and have gone through one in 3 years on my second one. Had at least 6 sets of bearings in a year on my Epic.

Monty Dog

BB30/PF30 on an MTB is completely pointless IMO - narrow 68mm shell provides no benefit, but does result in narrow chainstay junction meaning poorer clearances and less torsional rigidity. No problems with BB92, gives a nice wide stance for the bearings, better chainstay clearances too.

njee20

How does a wider bb shell give better chain stay clearance...?

bennett_346

njee20 wrote:

How does a wider bb shell give better chain stay clearance...?

By the power of non-Euclidean geometry.

njee20

Ah yes, helps if I think before I write - was forgetting the Trek system is 68mm + the bearings. So yes... wider better for bearing longevity it seems, but worse for heel clearance.