How long do we have to endure press fit bottom brackets?

earth

Last year I had to get a new commuter ride. I decided to go for all the new designs. Oversized headtube, mechanical disc brakes and a BB30 press fit bottom bracket.

Big mistake.

The oversize head tube is no trouble but I cannot tell if it has any effect. All the other changes are abysmal. I can just about live with the brakes but the BB is failing every 2000 miles. I have shied away from fixing it myself but after a bill of £45 this morning to get it fixed again, I am going to tackle it myself next time. The worst thing is I paid £30 for bearings which I doubted I needed. One of them I defiantly didn't need because the one that came out was still perfectly smooth. The other was slightly gritty but I don't think that was the cause of the deafening clicking noise that started last week. The first time I had it fixed they just grease everything inside and it was good for another 2000 miles.

But the point of the thread is how long are we to endure these sh*t parts for? It really is offensive that the bike industry has come up with these and expects people to buy them. I mean I thought they were mainly made for carbon frames so they didn't have to go to the expense of putting in an alloy BB shell. So while they have reduced their own costs they have made parts that are not fit for purpose and we have to bear the cost of fixing them. To top it the frame is alloy so why have a press sh*t BB in an alloy frame?

Is it possible to fit a hollowtech BB into one?

Undertones

good rant

earth

Undertones wrote:

good rant

I had to :x

I'm pleased with the way the volume creeps higher until the crescendo of 'press sh*t BB'.

Matthewfalle

I think I saw in CRC a press fit to threaded conversion thingy if that helps.

simon_masterson

My old Super Record Ti axle is a beautiful thing. Just saying.

earth

Matthewfalle wrote:

I think I saw in CRC a press fit to threaded conversion thingy if that helps.

I can only imagine it would develop the same clicks and creaks. I guessed it was not possible to do because the press fit BB is of course not threaded. But Shimano make nothing but threaded BBs. The only frames I see now use one of the many new BB standards. So do Shimano manage to sell any Hollowtech BB now? They still come with the groupsets. Or have I not seen the frames that can still have a threaded BB installed?

Press fit does not appear to work.

Undertones

If you spent half the time researching that you spend whining you would know you can run a BB30 to BSA (or whatever else you fancy) convertor to eliminate your woes.

or until then have a browse of this:

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/arti ... ets-38220/

iPete

To be honest, even using a torque wrench my external BBs can start to squeak in under 500 miles but then taking them off, cleaning and refitting them is all rather easy.

One of the reasons I avoided a BB30 frameset.

keef66

" But Shimano make nothing but threaded BBs. "

This isn't true. They also do press-fit BB's, I have one fitted in my CR1. Two years on and not a peep from it.

nweststeyn

Had a couple of BB30 frames. Started fitting the bearings dry with no grease or anything else. Solved all my creaking/clicking issues... 2000 miles before it starts clicking isn't too bad, IMO.

trailflow

£30 for bearings

BB30 bearings are just 6806 30x42x7mm bearings. The bike industry didnt come up with them, they were around long before pressfit bb's. They can be bought VERY cheaply if you look around. Its best to stock up and have some spares ready. I've found stainless bearings no more durable than normal steel bearings with good grease. Ive had steel bearings last a year+ (sometimes 2+) which im happy with. Occasionally one side might fail after 6 months. 2000 miles is not bad. Once you can install them yourself its really not a big deal.

The worst thing is I paid £30 for bearings which I doubted I needed. One of them I defiantly didn't need because the one that came out was still perfectly smooth.

Then why did you remove it ? You should of checked how smooth it was while it was in the frame,or was it your genius mechanic who removed it ? You could have had a spare for next time. They don't tend to fail simultaneously at the same time why would they ?

Learn how to remove the bearings with a drift and soft hammer. Make yourself a BB30 press tool or buy one off me for a fiver (posted). and stop paying £30 for bearings!!

nweststeyn

^^ what he said... you can get them from a bearing specialist for a few quid at a time. I've sold all the ones I had left over but I think I bought 10 bearings for less than £30 and they were totally fine quality, unless you subscribe to the 'ceramic bearings will make me contador' school of kidding yourself.

earth

trailflow wrote:

£30 for bearings

Then why did you remove it ? You should have checked how smooth it was while it was in the frame,or was it your genius mechanic who removed it ? You could have had a spare for next time. They don't tend to fail simultaneously at the same time why would they ?

Yeah the BB was changed by a shop. It's not crystal clear in the post but it's implied where I said I shied away from fixing it myself and got a bill for having it fixed again. That's why the bearings were so expensive and I paid for two when I only needed one.

All other things I do myself except BB's. But I will be doing it in future. Thanks for the advice on getting cheaper bearings. I still have both that were removed and one is fine so I'll probably just use that one next time.

But I don't think I'm expecting too much for the BB to last more than 2000 miles. I have never had a problem with Hollowtech2 in at least 15000 miles. If the new ones last no more than 2000 miles then they are not fit for purpose. I have read that article on alloy bearing cups before but I don't expect to have to buy more bits to make these duff components work.

LankyDJ

BB30 on my Supersix. Total shite. 2500 miles and it's been back to the LBS under warranty three times. A full new BB kit installed this time. No problems yet, but then again I've only done 200 miles on it since installation. Bike is only used in the dry.

Replaced my Hollowtech 2 once in 10000 miles on my commuter, ran in all weathers. Says it all really. And is easily done yourself.

The manufacturers spout all kinds of rubbish, BB30 is stiffer, lighter. That it maybe, but it fails miserably ,unless it is serviced very regularly. I don't have the time to be sorting such issues every five minutes. As usual, designers tell everybody how wonderful the system is and leave mechanics and engineers scratching their heads, wondering why the tried and tested (ie, threaded) is yesterday's news.

paul2718

The Shimano press-fit in my Addict has run at least 10000 miles and is still in good condition. I don't see why it shouldn't be.

I suspect quite a lot of the issues might derive from sub-optimally machined frames.

Paul

pinarellokid

I'm a campag user and their adaptor to use ultra torque has been awesome, my mate has BB30 and has been back 4 times in less than 1000 miles, the last time the shop used bearing lock to hold the bearing in rather than greasing the outside and it's been fine since, I know cannondale advise using thread lock bearing lock also, so guess that's the way forward.

cswitch

With the right tools and knowledge the press fit isn't so problematic as many make out, though I agree threaded types do seem a little more fit and forget. Since installing metal to metal pressfit BBs with retainer compound AND activator (641 & 7471) Ive never had a problem. Without this then yes they can be troublesome. Don't use 'threadlock', though Im sure previous poster was referring to retainer compound.

I don't recommend using the above 7471 and 641 with plastic press fit BBs. I managed to get a plastic BB91 stuck in an aluminium shell. The connection must have been stronger than the plastic so the BB broke up. It was a really bugger to get out the remaining bits, frame was undamaged though.

TheHound

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fsa-bb30-conversion-kit/

I fitted this to a caad8 a while ago because I couldn't get the bb30 to shut up.

No problems since fitting a 105 bb and chainset.

paddlemyowncanoe

It is the press fit that is the problem, not the bearings. Pressfit is a PITA and a solution to a non-problem. Square taper was fine, HTII pretty good too. The weight and stiffness benefit claims of BB30/86 etc etc are absolute red herrings and the industry should be ashamed. Sadly there are not many high end frames around anymore with metal BSA threaded BBs.

On my Tarmac I have bonded in a Praxis BB30 to 24mm HT2 converter, using one of the gloopy industrial Locktite products designed for poorly machined tolerance applications. Six months on through crappy winter rides etc, still perfect.

Bozman

I've got SRAM pressfit in my Scott and they really don't like water, brand new before winter and it's ready for replacing now. I've learnt to cover them in maritime grease but that only delays the demise.
I've had a Focus Izalco and that had BB30... Dreadful, one set of bearings only lasted 400 miles.
Other bikes have had HTII or GXP and these go for thousands of miles whatever the weather, I'd be disappointed not to get 10k from an HTII BB.

Monty Dog

I have a couple of bikes running BB86 - a CX and MTB - both been trouble-free. I wouldn't touch BB30 with a barge-pole. Even if BB30 is installed correctly, the other weakness is that with any BB water ingress, then the bearings are running in water which kills them rapidly. I have 30 year-old Campagnolo cup and cone BBs still running!

darkhairedlord

The bearings in a ht2 external cup are press fit too. BB30 problems would probably be down to poor tolerance control of the hole fit or inappropriate material selection for the hoop stress in the sleeve. Just a guess but a reasonable starting point.

Anonymous

I here a lot about bb30 being crap, but generally always from the same few brands. Usually Cannondale for some reason. I have never had a problem with it on either my old Specialized Tarmac or Bianchi. Nor on my current Ridley Noah. Which makes me wonder, is it more the system or the manufacturers which are more at fault? If every brand had the problem you could obviously suggest it was a bad system but if one brand had more issues than another I am more inclined to point the finger at them.

iron-clover

I'm seriously looking at the CAADX cyclocross bike to use as both a commuter and CX machine and can't say I'm looking forward to having the BB30 press fit. However, seeing that converter on CRC is a blessing though, as I would be very dissapointed if the BB30 bearings wore out after only 2000 miles as my £20 Ultegra hollowtech BB has lasted over 10 000 miles through all conditions on my current road bike, and still didn't show any signs of wear when I stripped it for cleaning last month.

For a commuter/ CX machine I would be happy to take the ever so slight stiffness decrease of threaded BB over press fit.

pippi_langsamer-2

Ebay search 6806 bearings- either SKF Or FAG.

Still, a pair won't be a million miles away from £30. Yes,you can get much cheaper ones, but.....

jgsi

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

Ebay search 6806 bearings- either SKF Or FAG.

Still, a pair won't be a million miles away from £30. Yes,you can get much cheaper ones, but.....

no point in recommending bearings, some people just dont know how to put the buggers in properly.

xscreamsuk

Have a bearing shop locally. It's less than a tenner for 2 of the 6806. I have them on my winter bike and they are still fine after using them all this winter. I'll pop some new ones in when I put the bike away in a few weeks time.