Bicycle Mechanics - Tange Bottom Bracket

Does anyone have any experience with the Tange sealed cartridge bottom brackets? Specifically, how do they compare to the Shimano UN53/73? They look pretty similar and I'm wondering if the tange are made by shimano and just rebadged. The biggest plus for the tange is that all sizes come with an alloy non-drive side cup, while most of the shorter shimanos come with a nylon cup.

Tange makes the Shimano cartridge bottom brackets.

I've heard that the ones with the plastic rings are less likely to creak. I've never had a problem with them. I think they get broken when they're over tightened. There's no reason to get them that tight.

good stuff

If your bb has a plastic nds cup, be sure to remove the main cartridge body (drive side) first when you remove the bottom bracket for inspection. If you try to remove the plastic cup first it WILL break.

Rather than starting a new thread, I'll ask here. Are the Tange LN79 bbs the same as the Shimano UN73s? And more specifically, are the tange LN79 68mm x 110mm asymetrical like the shimano 68x110?

Rather than starting a new thread, I'll ask here. Are the Tange LN79 bbs the same as the Shimano UN73s? And more specifically, are the tange LN79 68mm x 110mm asymetrical like the shimano 68x110?
All square taper BBs that I've ever seen are asymmetrical. Harris Cyclery has a chart of the various spindle types, and as you can see basically all 68mm BBs have 30-32 mm on the left. All the variation goes into the right side of the spindle: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/bottombrackets.html#axles

most BBs from ~108mm or so wide are asymettrical, the narrower ones for single chainring use are tpyically symettrical. With JIS taper BBs anyway.

- Joel

All square taper BBs that I've ever seen are asymmetrical. Harris Cyclery has a chart of the various spindle types, and as you can see basically all 68mm BBs have 30-32 mm on the left. All the variation goes into the right side of the spindle: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/bottombrackets.html#axles
A few of the spindles on that table were symetrical. Though most were not, but i wasn't sure that the old style spindles would carry over to the cartridge style.

What tomacropod said makes sense. I suppose its mostly the narrow spindles that are symetrical.

I'm not so sure that they're all asymmetrical. Shimano 113's are symmetrical, as are 107's and 103's. 110's are asymmetrical, with the drive-side axle being the same length as the 107, and the extra 3mm being added on the non-drive-side.
I started a thread awhile back in attempt to catalogue symmetry and asymmetry of sealed-cartridge, square-taper BB's.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=196235

sounds like a nightmare :)

- Joel