Tandem read BB question

[jacobpriest]

Hey guys and gals!
I am currently restoring a 80s or early 90s Roland steel tandem. The rear BB was completely totalled. It was pretty unbelievable how bad of shape the cups and spindle were. I tried searching the forum and I myself can't quite get an accurate measurement on the shell. I think its a 68 mm but does anyone know for sure if its 70 or 68? I know the spindle is about 127. Any help would be amazing! This is the last thing left to fix on it. I can't wait to have this thing up and running and take all the cute girls on campus out on it. :D

EDIT: sorry for the messed up title.

[mrfish]

You should buy yourself some calipers to answer the 68/70mm question. Maplin in the UK do a nice digital set for £20, which you will use many times.

I am not an expert on vintage bottom bracket threading, but if your tandem is from 1980s, the only choice should be English / Italian threading. The major difference is that both Italian cups have conventional threads. For English cups the right hand cup thread is reversed to avoid coming loose while pedalling.

See wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom_bracket)

sheldon brown (sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html)

[zonatandem]

The Roland is a China-built tandem and suggest your local dealer, where you bought it should be able to to asisst you. Believe the importer was in TX also.

[TandemGeek]

Given the pedigree it would be unusual for it to be anything other than a 68mm English/ISO bottom bracket.