anhung2100

Hello, Im pretty new to cycling and need some help. My bottom bracket keeps creaking and i think i need to put some grease on it but not too sure. I have a "FSA 68mm w/ forged Cr-Mo square taper 103mm spindle" but dont know what "JIS" or "BB" stand for. I maybe want to replace my bottom bracket for a better one but not sure what to get... Thanks in advance

Andrew R Stewart 

Perhaps the BB grade isn't the issue but the exposure to rain, miles and less then ideal initial install. First thing is to ascertain if the actual bearing condition is worn/rough. Or if the BB's containment within the shell is the issue. Taking the crank arms off the spindle is the first step. Then removing the BB from the shell comes next. During this, the condition of the rolling aspect of the Bb will be discovered and you'll know whether simple remove and reinstall or replacement is the correct path to a solution. Andy.

fietsbob

JIS = Japan industry standard. in this case the spindle taper specifications. [European is different]

better as in spend $140 bucks better ? or just one with un contaminated Grease?, under $40.

DOS

Based on your description, I am inferring you have little or no experince working on bikes. If that is not the case, I apologize for the presumptuous nature of the follwing comments.

Assuming the creak is from the bottom bracket, which it may not be, your first stop would be to grease the threads of the bottom bracket shell. But to do that, you would need to remove the cranks, which requires a tool you probably dont have, and then remove the bottom bracket, clean a grease the shell and then reinstall the bb, which requires tools you probably dont have. Your best bet is to take the bike to a shop and have them do it. It would be considerably cheaper than buying the tools you need, which is an expense worth paying only if you plan to learn and do your own regular maintenance. And even if that is your goal, before diving into bottom brackets and other maintenance areas requiring specialty tools, I suggest you get some hex wrenches learn the more basic aspects of bike maintenance.

JIS refers to the taper of the bottom pracket spindle and is not relevant to a creaky bottom bracket.

BB = Bottom bracket.

Raiden

Square Taper Bottom Bracket Interchangeability (This website in general is helpful for just about anything bike related, bookmark it.)

Bottom bracket creaking is probably the most misdiagnosed ailment a bike gets. Between your foot and the frame of the bike is:
-Your cleats
-The pedals
-The threaded interface between pedals and cranks
-The interface between the crank and the BB
-Tangent: the bolts that hold the chainring on
-The BB itsself
-The threaded interface between the BB and frame

Then things that often get misheard as bottom bracket noises:
-Wheel hubs not clamped securely
-Creaky Seatposts and saddles
-Headsets and stem clamps

Just throwing that out there before you get too focused on one thing.

All that said, tools for your crank/bb style (A square taper crank puller, an appropriate BB tool for your BB, and a good allen wrench set and/or a 14mm socket. Oh yeah and some grease and a pedal wrench, though you may get away with just a long 15mm open end wrench) are fairly universal and a good investment if you intend to wrench on your own bike (which I encourage!)

SkyDog75

JIS = Japanese Industrial Standard. It's one of two common standards for square taper cranks, defining the size of the spindle where the crank arm attaches. The other interface is ISO, which was typically used by European manufacturers like Campagnolo.

BB = shorthand for bottom bracket.

The "68 mm" refers to the width of your frame's bottom bracket shell. 68 mm is the standard width for English-threaded bottom brackets. (French bottom brackets are 68 mm wide as well, but unless we're talking about a French bike that's more than three decades old, you won't have a French bottom bracket.)

"103 mm" is the length of the spindle. Different cranksets are designed for different spindle lengths, and your cranks are apparently designed to work with a 103 mm spindle.

Those four things are pretty much all you need to know to source a replacement. I'd suggest you tighten or remove/reseat your current bottom bracket before shopping for a replacement, but if it turns out you do need a new one, any of the following should work:

IRD Ird Qb-55 Jis 68X103, Square Taper Bottom Bracket
Sugino 103mm Cartridge Bottom Bracket Set Tapered Spindle - Black
Origin8 Alloy Cartridge Bottom Bracket - 68 x 103

To tighten or remove/replace your bottom bracket, you'll need a few tools. A Shimano-compatible splined tool like a Park Tool BBT-22 or BBT-32 should work for the bottom bracket itself. (You'll also need a wrench to turn it.) To get to the bottom bracket, you'll need to remove your crank arms, which will require a crank puller like a Park Tool CWP-7 if you don't have self-extracting crank bolts.