Pheard

Hey. So I'm trying to get my Bottom bracket off and it's partially stripped on one side. My wrench is not long enough to get the right kind of leverage. Anyone have any tips for getting the bb off?

I posted this here, because I know I'll get quick helpful answers, please don't move mods.

blonduathlongrl

I knew it!!!!!!!!!!!

SaabFan

Stripped as in the threads themselves are damaged, or stripped as in the head that you're fitting the tool on is damaged?

Either way, the simplest way to get more leverage is to just slip a big, long iron pipe over the handle of your tool. . .

snowy

I love the TITLE.

Your squeaky!!!!

Air

Can you put another wrench on the end of that wrench? You'll increase the length and it'll give you more leverage.

Pheard

It's the XT crankset before they went to external bb, and it has 8 splined ridges in the bb cup. It slipped a couple times and it grinding off the metal. The only time I got it off before was with a real long wrench of my friends. All I have is a crappy 5-6 inch wrench that doesn't get me leverage.

The pipe idea sounds great though.

Pheard

The thread title makes no sense. Whoops.

Air

Pheard - didn't some of those moms you've been with give you that trick already?

[gotta keep this sufficiently off topic to not be moved, just doing my part]

efrobert

I've been tricked into reading a actual bike thread.

joeprim

Do you have a socket that will fit? Less chance of slipping. I would buy one if I didn't have one.

Joe

SaabFan

Replace it when you get it out this time. Putting damaged parts on is totally asking for this sort of trouble (or worse) down the road.

Pheard

It's a special tool that fits onto a socket wrench. Into 8 grooves. It has slipped so much that I don't ahve the leverage to untighten it.

SaabFan

Seat it in the BB cup by giving a few good taps with a hammer. That can help a tool stay on a damaged fastener.

Pheard

because any bike related topic I start begins with a crow flying.

Pheard

That won't work, it just barely enough sits in there and when I try to twist it causes it to slip out.

SaabFan

Well, looks like your answer is bigger wrench + luck!

CyLowe97

Why are you scared of the mechanics forum? Ask an honest question and you'll get a quick and honest answer.

[edit... not implying you're scared or anything there.... ]

SaabFan

You might even have the honor of Sheldon himself inventing a new fake middle name in response!

CyLowe97

Seriously, getting a response from Sheldon is one of the highest honors one can achieve on bikeforums.net. He's the guru of gurus.

SaabFan

I once emailed him. And got an answer back! I have the screen shot framed on my wall.

Pheard

I have this feeling like I'm going to strip the whole bike and be screwed in putting it all back together. But right now the whole front end if off.

catatonic

Pheard:

Get a long strong bolt, nut, and some toothed washers.....you will need two ratchets/breaker bars, and two sockets, one deep, one shallow......and a pipe to slide over one breaker bar later on.

I bet you can figure this one out

Siu Blue Wind

Why does it start with "crow flying"?


Anyway, if your thingy isn't big enough, I wouldn't think you'd have to force it. Did you use enough grease?


Oh wait. It's a BIKE question.

Oh heck. The same applies.......

Pheard

Oh my thingy is big enough all right.

Anyways. Got some parts swapped. I'm kind of wondering about something.

The headtube on both bikes are the same size, yet after swapping parts over to the kona, I can't fit all the headset spacers back on. hmmm, what did I ruin.

bikingshearer 

Not so long ago, I had exactly the problem you describe. Here is how I, Mr. Klutz, fixed it.

At the hardware store, get a looooong, skinny no-head bolt, long enough and skinny enough to go through the bb spindle and bb cup tool and still take some nuts and washers on each end. Also get some nuts and washers for each end of the bolt. Put the bb cup tool on the offending cup, put the bolt through it and the bb spindle, put nuts and washers on each end, and tighten them down enough to hold the tool in place but just loose enough to have a little play so you the cup can loosen some when you honk on the wrench. Total cost for the new hardware: a couple bucks, tops. The idea is to set up the nut-and-bolt assembly so that it is holding the cup tool onto the cup while you are using the wrench. I found that trying to hold that stupid bb cup tool on while turning the wrench made it impossible to get the job done.

Also, you are applying pressure in the correct direction, aren't you? Remember, with English threaded bb's (which yours almost certainly is), the left (non-drivetrain) side has a right hand thread - you know, standard "lefty loosey, righty tighty" - but the right (drivetrain) side is a left handed thread, and thus to loosen it you turn in the direction you would usually go in to tighten things. Why are they threaded this way? Beats me, especially since some bb threads are right-hand thread all around (like Italian thread).