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sealed cartridge bottom bracket question.

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Old 01-22-09, 09:53 PM
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sealed cartridge bottom bracket question.

My BB is loose. Barely noticeable but it is bugging me. It has started clicking when I ride. It is all internal unlike many other bottom brackets that I see. Is there a way to tighten it, I heard they are not adjustable and the whole unit needs to be replaced when they start to wear.

thanks!
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Old 01-22-09, 10:14 PM
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Yep. I'm afraid you're right, cartridge BB's cannot be serviced. Ride it until it drives you totally nuts then get it replaced. A cartridge unit shouldn't cost more than $20-$30 plus maybe $10-$15 labour if you have the LBS do it.
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Old 01-23-09, 12:57 AM
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Just make sure the BB cups on each side are not loose.
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Old 01-23-09, 03:13 AM
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... or the cranks
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Old 01-23-09, 08:00 AM
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With a square-taper sealed-cartridge BB, it's sometimes possible to increase the preload by cranking down on the adjustable cup. Doesn't do much, but might solve your problem until the BB croaks. Or, perhaps the adjustable cup is actually loose, which allows the play in the BB, and in that case cranking down might totally fix your problem, and not just temporarily.
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Old 01-23-09, 08:22 AM
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Depending on the make, there are specific tools to install and remove cartridge bottom brackets. The most common type is the Shimano and Shimano-compatible configuration that uses a Park BBT-22 tool. You will need to remove the crank arms to use the bottom bracket tool.
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Old 01-23-09, 06:31 PM
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It is important to find out what is loose.

Loose crank arms the square hole can be destroyed

Loose pedal, threads can be destroyed.

Loose lock ring, treads in BB housing can be destroyed.

I did them all
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