AlphaDogg

My bottom bracket has some play in it, resulting in a clunk that I can hear and feel in my legs. I'd like to tighten and/or inspect it for worn bearings. To do so, I will need to remove my cranks. Do I just use a standard socket wrench (I have one)? After I remove my cranks, I will need to (a) tighten or (b) remove and inspect and reinstall the bb. I contacted the manufacturer of my bike and they gave me this info about the bb:
This means it has an english thread (afaik).


What tools will I need to accomplish this? I would like to get this done for as little money as possible.

I could go to the bike co-op, but I'd like to have tools for this.

sillygolem

You'll need a crank puller to take the crank arms off, and if it's a cartridge BB (most are unless your bike is old) you'll need a BB tool. Which tool you'll need will depend on the type of bottom bracket. Shimano is the most popular, followed by Campagnolo. External BBs (large rings on the outside of the BB shell) and ISIS drive BBs also have their own tools. These tools fit into the splines on the BB, letting you turn the tool and BB with a wrench.

Old Hammer Boy

Some cranks can simply be removed by "unscrewing" the crank bolts (usually 8 mm hex). Most, however, require a crank pulling tool as indicated above. First, try unthreading the crank bolts, if they are first easy and then get a bit harder, it probably means you have built in crank extraction. Keep loosening until the cranks come off. If the bolt comes out, then you'll need a crank pulling tool. Look for washers that can prohibit crank removal. Usually there are two sizes of buttons on the crank tool. Make sure you select the correct one. The Park tool website is an excellent source for information on this procedure.

For the bottom bracket, you'll need a tool (again as indicated above). Most bottom brackets are threaded to loosen by moving the wrench forward (toward the fork). In other words, left side like regular threading, right side, reverse thread. This is just the opposite of pedals. Don't forget to apply liberal grease to all threads. If you have a cartridge bottom bracket, you're pretty much home free. Be sure to tighten the drive side real tight first, then the non-drive side. Good luck!!!!