mintyai

My bottom bracket is clicking quite a bit. I understand that it may need re-greasing. I have a crank puller and a bottom bracket tool and I have done this before, but I am not sure if I did it right. Is there a good online description of how to do this (I have shimano style cranks and bb).
- should you release the chain tension first?
- do you need to remove both cranks?
- do you need to clean the BB and completely re-grease it, or just wipe it and add a bit more grease?
- how much grease should there be?
- is it ok just to tighten up the cups, or should you really take the BB out and clean it etc?
- is just tightening the allen bolt in the center of the cranks enough to get the cranks back on?
etc. etc.

any tips appreciated.

hockeyteeth

If you haven't serviced the BB in many months, just go ahead and clean and regrease it.

Release chain tension; remove cranks; soak BB spindle, cups, and bearings in degreaser; wipe all parts down and scrub hardened grease particles off; check for pitting by running the point of a pencil over the places the bearings contact the cups and spindle; grease the hell out of EVERYTHING; reinstall BB but don't overtighten adjustable cup (this will create undue friction and cause the spindle to spin slowly against added resistance); blah blah blah.

Good luck.

Landgolier

The park tool site has good step by step instructions. Questions answered inline below:

My bottom bracket is clicking quite a bit. I understand that it may need re-greasing. I have a crank puller and a bottom bracket tool and I have done this before, but I am not sure if I did it right. Is there a good online description of how to do this (I have shimano style cranks and bb).

Clicking can be lots of different things. But rebuilding is a good first step, also check your bearing cages for tweaking if you have them.

- should you release the chain tension first?
ideally, yes, but if your chain tension is exerting substantial force on the BB just sitting there it's too tight, which may have caused your problem in the first place

- do you need to remove both cranks?
To adjust most BB's you don't need to remove either crank, but if you're going to pull one pull them both. I find I need both cranks off to feel if the BB is gritty and needs to be overhauled, I've had bikes where the cranks seemed to spin ok, but I could barely turn the spindle by hand once I had them off.

- do you need to clean the BB and completely re-grease it, or just wipe it and add a bit more grease?
If you're going to bother to tear it all the way down, clean that sucka out like you mean it, and give it new bearings as well as new grease. Bearings are very cheap.

- how much grease should there be?
Can't really overdo it, I mean you don't want to fill the whole BB shell but the cups should be essentially full.

- is it ok just to tighten up the cups, or should you really take the BB out and clean it etc?
If you think things are in good shape inside (recently regreased, no major riding in slop, etc...) just tightening up the adjustable cup is par for the course.

- is just tightening the allen bolt in the center of the cranks enough to get the cranks back on?
Yup, and it's not only enough, it's all you should use. Beat on them and they won't go on evenly. Also, if all you have is a multitool, unless you have wrists like a gorilla you probably aren't getting your cranks on tight enough, torque spec on this is about 30 lb-ft.

hope that helps

jol

https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/208402-maintain-sexy-not-so-sexy-track-bb.html

moe sizlack

put some grease on the BB spindles before you put the cranks back on.

hockeyteeth

Moe just made me think of something. Are you sure it's the BB that's creaking? Take the chain off the chainring and turn the cranks. I ask because I've had loose chainring bolts that made the chainring click against the spider ever rotation. I felt like a dolt when I realized what was making the noise! And like Moe was referencing, sometimes the cranks creak on the spindle, so grease the spindle and torque those crank bolts down.

EyeRobot

Also check your pedals.


But mine clicked and I just took the time to take everything out and clean it and now it's as quiet as a mouse.

polarofprogress

ha i had the exact same situation with crank bolts last week. such a duh moment.

i've also had problems with the cranks not fully contacting the spindle--make sure the taper is clean and no slipping/rounding is occuring. (&jis/iso compatibility...)

all these instructions refer to three piece bottom brackets. with sealed cartridge, you can crank down on them. i have also had recent issues with my italian bottom bracket--use a thread compound on the fixed cup so it doesn't back itself out (which is the fault of the threading in italian jobbies) which probably doesn't apply in your case, but yeah...

mander

Try tightening your pedals---this fixed my click.

mintyai

cheers everyone,

completely stripped my bb down last night, de-greased it and put it back together and now it purrs like a kitten. I am a little unsure about how tight the cups should be, finger tight (using the BB tool) means the BB goes real smooth, but using a wrench on the BB tool I could probably get the cups a good deal tighter, but then I notice a bit of resistance on the spindle (but the spindle still turns really freely). I can't feel any sideway movement of the spindle, but maybe the large amount of greese is just cushioning it?

Greasing the spindles before putting the cranks back on really helped and also tightening the main allen bolt into the spindle, then loosening it half a turn, then tighten again etc. worked really well. I was able to get the cranks on much much better doing this.

I didn't replace the bearings, but I am a bit confused, if bearings are so cheap, what is the expensive bit of a BB that can make some of them over $150? mine seems to just be a spindle, two bearings, a tube to space out the bearings and two cups. (it is a Race Face XC Taperlock steel 110mm with Dura Ace track cranks on if anyone is interested)

I Like Peeing

Quality of the materials being used, how nicely they're machined, the name on it (Phil, Campagnolo). I don't think I could justify using a BB that costs $150.

moe sizlack

yup.
$20 un53

if it starts clicking, just get a new one.
gotta justify buying the $18 tool somehow.