DOS

I am a moron.

I was replacing an old truvativ bottom bracket, struggling to get the driveside cup loose. As I applied increasing force on the wrench by leaning my weight forward, the bb tool slipped out of the notches in the cup, causing me to lurch forwrd, banging my face on the bike frame. I am not sure what on the bike I hit, but I caught myself right under the jawline below where upper and lower jaw connect. I awoke this morning looking like I have the mumps on the right side of my face.

I did, eventually, get the bb out and install my new bb and cranks, so all is well with the bike.

Andrew R Stewart 

Most mechanics have their scars and stories that tell of their boo boos. Usually on their hands but I have a thigh scar from hot brazing filler too close to my man... Andy.

JohnDThompson 

Sorry about your injury. That's why most shop-quality bottom bracket tools have a means of securing the tool so it can't slip off like that.

Bill Kapaun

A bolt & flat washers will retain the tool.

bikemig 

You know what they say, pics or it didn't happen,

Been there, done that.

mrblue

That same exact scenario happened to me once.

CliftonGK1

And, if you really need the extra leverage, that's what a hacked out section of downtube is for.

Tunnelrat81

I don't mean to be snarky, but when has "putting you body weight behind the tool" been a mechanic trick? No matter what kind of fastener/tool you're working with, I'd say a mechanics trick is to AVOID situations where a slipping tool, or the threads (as you hope) breaking free would cause your momentum to cause an adverse outcome (smashed fingers, tool striking a carbon frame, damage to neck etc.).

I can appreciate you sharing your experience, as it is an important lesson to learn and pass on, but the title seems a bit misleading. As if an instructor in a professional mechanic school ever whispered to you, "Let me tell you a secret. Place your feet way back here, and lean all of your body weight on the handle of this wrench...."

-Jeremy

HillRider

+100. Get a 40 or 50 mm long M8x1.0 bolt and never have the tool slip again.

DOS

You seem to have read past the modifier "Stupid". I love this kind of post on BF, where an OP admits to making a mistake and someone responds by pointing out the mistake. Very helpful. Anyway, the bb was tighter than I had anticipated, and I made the mistake of taking a short cut. And just to be clear, by using the word "mistake" I am acknowledging that I did something incorrectly, so no need for a second lecture. But I am sure you are perfect in everyway, so thanks for the sermon. Appreciate it.

DOS

Diagnosis, hematoma. Xrays negative.

Tunnelrat81

...and then the OP can't see past the responder's mis-read of a title and takes it personally.

I apologize for offending you, as it was not my intention. Once you've been around here for a bit, you may notice that I try very hard to be only a helpful voice in this forum, and often skip over even making jokes at all or responding to petty posts for fear of them being 'heard' the wrong way by sensitive people here. Today I clearly wasn't thinking straight and posted without reading carefully enough. This forum is for helping each other out, and along with that comes a necessity for those on here to be not just helpful when able, but also to try and be understanding with the limitations associated with internet (text only) communication and the misunderstandings that often result. I hope you won't take this negative interaction to be wholly representative of the forum's general tone. Best of luck with future repairs. As was stated by many above, we've all made similar mistakes, only some being as comical as yours. Again, thanks for sharing. =)

-Jeremy

bobbyl1966

I have the same tool. Is slip easy. Like that tools have different sizes?

elmore leonard

I find a quality wooden mallet is the best device for putting pressure on the end of a wrench when you need that extra pressure.

Staypuft1652

Sounds like something I would/will do.

dabac

.... Which is why, despite that I like the use of simple tools, I sometimes make the trek to the garage, where the air compressor and impact wrench lives, to save myself from that kind of experiences. I've had enough of them already.

One of the tools I'd like to have but haven't been able to justify the cost is a battery-powered impact wrench among the bike tools.

Looigi

I find a 2' piece of pipe to extend the handle of the wrench to be very helpful in removing bottom brackets, and (as pointed out above) almost always hold the cup wrench to the bb with a bolt in a square taper BB or with a wheel quick-release and some appropriate washers with a hollow BB. Note that in some cases as the BB is loosened you need to correspondingly loosen whatever is holding the cup wrench.

DOS

Yeah, I learned a similar lesson with a stuck on freewheel one time. It was a Suntour freewheel requiring a two notch removal tool that didnt grip well. So I used a qr skewer to hold it in place. Worked fine, got the freewheel loose but forgot about tne skewer and ended up snapping the top off as I removed the freewheeel.

zoom996

Damn! That's a great idea. Thanks man.

jsjcat

Great idea!

cyccommute 

That will work and isn't a bad idea but it may not work if the bottom bracket is an ISIS type. The bolt needed for an ISIS bottom bracket might be too large to pass through the top of the bottom bracket tool and that size of large metric bolt might be hard to find.

My choice for this is the Pedro's BB socket holder which will work on both style bottom brackets. There are other bottom bracket tools with this feature built in like this one, although I haven't seen one that does both types of bottom bracket, so you need two tools if you have multiple bikes with different bottom brackets.

Park suggests a quick release skewer but that would only work on bottom brackets with a hollow spindle.

djb

will keep this trick in mind, its like using a qr skewer for cassettes, which I may have read about on this forum and appreciate as a handy safety method.

DOS

I think with the SRAM tool, pedro apprach would be needed. But with the Park BBT 18 (second pic) a crank bolt and a washer or two might work. Ill try it.

FBinNY 

OK, so how's your face?

BTW - preventing "wrench slip" injuries is a fundamental part of every formal mechanic training. Broken hands, knuckles and fingers are common outcomes of poor technique combined with bad luck. I've know people to knock themselves unconscious, so it seems you probably got off cheap.

The lesson here is that whenever committing your full weight behind any tool, consider what might happen if it slips or breaks.

DOS

Less lumpy everyday.