Mislabeled BB cartridge
 

I received my new Shimano UN 54 bottom bracket yesterday and went to install it today. It was labeled 68x113mm. I pulled to old busted one out, labeled 68x113mm, installed the new one, then put the cranks back on. Instantly I noticed the crank was much closer to the BB shell then before. I pulled to whole thing apart and measured both spindles. The old one measured a correct 112.5mm, but the new one measured out to be 109.5mm! Yes, I measured twice.

I'm sending the new Shimano one back and have ordered a Stronglight JP400 for a replacement.

Well, someone messed up the labelling on that one :D You are using shimano or campy cranks? Was your old one a shimano cartridge bb?

Yessir, a UN53. It is that mongrel drivetrain on my Cannondale.

Shimano may have some drunken folks on the assembly line. I received a UN 73 recently (bought from Performance I believe), and it was in a box labled ES71, which is a part number for an Octalink mtb bottom bracket..........Or maybe places like Performance buy unboxed stock (OEM surplus, etc.) and then put the bb's in whatever boxes they can find. But in your case, are you saying the bb itself was labeled wrong, or the box?-

Both the box and cartridge casing.