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What tools will I need, and where to buy?

Old 09-29-04, 11:50 AM
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What tools will I need, and where to buy?

I plan on doing an overhaul of my bicycle in the next couple of weeks. My BB is making some noise and I want to repack the BB and the wheel bearings. I want to overhaul two bikes. One is a late 70's road bike, the other a late 80's mountain bike. I want to do all the work myself and with the assistance of the barnetts manual and park's website I don't see why I can't. Here's what I KNOW I need:

22mm Crank puller
combo cone wrenches 13/15 14/16

For the headset I figure on a huge crescent wrench, is that ok? will I need more than that?

I don't know what tools I'll need to service the bottom brackets on the bikes. Is a hook spanner what I need?

Lastly who is a good source? Harris Cyclery? I just want to be able to do ALL my own work. But I'm on a budget too.

Thank you VERY much for the info folks. I really appreciate it. I have $250 available for rebuilding both bikes and buying the tools and supplies to do it. I don't want to waste money but I'm not afraid to spend it.
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Old 09-29-04, 01:33 PM
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Originally Posted by rykoala
I plan on doing an overhaul of my bicycle in the next couple of weeks. My BB is making some noise and I want to repack the BB and the wheel bearings. I want to overhaul two bikes. One is a late 70's road bike, the other a late 80's mountain bike. I want to do all the work myself and with the assistance of the barnetts manual and park's website I don't see why I can't. Here's what I KNOW I need:

22mm Crank puller
combo cone wrenches 13/15 14/16

For the headset I figure on a huge crescent wrench, is that ok? will I need more than that?

I don't know what tools I'll need to service the bottom brackets on the bikes. Is a hook spanner what I need?

Lastly who is a good source? Harris Cyclery? I just want to be able to do ALL my own work. But I'm on a budget too.

Thank you VERY much for the info folks. I really appreciate it. I have $250 available for rebuilding both bikes and buying the tools and supplies to do it. I don't want to waste money but I'm not afraid to spend it.
I'd get indivudal cone wrenches. You need a HS wrench to hold the adjusting cup while you tighten the locknut. A big cresent wrench will work on the locknut.If the BBs are cup and ball,the easy way is to leave the drive side cup in and remove the nondrive side with a hook spanner on the lockring,and a pin spanner for the adjusting cup. www.parktool.com has pics and description of everything, and you may find better prices at nashbar and performance. I'd also spend $20 on a Zinn maintenance book.
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Old 09-29-04, 05:52 PM
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you might need a mallet for your headset, but that can be borrowed or substituted. I'm guessing you have allen keys and philips screwdrivers and wrenches? You can do a lot of the basic stuff with a set of allen keys, a screwdriver with changeable bits (in the handle) and a small adjustable wrench. This is what I always carry with me. Plus a pump, tire levers and a patch kit.
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Old 09-29-04, 06:25 PM
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Let me elaborate: I do have all the basics. I used to work on my Toyota Land Cruiser and I have a nice metric set from sears that is everything I need. Allen wrenches included. I have all the *basic* stuff. I need to know what tools to get for bottom brackets and headsets, specifically. I don't need to take the headset out completely, just to remove the form and re-lube the bearings.
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Old 09-29-04, 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted by sydney
I'd get indivudal cone wrenches. You need a HS wrench to hold the adjusting cup while you tighten the locknut. A big cresent wrench will work on the locknut.If the BBs are cup and ball,the easy way is to leave the drive side cup in and remove the nondrive side with a hook spanner on the lockring,and a pin spanner for the adjusting cup. www.parktool.com has pics and description of everything, and you may find better prices at nashbar and performance. I'd also spend $20 on a Zinn maintenance book.
In all likelihood, you will need two headset wrenches, a 34mm wrench for the road bike and a 36mm one for the mountain bike. If you decide to remove the entire bottom bracket, you may find out why the drive side is called a "fixed" cup. Removal sometimes requires the use of words that only bike mechanics are allowed to say. The trick is to find a tool that will fit the narrow flats on the bottom bracket and then figure out a way to hold the tool snug while you bang on it in (hopefully) the correct direction. The newer cartridge bottom brackets are easier.

Good luck.
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Old 09-29-04, 07:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
The newer cartridge bottom brackets are easier.

Good luck.
Ay, but even those can be a pain. Had a good time trying to get the BB off my mountain bike a few weeks ago... Lockring wrench doohickey kept slipping out, I kept banging my knuckles, uttered a few things that Im sure made the neighbors love me... Good times. Finally got it off, but not after about 30 minutes of swearing at it.

Now, normally, it shouldnt be that hard. Thing had just seized up--every other time Ive done it took 2 minutes.
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Old 09-29-04, 08:02 PM
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Originally Posted by sailor
Ay, but even those can be a pain. Had a good time trying to get the BB off my mountain bike a few weeks ago... Lockring wrench doohickey kept slipping out, I kept banging my knuckles, uttered a few things that Im sure made the neighbors love me... Good times. Finally got it off, but not after about 30 minutes of swearing at it.

Now, normally, it shouldnt be that hard. Thing had just seized up--every other time Ive done it took 2 minutes.
There is a front axle threading (sorry, don't know exacts) that will thread into BB spindles. Thread an appropriate nut and washer on the axle, slap slap the BB tool in place, thread the axle in, then thread the nut/washer up against the tool. For the side(s) with the nonattached cup(s), you'll have to back the nut off as you remove it. Method obviously doesn't work well if you using the BB tool with a socket driver.

Rykoala, bottom brackets take a variety of tools to remove/adjust. Hook spanner is definite for the lockring. Some adjustable cups take a pin spanner, some have 16-mm flats, 22-, 24-,26-, or 28-mm hexes, some have two opposing indents (the Park tool for the 16-mm type has corresponding notches on the opposite end). Figure out which type you'll need
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Old 09-29-04, 08:13 PM
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You will need a repair stand, cable cutter, extractors matching the freewheels, a chain breaker, and a spoke wrench. This will probably go over your $250 budget when taken with the other tools previously mentioned, so start with the repair stand and only buy the other tools as you need them.
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Old 09-29-04, 09:03 PM
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Originally Posted by sailor
.. Lockring wrench doohickey kept slipping out, I kept banging my knuckles, uttered a few things that Im sure made the neighbors love me... Good times. Finally got it off, but not after about 30 minutes of swearing at it.
Alot easier if you lock to removal tool to the cartridge so it can't slip.

Last edited by sydney; 09-30-04 at 06:59 AM.
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Old 09-29-04, 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by AndrewP
You will need a repair stand, cable cutter, extractors matching the freewheels, a chain breaker, and a spoke wrench. This will probably go over your $250 budget when taken with the other tools previously mentioned, so start with the repair stand and only buy the other tools as you need them.
Built a bizilloin bikes without a repair stand. A repair stand is just a hatrack. You can work on a bike without it,but not without tools.
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Old 09-29-04, 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by dafydd
There is a front axle threading (sorry, don't know exacts) that will thread into BB spindles. Thread an appropriate nut and washer on the axle, slap slap the BB tool in place, thread the axle in, then thread the nut/washer up against the tool. For the side(s) with the nonattached cup(s), you'll have to back the nut off as you remove it. Method obviously doesn't work well if you using the BB tool with a socket driver.
Won't work either with solid spindles.
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Old 09-30-04, 06:51 AM
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Originally Posted by sydney
Won't work either with solid spindles.
as opposed to etheral. i misread and thought he was referring to cartridge, thousand pardons.
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Old 09-30-04, 07:00 AM
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Originally Posted by dafydd
as opposed to etheral. i misread and thought he was referring to cartridge, thousand pardons.
All cartridges don't have hollow spindles.
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Old 09-30-04, 08:00 AM
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Thanks for the replies. I think I have a better idea what I'll need. Looks like a hook spanner and a pin spanner will be needed, and the headset tools mentioned.

Thanks again!
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Old 09-30-04, 08:38 AM
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Originally Posted by rykoala
Thanks for the replies. I think I have a better idea what I'll need. Looks like a hook spanner and a pin spanner will be needed, and the headset tools mentioned.

Thanks again!
Mind you, I've done many BB overhauls, and never used a pin spanner - it's a bit more touchy as the cup rotates when you tighten the lockring, but a bit of trial and error will do it. And taking off the fixed cup is not needed - unless you want to replace it, obviously.
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Old 09-30-04, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Zouf
Mind you, I've done many BB overhauls, and never used a pin spanner - it's a bit more touchy as the cup rotates when you tighten the lockring, but a bit of trial and error will do it. And taking off the fixed cup is not needed - unless you want to replace it, obviously.
HMMmmmm. What tools DO you use?
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Old 09-30-04, 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by rykoala
HMMmmmm. What tools DO you use?
Trust me.A pin spanner is worth having.The Park HCW4 fixed cup wrench comes with one on the opposite end.Just get it if you are dealing with cup and ball BB.Sooner or later you will have the need to also remove fixed cups.
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Old 09-30-04, 05:40 PM
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you might have a hard time getting to those headset bearings if your stearer tube is stuck in there. But hopefully not, eh? Instead of a stand you can put hooks and chains into a garage ceiling. Works fine, just hook to your handbars and the back of the saddle.
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Old 09-30-04, 11:49 PM
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Thanks for all the great replies. I sure learned alot. It turns out that this time around it was cheaper to have it done, because I got the BB service from the shop for free when I bought some wheels today.

Thanks again everyone!
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