Hey guys,

I need your help. I have a 2002 Specialized Hotrock (see picture). It's in need of a new bottom bracket. I ordered this one:

https://www.crowcycleco.com/bicycle-c...x-110-5mm.html

I tried putting it in today, but as soon as I went to torque the cup on the fixed side, the cup broke off! I mean, they are aluminum, but I had literally just gotten the cup up against the frame, torqued it the smallest fraction of a turn when it blew off. So, as much as I would like to have aluminum cups, I think it'll be better to just get a BB with steel cups. The place I ordered it from has this one:

https://www.crowcycleco.com/bicycle-c...x-110-5mm.html

It's cheaper, but should get the job done. Maybe some of you guys know of something better? I don't need high end. This is my daily rider and I just need it to ride again without breaking the bank. I want something with steel cups, preferably. Thanks for your input.

your cups should not have exploded, obviously. Id venture a guess and say something was severely wrong, like... they were the wrong thread size... or more likely your threads on the bottom bracket shell are full of crap so your cups got bound up. I would recommend chasing them out with a tap prior to trying any other bb's, at least run a skinny screwdriver blade or needle or something through the treads to try and clean them out. also make sure you use a generous amount of grease in the threads to help prevent creaking once assembled.

Pictures would be useful, but when you say the cup broke off, was this the cup to the center carbon section? if yes,sounds like the bond failed on it / it was over torqued.

For reliability, stick with a Shimano UN54, if your lucky, it will outlast the rest of the bike.

I assume your bike is an MTB and would need a 73mm BB instead of the 68mm BB you linked to.

It's actually a 68mm... 68mm x 110.5mm to be exact. The UN54 does look like a good replacement, but I would really prefer steel cups. I hate those plastic things.

Are you using double chainrings or something? For triple rings on a MTB, anything shorter than 118 mm for a 68 mm shell or 122 for a 73 mm shell is likely to put the crank in or a chainring into a chain stay.

By the way, McAfee anti-virus is blocking the link to your photos. I don't know what's on that site, but I ain't lookin'. Are you sure you're not reversing the direction of the unit and cross-threading?

Those "plastic things" are actually very functional. They don't creak, seize or corrode. Just don't tighten them too much and be sure to remove the cartridge side of the bb first if you remove it for inspection.