BBs hold up better than that, so you have to look for causation. It could be weather, but you say you're a fair weather rider, so unless you're always washing the bike rust shouldn't be a factor. If you are washing the bike, and the BB is rusting, then the first thing you should do is stop washing and see if your luck changes.

I understand the frustration, but new bike warranties are usually not portable. It's assumed that buy your bike locally, and therefore returning to the same shop isn't an issue. That doesn't work if you move or travel a lot, and sometimes companies will accommodate that if you can find a dealer in the new location who'll go to bat for you.

Changing mechanics each time doesn't help, though I understand why you must, because each one sees only what he sees, and has no sense of the history. Upgrading to a better BB might help, or it might only mean higher yet replacement cost, so I can't advise there either way.

BTW- being at the wholesale end of the industry, I know many of the shops throughout the country, and if you post the city you're in, I or someone else might recommend a decent mechanic local to you.

The housing may need to be faced so that the sides are parallel.

+1, this is one of many possibilities, which reinforces my recommendation that the the OP have a pro assess why he's having such poor BB life.

Which year and model Fuji?

A few comments- The suggestion of having a weep hole is not a bad one but the Op has a cartridge BB with no bearing exposure inside the shell. So a weep hole won't change the bearing issues, maybe it will change the corrosion in the shell/threads. But this is not what the OP has said is an issue.

- taking the bearings apart and checking their races is fine if the BB was a classic loose ball type. But being a cartridge (and not one of the early and low cost Shimano units that was easily taken apart with those special pair of wrenches) the taking apart will be "tough". if the OP can do that level of service then he can also "pop" in a new set of bearings as easily. I don't think this suggestion is applicable here.

-Op still hasn't said anything about his size or pedfalling style. Or for that matter whether there have been other wear issues. Like chain or cogs. If the OP was so large/strong to wear out Bb's at such a fast clip I'd expect that the other parts would show problems too.

- My comment about water/pressure and bearing contamination is more for the reading audience. But I will say that using a high pressure washer is a commonly known way to wash out lube. Bearing seals are not designed to resist the pressures that a pressure sprayer can offer. If the operator is very careful as to where the spray is directed then the potential bearing damage is less. But any time a high powered tool is used it's up to the person to take due care.

-I suspect that something else is going on that's not told or understood. I doubt it's shell related as the Bb cartridge is pretty self contained and stiff enough to not have installation mistakes effect the bearings. The Op's latest comments about the old BBs being rough and hard to spin on removal says, to me, that it is bearing issues. So what can wear them? Go back to my 1st post and read again some of the factors. I am open to hearing other factors.

- It will be interesting to hear of the solution. Andy.

I agree with FBnNY in that you're probably replacing perfectly good BBs because they start "clicking" after a short time.

I'm also in agreement with kmv2 in that you need to drill a drain hole in your BB shell (I'm "surprised" that none of your LBS mechanics ever mentioned this). BBs will often "creak and/or click" once water, or other contaminates, work their way into the shell.

I'm also going to suggest that you use a high quality marine wheel bearing grease on the shell threads.

Also keep in mind that worn and/or damaged crankset arms can also be the cause of "creaks and clicks" that seemingly come from the BB bearings. Worn and/or damaged CS arms will often make such sounds in short order even though they've been tightened properly with a torque wrench (such as when the BB has been replaced).

Btw, noisy "BBs" are one of the most common (and sometimes the most difficult to cure) of all drive train complaints.

It is FIXED. Hopefully for good this time.

I called around and found a dealer willing to do warranty work on it. I wasn't expecting to get the bike back until after Christmas, but when I got there, he asked me if I had a few minutes. I said sure, and in less then 5 minutes he had my BB replaced. The one he pulled off had a crack in the shell. When I would push down on a pedal, the crack would try to slide and then pop free causing a clicking/clunking noise and movement of the crank.

The original, the warranty replacement, and the OEM BB that I installed were all inferior BB's I was told. I now have a Shimano UN55 installed. He also told me that he thought Fuji bikes were excellent quality bikes for the money with the exception of the hand grips, saddles, and BB's.

I disagree. Seals on old cup and cone bottom bracket bearings aren't designed for high pressure spray. Cartridge bearing bottom brackets sealed many times better than the old cup and cone BB...even cheap ones. More expensive ones use bearings that are usually made for submersion pumps and can handle pressure sprayers without issue.

You're 100% right that typical cup/cone hubs and BBs had lousy or no seals and water entry was common. But that's only half the story. Sealed cartridge bearings also let water in, but there's a big difference in how the various bearings let water out. Old stuff lets water escape very easily, whereas the lip seals of cartridge bearings do a good job keeping it in.

This is why we see so many rust failures of sealed cartridge bearings. In fact, most professional mechanics with decades of experience will confirm that rust failures are more common on cartridge bearings vs. the primitive stuff.

You are incorrect about the ability of the cup and cone bearings to shed water once the water is inside the system. If the water gets in, carrying all the dirt and grit of the world, it is quickly whipped into 'mayonnaise' or an emulsion of water and the oil/surfactants in the grease. Emulsions of this kind can be very difficult to break. They will remain as an emulsion just sitting around for days, weeks, months or forever. Even if the emulsion breaks down a little with time, once you start pedaling, you just stir up the mixture.

On the other hand, cartridge bearings...even cheap ones...are so much better sealed than cup and cone that water infiltration is practically nonexistent. I've even done immersion tests on both types of BB (aka stream crossings). With the cup and cone, you have to rebuild after any stream crossing. The same is not true of sealed units.

You may see rust failures of sealed cartridge bearing BB but I haven't seen, nor heard of, any. At the shop that I volunteer at, we see lots and lots of rusted loose bearing BB but I've not see a single sealed unit that's even all that rough.

My warranty is with Advanced Sports International (owner of Fuji Bikes USA), not with the LBS. Back in September, I asked Fuji about this and this is their reply:

The warranty is not transferable which means that if I sell the bike, the new owner does not get the warranty.

RK

Yes, the language seems clear, but that doesn't obligate another dealer to work with you. (except, possibly, in California). The manufacturer is obligated to replace a part, but the dealers labor to install it is an open question. Some makers do have programs to compensate dealers for their warranty labor, but most of these fall far short of what dealers feel is fair. On their own bikes, they live it as part of the cost of doing business, but may not want to undertake warranty work for bikes not sold by them.

So, yes the warranty is portable, but as the language clearly states, it's up to you to find a willing dealer.

In any case, I'm glad to hear you found one, and the problem is solved.

That's a common limitation. Litespeed, Trek and many others are very clear that their warranty obligation is to the original purchaser only. That's one reason to be certain you retain your sales receipt and, better yet, return the warranty card or register the purchase on-line.

Many years ago a friend bought a Litespeed from a dealer who promised to send in the registration card for him but never did and then went out of business. When the frame developed a minor crack 50,000 miles later, Litespeed refused to repair it under warranty since he didn't have a sales receipt, the bike was never registered and the dealer wasn't around to support his claim.

was the crack in the threaded part of the main body, or the separate plastic (maybe) other side screw in thingee? Just curious.
I had a click develop in a square taper a few years ago, and taking the bb out, cleaning and regreasing liberally the threads and reinstalling solved the click, and that bb ended up lasting (in total) of at least 10 years of commuting and such--so all in all maybe 15-20,000Km or more.

I've ridden ~ 55K miles on four different bikes in the last 9 years. On my mountain bikes, the longest a BB has lasted me is around 13K miles. A couple failed sooner. On my road bike I still have the original sq. taper installed with 11K miles.

Your rate of wearing out BB's sounds excessive, but I suppose possible.

Other thing,. Is.it possible your bb and crank area received a good whack?

That's a possibility. It got knocked over from a bike rack not long ago.....

a lot of mid grade bikes come with the cheaper UN26 Shimano BBs, rather than the better UN55's as this isn't something visible. Saves $5 in manufacturing, which translates directly to profit. giveaway from the outside is a plastic lock ring instead of a metal one.

The bb that I referred to before that lasted about ten years had a plastic lock cup-although I don't recall what model it was. The one that replaced it had a metal ring and cost about 25 or 30 can.

I think with the cheaper UN26's, there's less quality control. if its a decent one, it will last plenty long, as you say. but there's a higher probability of a lemon, than the more expensive UN55