Suntour sealed VX bottom bracket, where to find tool?
09-18-14, 10:42 AM
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Suntour sealed VX bottom bracket, where to find tool?
I recently picked up an old Nashbar Toure MT in great shape. It has what I believe to be a Suntour VX bottom bracket sealed cartridge style. I would like to remove it so that I can apply frame saver. I would also like to use it because I'm sure they are of good quality. I'd like to find the tool for this part but I'm guessing I'm screwed. Any suggestions?
09-18-14, 02:08 PM
#2
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The Parktool BBT-22 should be able to remove your BB .
09-18-14, 04:46 PM
#3
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Edit: Not sure what tool the VX BB uses, but that tool pictured is one of the only weird Suntour BB tools. If The BB doesn't have maybe six or so large internal notches it's probably just a regular BB tool available anywhere.
Last edited by wesmamyke; 09-18-14 at 05:00 PM.
09-18-14, 06:15 PM
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It's not too hard to come up with alternatives to the ST tool. A park SP- yellow would be my first go to for the cups. Common lock ring tools handle those. The driveside cup is what I am forgetful (been too many years) of as to the tools. But if the OP were to PM me I can likely help. I'm only an hour East and have the ST tool in my basement shop. Andy.
09-19-14, 10:15 PM
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Here's a link to dozens of bottom bracket tools for sale at Niagara Cycle, which is in your neck of the woods. Call first: they don't have everything in stock. Bottom Bracket Tools at Niagara Cycle
09-20-14, 08:57 PM
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I believe I have that spanner tool and the lockring tool. I'll give that a shot and hopefully that will work. Thanks for the suggestion.
Last edited by boneshaker78; 09-21-14 at 07:48 AM.
09-21-14, 08:11 AM
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Hooray! It did the trick! Just for future researchers... this is an old cartridge style bottom bracket and you can not just use modern bottom bracket tools to remove it. Suntour had their own pattern of splines on their bottom bracket and a specific tool was to be used with it. That being said, the method of using a lockring tool and parks yellow spanner worked just as well. I've posted photo's to give people an even better idea. Thanks Andrew R Stewart, I was going to proceed with something similar to what you had suggested... just wanted someone to back up what I was thinking.
Last edited by boneshaker78; 09-21-14 at 08:23 AM.
09-16-16, 10:19 AM
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Where could one find the Park Tool yellow spanner you have shown? I have a Nashbar ST bike that has a different Suntour sealed Bottom Bracket with 4 bigger splines. I took it off gently (after soaking it in WD40) with a pipe wrench and then cleaned the threads. Threading it back might be more of a challenge. I am thinking of purchasing and trying the Park Tool HCW-18 to see if it works. It looks similar to the Suntour TA 230 tool that someone has on EBAY with the BB for 160$!!
09-16-16, 10:53 AM
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mctrek- bike shops that have been around for a while should have the yellow (SPA-?) in their tool box. A current look at the Park website doesn't show it as in their line up any longer. For purchase try ebay. Andy.
09-16-16, 12:40 PM
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The Parktool SPA-4 (yellow) is no longer made . The best bet is as Andrew R Stewart said , check Ebay and such or your local Bike Shop who been around for awhile and maybe going out of business .
09-16-16, 02:10 PM
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I have Suntour sealed BB like that and I've been able to take it off using a Park Adjustable Pin Spanner
09-16-16, 07:22 PM
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FWIW, Phil Wood mounting rings will work with these old SunTour cartridges and are available in many thread specs, including obscure ones like Swiss and Chater-Lea. And the Phil BB tool is still in production.
09-19-16, 11:49 AM
#14
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I recently picked up an old Nashbar Toure MT in great shape. It has what I believe to be a Suntour VX bottom bracket sealed cartridge style. I would like to remove it so that I can apply frame saver. I would also like to use it because I'm sure they are of good quality. I'd like to find the tool for this part but I'm guessing I'm screwed. Any suggestions?
I (reluctantly) visit a bike shop about once every 5 years for repair work, and on this occasion, I asked them to fix or replace my crunchy Suntour BB. When I got my bike back, they had replaced it with a nasty, cheap & heavy Shimano cartridge unit, and thrown away all of the old parts. I asked them to return the remnants of my old BB, which they did with much complaining. Of course they didn't have the proper tool, so had removed the VX with a hammer and metal chisel. I assume that is why they needed my bike for a week. Turns out one of the 2 cartridges was bad, the other was in great shape. So this fiasco cost me 2 trips to the shop and an $80 bill.
