Cannondale BB Bearing - WTF?
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Cannondale BB Bearing - WTF?
Currently tearing down my latest acquisition, a banana 1987 Cannondale ST400. It can be seen hanging out in my garage in the picture in this thread...
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...443-80-s-Night!
Anyway... I disassemble the BB expecting to see the usual retainer full of bearing balls but instead I see this... some kind of metal ring holding them in place...
...and had a 'wtf?' moment.
Do I just pry out one of the balls and the rest will follow? There's a lot of grit hiding behind them and I'd rather clean thoroughly and optimally replace with grade 25's before reassembling.
~kn
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...443-80-s-Night!
Anyway... I disassemble the BB expecting to see the usual retainer full of bearing balls but instead I see this... some kind of metal ring holding them in place...
...and had a 'wtf?' moment.
Do I just pry out one of the balls and the rest will follow? There's a lot of grit hiding behind them and I'd rather clean thoroughly and optimally replace with grade 25's before reassembling.
~kn
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Can't say I have ever run across one of those. I would say there are 3 ways to deal with it.
1- flush it as-is and re-grease
2- disassemble it and replace the bearings, re-assemble
3- disassemble and replace the bearings without putting the retainer back
Just be ready to replace it if disassembling it kills it because it's designed to not come apart.
1- flush it as-is and re-grease
2- disassemble it and replace the bearings, re-assemble
3- disassemble and replace the bearings without putting the retainer back
Just be ready to replace it if disassembling it kills it because it's designed to not come apart.
#3
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kn, It'll take a more imaginative person than I to figure out how to disassemble that assembly non destructively! If it were mine I'd flush it with brake clean and regrease.
Brad
Brad
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Yeah... it's probably the route I'll go. If I pry one out and somehow FUBAR something, I'd be off to sealed cartridge land. Maybe somebody will chime in with "I've done it a dozen times, no problem".
~kn
~kn
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I had the same question when I cracked open my SR400
Here is the thread
Here is the thread
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gently pry out the retainer; clean everything; replace the balls; reshape the retainer if it became distorted whilst prying out and reuse it.
I don't like having parts left over........
I don't like having parts left over........
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I had the same question when I cracked open my SR400
Here is the thread
Here is the thread
~kn
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(I always run my bikes with just loose ball bearings.)
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Suntour sealed bearing BB- typical for this model and year. Bearing replacement (or entire BB replacement) is the way to go- bearings are pretty cheap (I think I paid $10 for a pair the last time I rebuilt one of these), the sleeve keeps the inside race of the bearing correctly oriented. These are "adjustable" for proper chainline- both drive and non-drive sides have lock rings and the entire BB can be moved a couple of mm to one side or the other to get the correct crank orientation.
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