BB30 to GXP shim problem
 

I know there is a BB30 expert here somewhere (is Campag4Life?, I can't remember but anyway)

I took my SuperSix in yesterday to have my Sram crank installed and the shop used these Wheels Manufacturing adapters:
Wheels Manufacturing BB30 Shims for SRAM | Amazon.com: Outdoor Recreation

I'm having the same problem as the review on there with the guy that also has a SuperSix. To get the crank to spin freely means having to almost not torque down the crank arm and that leaves play in the crank/bearings. But to torque the crank arm down to spec binds up the bearings to the point where the crank will barely spin at all. So basically the mechanic tried his best to find a happy medium, put on some blue loctite and told me to keep an eye on it. I said ok because I want to ride my bike but the more I think about it the more I feel like this can't be the correct long term solution. Anyone have any experience with these adapters or have any idea what might be going on?

Hi shoota,
Your instinct is correct and the mechanic should be fired or worse. Outrageous what he did.. Do NOT ride it. Can ruin the crank or cause you a crash.

Need some input if you want to resolve it. You need to post a pic of both sides showing spacers and shims on each side Again do NOT ride it. The left crank arm is not properly affixed to the spindle which can cause a catastrophic failure and will ruin the crank arm to spindle juncture if you ride it.

You either need to remove a spacer or respace one side of the crank and/or remove the lash adjuster and replace with a wave washer and respace. Little time/money to get you back on the road safely.

Need to see two pics of spaces/mechanical preload adjuster if you have one. If you know if you have a mechanical preload spacer aka expandable lockring versus wave washer...let us know.

HTH

Get a Praxis BB?

https://www.praxiscycles.com/product...ramgxp-isis-2/

good solution but not necessary since he has the wheel mfg. spacers already. He can back on the road for pennies versus a $90 Praxis BB.

Thanks man, I'll grab a few pics here in a bit. I didn't get to watch him install it so I'm not sure about the washers or spacers. Damn it this is frustrating and is exactly why I always do my own work. Time to buy the necessary BB tools so I don't have to rely on a shop for it.

There should be no spacers used. The WM adapters should take up all the space, and you should be torquing the cranks to spec. If the crank won't spin, you have other issues going on.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=460071http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=460072

Hopefully these are good enough to show you what you need to see.

Like what?

Holla we want co-op!

I just swapped out my BB and crank to install a powermeter and the whole process was pretty awesome since I had someone to walk me through it for my first time. The dude at the co-op was actually kind of weird and socially awkward, but it got the job done and I learned a few things along the way.

Cool did you put in a BB30 to GXP adapter in a SuperSix?

Nah, sorry, I should have prefaced my post with that. My swap was simpler--threaded GXP to Hollowtech II. No adapters or washers needed, just screw out, screw in. The co-op was just my cheap solution to not having to buy tools I'd only use once every few years.

You say that now, those bearings have never lasted me that long. Depends on usage though I suspect. @Campag4life come back I'm desperate!

Can't see any spacers or adjustable preload from the pictures. Here is the essence. You can't ride it how it is. Tear it down and take a picture of all the parts to see what you have and any opportunity to remove some of the spacing between the adapters and the crank. If not, you need to go to another solution but will withhold that until you pull it apart and take a picture of all the parts. By definition there should either be a wave washer or mechanical preload adjustable ring. I can't see either in the pics but that maybe because of the tightness. It has to come apart anyway and so tear it down and take a picture.

You maybe right but it is a no build right now. You should NOT torque the left crank arm to spec if it binds the spindle. There is rarely such a thing as no adjustability aka a line to line build as you suggest. It is possible the bearings aren't properly bedded and what is causing the poor tight spacing with the tolerances of the parts. There should be some adjustability in the design aka wave washer. Next step the crank has to come off to see the parts.

Haha, that's true. I only had about 2000 miles on my GXP when it started to creak and rattle. Hopefully the Shimano lasts longer than that. I probably should just bite the bullet and get a torque wrench and BB tool.

As far as I can tell the only thing I'll be able to remove is the crank itself. I don't think the shims will come out without the correct tool right?
And what could be causing it to bind up??

I found this to be helpful when I was doing mine (to HollowTech II): Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » BB30 Bearing System Service

I assume that the outer seals of the BB have been removed before the adapters were installed right? The spacers should go on top of the adaptors to adjust width.

I don't know if the seals were removed, why is that important? And I don't believe there were any spacers used. At any rate I left with a mechanic friend at a different shop so hopefully he can figure it out.

I wouldn't think the outer seals would be removed. The shims are like any other spacer, only thicker.

This is what I found: http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=460136

As you can see, the adapters go directly onto the bearing with no outer seal between the bearing and the adapter. If the outer seals are left in place, the width would be too great, and that would explain why the crank won't spin freely.

That's good information. I stand corrected.

The crank needs to come off, so remove it.
Take the Wheel Mfg Adaptors off
Take pictures of the bearings pressed into the frame.

When these steps are accomplished, you are well on your way to solving it.
Your bike shop tech is an idiot. He has proven that by what he did. That bike should have never left the shop without the crank arm bolt torqued to spec. Your spacing is too wide. It likely isn't the parts but you may have an extra seal or spacer in there you shouldn't have.
If there is no wave washer or no adjustable lockring for preload adjust...or...if not built to proper spacing which yours is not, then it is built improperly. You start by removing everything so we need to see the parts. Leave the bearings in the frame for time being.

Good pic, but for whatever reason I still can't wrap my head around why being too wide would cause the crank to not spin freely.

Ya know you got me thinking, I wonder if the seal on the drive side got left on there from when I removed it from my other bike that used a regular english gxp bb... I'm going to text my buddy at the shop these things and see what he says.

Thanks for the help guys, hopefully this gets resolved quickly.

If its the guy at the shop that worked on it, you would be better off texting the family dog.

As to why too wide a spacer spread causes binding, its pretty elementary. When you tighten the left hand crankarm bolt the pitch of the thread draws the crankarm into the BB of course. Primary crank forces are vertical and so BB30 bearings are designed to take much greater vertical forces than lateral thrust loading. Increase the thrust loading on BB30 bearings and the inner race presses the balls into the outer race which bind the bearings. This btw is not binary. It can occur over a spectrum. Even slightly too tight will prematurely fail bearings and increase bearing drag.

Different guy, different shop.

Yeah, pretty elementary :rolleyes: lol. I do get what you're saying though. But what does it matter where the crank threads stop tightening down? That force (approx. 40nM) would be exerted on the bb30 bearings no matter what right??