Cycle service - bottom bracket

[Rick Hughes]

I have an old but working fine, Muddy Fox Mountain Bike ... after about 10 years of no use ... I want to service it and use again.

Noticed that if I hold crank and frame down tube I can move it, which I assume is what is referred to as 'play' in bottom bracket. The play is not much a few mm only .... so I assume that adjustment is probably all it needs.

The chain set is a Shimano 400LX (in case it makes a difference).

The very simple manual I have which came with bike says to adjust by using a locking tool to slacken lock ring and adjust the adjustable cup. Is it this simple or do I need a bit more information ?

Should I just adjust it to remove play, or should I look at stripping down completely - clean & re-grease (never been done before on bike - and it's

21 yrs old)

Am I right to assume I can buy the 2 tools in a cycle shop ? or anybody have a good on-line source.

[A.Lee]

I'm not sure that you'll be able to adjust it, unless it is REALLY old. They have been sealed units for 20 years or so now, approx £15 upwards for a new one. You'll need to take the old one out first, as there are many different lengths and offset combinations. Alan.

[Steve]

Are you sure it really needs tightening? A very small amount of movement isn't too bad.

No its easy, see parktool or

remember that one side opens clockwise, the other counter clockwise.

I would, but thats just me.

chainreaction/wiggle online, you might find it a slight waste of cash though, as they don't sell anthing with a cup and cone design any more, so if yoy dump that bike you will never use the tools again.

Steve

[Rick Hughes]

I'm assuming it is adjustable as the Muddy Fox manual shows a very simple drawing of the crank axle .. a ball race and an adjustable cup, held in place in the bottom bracket by a 'lock ring'

The manual does not give much detail other than saying use a lockring tool to loosen lock ring and adjust cup with the correct tool.

Bike is at least 21 years old.

[John Miller]

I agree with other posters that you'll get all the help you need from one of the cycling forums - I subscribe to uk.rec.cycling and they're a really helpful bunch. However, rather than try to adjust your existing bottom bracket which is likely to be badly worn, you might think about replacing it with the modern cartridge equivalent. The left hand cup and lock ring should be easily removeable with fairly rudimentary tools unless they're rusted in, but the right hand cup is much more difficult to remove (right-hand thread as well!) and may require a visit to your local cycle shop unless you want to splash out on the special tool. Another (cheap) tool is required to insert the new cartridge BB, but is a better long-term bet than your existing set-up. Measuring your existing axle should give you a good idea about the size of cartridge BB you need, but your local bike shop will usually help if you ask nicely. If you want to buy on-line, Ribble Cycles (Preston) are about the cheapest around, but a Google search will throw up plenty of alternatives if you want a closer one.

John Miller

[Bob Mannix]

My bottom bracket went recently - at the end of the day it was about £45 all in to have the cartridge changed in the local bike shop (shout out for Pedal Power in Abingdon - old fashioned father and son business). If you take it in and ask a decent shop will give you all the answers you need.

[Cicero]

========================================= Haynes do quite a good manual for bikes ('The Bike book' - £14-99p, and there's a good description of this job and the tools required. Halfords is probably the best source for the required tools and the Haynes manual which is quite comprehensive.

If you intend doing more maintenance look in Lidl for a very good bicycle tool kit ('Powerfix' - £19-99p). It's not often there so you'll need to watch for it but it appears to be re-branded Draper at less than half the Draper price.

Cic.

[Man at B&Q]

Is that a recommendation for Draper, or an indication that it will be even lower quality?

MBQ

[Cicero]

==========================================

Most people here who have bought tools at Lidl are agreeably surprised at the high quality and this particular bicycle tool kit maintains that generally high standard.

If Draper tools are as poor as your trite comment would suggest it seems odd that they've been such a successful company for so long.

Cic.

[Rick Hughes]

Thnx ... I'll ask same Q's there.

[Rick Hughes]

If this a box kit, or tool roll ?

[Rick Hughes]

Is that a recommendation for Draper, or an indication that it will be even lower quality?

MBQ

I have a number of Draper tools - always found them good enough quality ...

[John]

When I were a lad I would strip a bottom bracket just for something to do. The tool for unlocking the ring is like a curved hook - but you may be able to tap it loose with a soft drift. Personally, I would hate to feel any play in the bearing. It is possible that water has got in and caused some rusting and pitting if it has never been serviced (like I did when I were a lad). In this case a cartridge type may suit you.

[Rick Hughes]

My bottom bracket is in the following pic if that helps identify the type.

the simple Muddy Fox manual it showed a pin adjustable cup ... although on mine it has what appears to be a lug that can be adjusted with a spanner.

For the fun of it I loosened the locking ring (hammer & parallel punch) and took up the play by aprox 1/8th turn of the 'lug' .... all seems fine.

I would like to strip it fully, clean out old grease and re-grease ... but had to park that idea as could not get the crank off the axle .... holding nut came off easily, but the square taper crank certainly does not want to come free ..... Pullers I have would not get a good grip ... I'll see what I can borrow.

[Cicero]

=========================================

This is the one although Lidl's price is better:

[Dave]

Of all the years that I have been a fitter in engineering, I have found that Draper tools are adequate for run of the mill jobs. I have only ever cracked and broken one quarter drive socket and I was giving it some stick, after grinding down the end of the socket so as to fit into a tight place. It cracked through where I had ground it down. I wasn't using a Draper ratchet at the time though, so I pushed my luck a bit.

For general DIY work, they are adequate, but put them under intense pressure, then you will break them. Particularly the ratchet. It has a fine ratchet wheel in it and can be damaged by too much leverage being applied to it.

HTH

Dave

[Andy Dingley]

Fit a new cheap Shimano sealed BB. They last for years and years, never give trouble and are pretty cheap. Their biggest advantage is better dirt sealing, so a sealed BB outlasts an adjustable every time.

You need a magic tool, and this can vary according to model. They're only a few quid though. Try a Park one from Edinburgh Bike or Wiggles mail order

[Doki]

You need a special puller called a crank extractor. TBH it's one of those jobs that's best just handed over to the bike shop - my bike shop fit stuff for free, whereas the tools to do the job would easily be £20 on top of a £15 bottom bracket.

[Clive George]

Depending on tool-fetishness and availability of such a friendly LBS - a fitting fee for a BB would be more common than not IME. Crank extractor is one of the tools any bike mechanic should have.

[petermeakins]

Bikes are Best! I sill have a Muddy Fox Courier but haven't ridden it for years - these days it's replace rather than re-grease Good luck