How To Remove And Install A BMX Bottom Bracket

So this is the first how to video for our channel and will hopefully be the first of many! We hope this has helped you guys gain a better understanding of how a mid bottom bracket goes together and hopefully has given you the confidence to have a crack at replacing your own next time :)
If you have any questions about this video, feel free to leave a comment below and we'll get back to you asap! Also if you have any suggestions for future how to videos be sure to let us know in the comments :) Apologies for the late upload!!
Be sure to like, comment, subscribe and share our videos if you enjoy what we're doing!! Thanks for all the support guys :) Next video will be up tomorrow!
Enjoy!

[@edgeofenglandgaming7450]

I had been hammering away at my bearings on and off for days i watched this vid and it's helped loads, hitting it gently around the edge easeing it out worked for me, thanks m8 😊

[@oriah270]

can you send me that piece of wood

[@playboyant]

use a book dumbass

[@intraterrestrial69]

I left one just like it for you in the forest! Oh wait, it's 2024 and there's a boring new housing complex there containing men that dont do anything in their garages. Bummer.

[@paultrunfull3324]

Nice one , just to say that your the first person to say about the length of the spacer in the bottom bracket thanks mate.

[@grabslide]

Yeah but 1mm too long is better than 1mm too short

[@a.e.p.9818]

Bro you are awesome not only do I know what bottom brackets are, but also now I know how to put them on myself. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

[@mitchwalcott]

Thank you very much for putting this video together. The information was very easy to understand and the production quality was great for an instructional video.

[@wilsonjevin]

Do u just lay the spacer in or does it need to in a specific place between the bearings?

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Just put it in between the bearings, then when you put your cranks back on, the spindle will slide through the tube spacer and it should be good to go :) Let us know if you have any troubles!

[@leesmetanin8976]

I stopped the video at 5:00 and went and tried what to did and instantly ran back to my phone to hit the like button

[@Asapbmx]

how are yours so easy to take off I have repeated that same step like 80 times and they still don't come off

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Asapbmx What bit are you having trouble with? Getting the two bearings out?

[@Asapbmx]

+Southern Bmx Films yea my bearingsn don't come off

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Asapbmx They sound pretty stuck in there.. I would try spraying some WD40 on them and then bash them out!

[@Asapbmx]

ill try that

[@michaelip1569]

already bash for about 1.5h，after spray some wd-40, I still can't remove the old mid bb, any suggestions?

[@oogabooga2970]

“You need to get in the habit of gently taking things out” not even a minute later: 4:50

[@mozifn4142]

Time lapse

[@imagesinla8575]

I tried to remove my sealed bearings. Got stuck because I have a one piece crank. Started fiddling around with things, and realized it was my rear sprocket that was skipping on me. I tried cleaning it up, and stuffing some grease in there. It's a lot better, but feels like there still might be a problem with it. I'm going to take it out for a spin to see if it's okay or if I need to replace that rear sprocket.

[@bigsteve5372]

I LOVE how he said the spacer lives in between the bearings haha

[@bikegunexpert6010]

haha right?..thats exactly what it does too!it lives right there in the BB,an unsung hero!

[@bigsteve5372]

Never Getting out to see the light he just works quietly NEVER COMPLAINS hahaha he is unsung hero !!!! haha

[@bikegunexpert6010]

"for hes a jolly good FELLOW,for hes a jolly good FELLOW!!......."...."RAISE YOURE STIENS MY SONS AND LET US PRAISE THE MIGHTY BB SPACER,FOR HE,IS A TRUE GENTELMAN AND SCHOLAR!LETS US STRIVE TO BE LIKE HIM!

[@bigsteve5372]

Now he has been sung for and his Heroism has been Claimed for he is now our one true hero !!!!!

[@skirowx8709]

“You’re gonna wanna be extra carful when hammering them out, you don’t wanna damage the bearings if your gonna reuse them” 4:53 *processed to aggressively tap bearings out*

[@Palpac]

SkirowX I thought he said he was going to use the skinny piece of wood to do that also.😂 next thing using the steel socket extension.

[@7Just20Mike3]

I'm working on same thing , just bought a eastern for 50 bucks , has 19mm BB, but American cups that hold it in to the frame shell, used a rounded extension to knock out , but bearing was stuck to cup , so the whole thing came out , bearings made lotta noise and hard to pedal, and was told that it needed bearings , but also on disassembly I noticed the chainring side didn't have cone spacer, just regular spacers, so maybe that was the issue the whole time , those thin spacers rubbing straight on bearing ?? Idk , I'll get a 19 mm odyssey or kink kit with cone spacers , replace everything except original middle spacer that spindle rides on , cuz it's already perfect size, reuse old cups , should be good to go, and possibly it was needing a cone , so old bearings might still be good , I'll save them , why not lol

[@Juen331]

This is the best tutorial I've ever seen!

[@southernbmxfilms279]

S T R A T U H Thanks mate! Glad we could help :)

[@PuLSeViiPeRz]

So I just bought this really bad Mafia bike second hand that has a clunking/skipping noise whenever I pedal I only bought it as a little project but I’m not sure if it’s the bottom bracket or the spindle 🤷‍♂️

[@MaximRecoil]

I wish my frame had a "mid" bottom bracket shell like that. However, it was made in the late 1990s or early 2000s before those were a thing, so it has an "American" bottom bracket so I have to deal with bearing cups.

[@braingenson6763]

Are all the bearing for the bottom bracket the same sizes I want to use a different frame

[@demetriussmith2638]

hey thank you for the video i have a question tho if i need to order a new set. what is one way to tell what size bearings i would need trying to order some online

[@southernbmxfilms279]

What frame and cranks do you currently have? I'll see if I can find out what you need :) Thanks for the comment too! Glad you found the video useful :)

[@demetriussmith2638]

Southern Bmx Films. its a free agent stile. is blue it has lion on it the bearings on it is small probably the size of a 50-cent piece all i have is mountain bike shops around me they all look at me like I'm crazy for walking in asking questions about a BMX but any suggestion help thank you

[@southernbmxfilms279]

I've just had a look then online and i can't find anything conclusive and I don't want to make assumptions and lead you in the wrong direction!! Best bet would be to take it to a bike shop so they can physically pull out the bearings and find an exact replacement! Sorry I couldn't be of more help!!

[@demetriussmith2638]

lol word thx anyways. good videos👍👍

[@andygohn1877]

my bottom bracket is always loose. my cranks are tight. my bearing are I think a hair small. do u have a fix for this.

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Is it that the bearings are loose in the frame or does the spindle move slightly when it is pushed through the bearings?

[@cody4282]

No answer 3 years later

[@ppl.8554]

i gave up on removing it at drilled it out.

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Yeah thats always another option haha

[@fastas7386]

my frames headtube is a bit deformed and i might be replacing it soon but... i didnt grease the bearings much... i hope they arent stuck in there

[@chrisstorey6428]

Can someone help me? My bottom bracket is actually pretty much stuck. Idk why but when I took my cranks off and looked inside where the brackets are, there is nothing to hit out. It's completely flat. No edges or nothing. It's like they didn't want you to take them out or something. It's annoying because I've seen pretty much every KZbin video where they just put a screwdriver on the edge of the other bracket so they can pop it out. But I ain't got nothing to pop out.. any suggestions?

[@lemor4073]

Hello what size bottom bracket are You using

[@dakotaotte8952]

I have a question about my BMX bike is there any way for a bottom bracket I have one that has just a regular unseled bearings and I was wondering if those anyway I could switch those out with sealed bearings or I would have to get a new bike frame. ???

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Good question! I'm pretty sure that you can't because the frame is machined to hold unsealed bearings instead of a cased, mid sealed bearing. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure you can't!

[@matthewabt2545]

You can easily, I have primo hollowbites on my 15 year old mirraco. All u need to do is get new cranks and sealed american bb bearings.

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Matthew Abt Is the American BB the one that is incased in a second housing?

[@hellhecticbmx3498]

How do you actually take the spindle out the crank arms slide on to?

[@southernbmxfilms279]

hell hectic bmx Depends if you have 2 piece, 2.5 piece or 3 piece cranks. With 2 piece you can't take one crank arm off the spindle. With 2.5 and 3 piece you should just be able to loosen all bolts and smack the spindle out.

[@hellhecticbmx3498]

Oh okay I'm pretty sure I've got a 3 piece crank

[@southernbmxfilms279]

hell hectic bmx You should be able to loosen off all bolts and tap out the spindle then :)

[@brockblack2649]

I've been trying to install my bb bearings but they don't want to go in, any thing I can do to get them in?

[@mafu46]

can a fit a BB30 Bottom Bracket in a bmx American type Bottom Bracket??

[@southernbmxfilms279]

If the frame can fit an American BB then it should work as long as you use a BB that is the same width of your crank spindle :)

[@mafu46]

+Southern Bmx Films Thanks for the info.!!!

[@southernbmxfilms279]

+Luis Torre No worries :)

[@josephdemarco9703]

Will any size bearings work?

[@sspbubba7404]

What size do you have if I get a 19 mm one would it work

[@brayanalvarenga3678]

I wish you could put the part when you have to install the crank arm...that could awesome 😓😓😓😓

[@adambgunn]

Thanks - this was helpful!

[@southernbmxfilms279]

No worries!!

[@JI_Pro.]

my bottom bracket wont budge no matter what angle i bash it at and no matter what force i bash it at my current bike is the united supreme and its starting to annoy me as i need a new bottom bracket

[@danielstaggs6025]

Thanks😀

[@southernbmxfilms279]

No worries!

[@TheKemp2]

I’ve just installed mine and after assembling the cranks that part got a little stiff, hard when pedaling. It seems like there’s pressure. Any repair suggestions?

[@jordano1007]

same!!!!

[@rianblackburn2086]

Do i need a new bottom bracket if my cranks are sjipping and popping when i pedal?

[@Zorack03]

Yeah and that cranking noise can be your chain or your cassette/freewheel

[@frankiero2367]

Question: Does anyone know if the "cups" already on the frame in this video (specifically) made for holding sealed-type bearings? Or can sealed bearings go straight into the stock cups that come on an oldschool (80s) bmx bike?

[@bobbuilder-ui5re]

you need cups designed for the sealed bearings, round cups for balls are not compatible.

[@joshstjohn255]

Why not show one that's the most popular with bearing cups?

[@robertloerwald3]

If it were only that easy

[@elikool6902]

what frame is that?

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Mutiny Rune. They don't make them anymore :(

[@elikool6902]

i have a frame that looks exactly like it but it's a fit

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Eli Kool Raw frames are becoming increasingly popular! For good reason I think. They look awesome :)

[@ChuKutz]

I need help unscrewing my crank there to tight

[@southernbmxfilms279]

+Andrew Becerra Do you have 2 piece or 3 piece cranks man?

[@ChuKutz]

+Southern Bmx Films 3

[@ChuKutz]

+Southern Bmx Films I need to unscrew because I'm hearing cracking noises

[@southernbmxfilms279]

+Andrew Becerra If you can get one of the cranks off then you can hammer out the spindle with the other crank on it. I'd try using something like WD40 or some degreaseing spray like that to get one of the bolts loose. Sounds like you may need to either replace your bearings or re-grease them :)

[@ChuKutz]

+Southern Bmx Films I was able to unscrew the clamp bolts but the big circle on the crank that one circle on me so now I can't take it out

[@leavemealoneyouprick]

thanks bro

[@herbois-et2uh]

oop sorry didnt watch all video my falt

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Haha all good!

[@davesnothere2744]

Reading these comments makes me feel like a bike mechanic

[@Ayko1x]

Omg true btw nice pfp

[@vduber03]

Lol "lightly tap them out" proceeds to beat the crap out of them

[@M4tth2w]

Best tutorial i've seen, nothing fancy just some common tools and a block of wood aha.

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Simple is the best haha Cheers!!

[@aryanmaurice4234]

You prolly dont give a shit but does anyone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account..? I somehow lost my password. I love any assistance you can give me

[@ericluis2290]

@Aryan Maurice Instablaster :)

[@aryanmaurice4234]

@Eric Luis thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@aryanmaurice4234]

@Eric Luis it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thanks so much, you saved my ass !

[@magnusalling]

This is the best tutorial on sealed bearing bb. It even taught me how to convert from unsealed to sealed! Keep up the videos!

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Thanks!! Glad you found it useful :)

[@jakemorley2156]

will u need new cups to go from sealed to unsealed

[@BryantMorales]

How do you know what size BB fits your frame? I don't know if I should buy a 19mm or a 22mm BB

[@southernbmxfilms279]

One way to find out is to look at the specs of your bike online and looking for your spindle diameter there, but if you can't find it online your best bet would be to take your bike into your local bike shop and they should be able to tell you straight away :) What bike do you have?

[@rafael.gerard-gierut]

Or you could learn how to use a ruller? Just measure the inside diameter of the bush bearing. Pretty easy to see a difference between 19mm and 22mm with it.

[@jrh5544]

My spindle is literally seized inside the BB. How tf do I get it out

[@charliemcaughey7566]

Jesus man. I would spray a fuck ton of wd40 and grease in there and hammer the fuck outta the spindle. You’re gonna have to buy everything new anyways 😂

[@skirowx8709]

“You’re gonna wanna be extra carful when hammering them out, you don’t wanna damage the bearings if your gonna reuse them” 4:53 *processed to aggressively tap bearings out*

[@tylerchapman718]

You're a king. Just building up a new frame and I see this vid.

[@AceBullion]

Good explanation. I havnt done this in decades now my sons bike needs it. So a big 👍 for your advice

[@jimbo5575]

Should you allways have spacers on the bottom bracket/ cranks, i currently have none and the chain keeps going loose

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Jimbo 35637 The bottom bracket spacers shouldn't have anything to do with your wheel coming loose. It's personal preference if you run the big cylinder spacer but you will need to run spacers on the outside to make sure your cranks don't hit the frame :)

[@hamishwatson5292]

Awesome, first how too, you explained it really well :) keep it up

[@southernbmxfilms279]

+Mtb Hamish Thanks Hamish :) We really appreciate all your comments and support!!! Also really enjoyed your video out at the Tolosa Dirt Jumps :)

[@frankysn]

Is WD40 the best thing to take off bottom bracket if they are REALLY FUCKING STUCK in the frame??

[@Lil2Lit]

My bearings are stuck, i tried your tips im scared to mess them up even though im trying to put a motor on, i feel like ill need to acrew driver punch them which will mess them up i tried adding copious amounts of wd40

[@johnnysins1400]

Hahahah, The reason I need to replace mine is because they Blew up and Fell out 💀 I may or may not Sue the fuck out of GT cuz I payed way too much for this shit to just break

[@imagesinla8575]

Do the sealed bearings ever wear out from use? Can you grease them up? Or do you need to replace them sometimes?

[@bleach3044]

every bike I get, the fucking bearings end up giving out! but I cant afford a 300 dollar bike but I wanna do tricks :-/

[@davydacounsellor]

A good hint is to put bearing in freezer for an HR metal contracts all my mates to it saves a lot of hammering if you have a rough bearing seat ;-)

[@Nikeeire]

My bottom brackets aren’t coming out, I got one out and the other I’ve been hammering at for the past hour, anybody any ideas?

[@matteggleton4278]

DO bot use car grease/copper grease, it’s go little bits of metal in and it will just grind and ruin the bb

[@jrh5544]

Matt Eggleton what grease do you recommend

[@christopherr1830]

Just buy bike grease online or at the local store

[@sasproductions701]

i just replaced this and i figure its the fucking chain now so now i gotta buy one and chain tool

[@7amidou84]

bro i swear mine wont come out they r stuck in the frame i beated the crap out of them but nothing i have a dirt jump bike

[@archiehinchcliffe8155]

I think the spacer in mine has seized up, it won't move and there's no lip to hit out the bearings, any tips?

[@connorhutchens7688]

Bro this is fucking bullshit I can’t get these damn bearings out to save my fucking life

[@syco4035]

Mine just don't move at all. I've tried wood and metal and hitting soft and hard and they just don't budge at all

[@markkus1134]

You can also put the bearings in a freezer it will help with installation

[@MidwestBikeShop]

I’ve broke at least 7 peices of wood and my bearing is still not in

[@kitekite1864]

Does my spindle have to fit in the bottom bracket have to fit snugly

[@JB-qj6jh]

hi mate too vid ,I just bought a 2009 giant STP andbi came with 3 price bmx cranks but no bottom bracket so is useless! my question is if on the frame is threaded can I install a bmx bottom bracket?

[@southernbmxfilms279]

So technically speaking you can't install a mid bottom bracket because it isn't threaded. Im not 100% sure but I think what you will need is a bottom bracket that is threaded but has an inner diameter of either 19 or 22mm to fit your 3 piece bmx cranks!

[@reynabhoy07]

I put my spacers ontop of the tube and they fell off while hammering in the bearings

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Try putting the tube spacer ontop of the little ring spacers instead! That way they won't fall off :)

[@reynabhoy07]

+Southern Bmx Films i will when i manage to get my bearing out again

[@luisbrito1755]

I can’t get the damn thing off! I don’t want to keep hitting it.

[@erbalumkan369]

you didn't show how to remove the crancks and axle

[@BluePurpleOceanus]

Thank you this was very helpful my man

[@kokobeliq]

hey man so i was installing my bottom bracket but the spacer was a bit short and i couldnt find any other little spacers.is there a problem if i ride like that?

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Nah there shouldn't be any major dramas with riding it like that!

[@aplusfreestyleapf5476]

Thanks for help out 🅰️🅿️💯

[@jamespayne7081]

thanks for upload! I was able to fix my kink frame

[@southernbmxfilms279]

Jimmy Payne No worries! Glad it helped :)

[@Jestersson]

Can’t I just reuse the spacer that came out?

[@lljacoblltv2131]

Are your bearings flatland I don't really get what that means I was trying to buy bearings and it send that in the description

[@lljacoblltv2131]

If you guys can help me

[@Hassan-Alnajjar]

Thanks, why there is no proper tool to remove the Bottom bracket of a BMX?

[@grabslide]

Money and with proper tool (pipe with a spread end) you still use hammer

[@Hassan-Alnajjar]

@@grabslide I checked everywhere online, not available for BMX size, only available for MTB.

[@trashy10]

hi friend,from usa here,whats the point of the spacer?ive taken plenty bikes apart,never seen or used a spacer,bikes like 87 gt performer,87 dyno detours,88elf pro,87gt freestyle,94elf xl. I also notice the bearing u put in look like actual bearings,the ones I ever seen have a flange as if there was no space plate inside it will stop at the determined point regarless,is this why u need a spacer?i can just be outdated since im old school, TY!

[@shanecorrigan1096]

I have a older Gt from like 2002 and it is starting to creak and I want to swap sealed barings so want size bearings do I need to get

[@southernbmxfilms279]

A GT bmx or mountain bike?

[@christophermanera8562]

My bearing broke were i can buy 19.5 mm

[@danielstaggs6025]

What size is yours because I very sure mine is the same but I don't know either 19mm or 22mm😩

[@southernbmxfilms279]

The one in this video was a 22mm mid bottom bracket, what kind of bike do you have mate?

[@avexx7715]

What kind of grease are you using to put the bearing in?

[@southernbmxfilms279]

I just went to my local bike shop and got that container ages ago! Cant quite remember exactly what it is! Honestly you could probably get away with any grease haha Maybe even Vasoline...

[@avexx7715]

Southern Bmx Films ok😂 thanks

[@jeannetrottier5014]

Hello ! How did you previously remove the axle/spindle ??

[@realSTYLISHx]

Take off one crank arm (usually the non-drive side is easier). And then you can use the wood and hammer method to knock the spindle out

[@matthewblackwell5274]

SE bike literally makes their bb’s so stuck in there, the first time I removed the factory bearings took me hours to get them out, I just replaced an after market set and it took me like 10 mins for both

[@ultimatezegger0073]

interesting. on skateboards we put lube to the inside of the cover, where the small balls are spinning. we dont take off the cover, we just clean it with a basic citrus cleaner and then drop some lubricant onto the cover, it goes in after spinning. as i can see, on bmx bikes you dont do this, you only lubricate the outside and the inside frame of the bearing. am i right?

[@michaeldraper8008]

Thanks so much! I have to rebuild my son's crank set. This was very helpful.

[@kristianmartialsurvivalper8522]

how large is the diameter exactly

[@Fswill]

I have a wethepeople frame could i take a subrosa crank and put it on my wethepeople frame

[@hamishwatson5292]

Ha thanks man I couldn't hit the big set because it was really windy and I didn't want to swipe to the side and crash and I'm glad u like it

[@adrianTNT]

Thanks, I was hoping to see how much to tighten the axle against the bearings, how tight is too tight ?!

[@peterharold6456]

Well that was easy socket extension and a knocking stick worked wonders and if they go in as easy as they came out WINNER

[@herbois-et2uh]

what i dont like about this video is that he dont tell the size of breaing

[@seanhornchek6440]

its a mid bb its either a 19mm mid or 22mm mid, 19 and 22 are the sizes of the spindle

[@aerodynamicbrraap4930]

Do u know what size is a free agent trail bike size 19 or 22

[@southernbmxfilms279]

I had a bit of a look online and it seems that the Free Agent Trail bmx has one piece cranks and instead of a mid bottom bracket, it has a classic open bearing bottom bracket. I'm not 100% sure as to whether the older open bearing bottom brackets run in 19 or 22mm or whether they have their own special size. The best thing to do would be to take it to your local bike shop and let them have a look at it and they should be able to determine what kind of replacement bearings you need! Sorry that I couldn't give you a more definitive answer!!

[@MarsGT3RS]

My cranks tend to click when i pedal harder, is this the bottom brackets fault or the cranks?

[@joshcrabtree3316]

Would I️ be able to put a sealed bottom bracket in if my name came with an unsealed one and if so how can I️ find out what size I️ need?

[@beangz2981]

Doesnt matter how hard i hit or what ever i do with them beraing for it to come out, nothing is working its like the bearing is glued in

[@Mant09]

What is number of bering?