Make Bottom Bracket Thread Chasing Tools - Cheap & Easy

I show how to make cheap and easy bottom bracket chaser tools using old fixed and adjustable cups. These do nut cut new threads, but are used to chase the threads/repair damaged threads/clean out gunk caught in the threads.
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[@RJTheBikeGuy]

For more bike repair videos hit the subscribe button 🛑 and click the notification bell ► bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy

[@williammadden3137]

I guess im randomly asking but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account? I was dumb forgot the password. I would love any help you can give me!

[@jeremeyfisher9500]

Me and a friend watch you anytime we need to find a way to fix bicycles. I used this method just yesterday and it really helped. I usually recommend people to your channel because your videos are a great resource. Thank you.

[@psi1971]

Thanks RJ. Your videos have saved me countless times over the years and this is another great video for something I’m trying to fix this week. You’ve de-mystified complex tasks (like rebuilding free hubs - tasks which no wrench would ever touch). Thank you for taking the time to record these videos and explain things so clearly. The cycling community is lucky to have you. You've earned the right to be in the same Pantheon of cycling wisdom as the late, great Sheldon Brown.

[@eugeneschulz110]

This trick worked incredibly well for me today! Thank You RJ! You are my "go to guy" when things get perplexing.

[@grodz77]

This trick/tool saved me today. It started to cross thread and I was able to correct it... THANK YOU!!!

[@ngomediaLIVE]

Brilliant. Did this yesterday, with a home made cutter too (bolts, drill, washer, nuts, and a cutting disc). Works a treat. Total cost: £1.78!

[@LPRoad505]

Thanks, saved me a 2.5 hour trip to the nearest bike shop that had a chase/face tool!

[@2wheelsrbest327]

Thanks RJ another great tip I will be using tomorrow given its 10 pm here in the UK.

[@iliebivol3993]

Worked like a charm! Saved me money and hassle. Thanks!

[@jptrainor]

I just did this. Hadn't seen the video. I do often with auto bolts to clean threads and improve minor thread damage. Aligning the bottom bracket cup is trickier because of the fine thread and large diameter. I needed to use a caliper to check, and recheck, that it was going in straight because it (and the new cup) were catching munged threads at the start and wanting to go in crooked. It took some patients, and quite a bit of force once it was started straight, but it all worked out and the new cup threaded in easily, as it should.

[@ovidiurada]

Thanks RJ, You made my work a lot easier with this trick

[@rollinrat4850]

You can do the same thing with bolts to clean up any threaded hole. Ive been doing this sort of thing on autos for years. Its an old mechanic/ machinist trick.

[@timfear593]

Brilliant idea 👍

[@ericherrera5405]

great idea for repairing slightly damaged bb threads.

[@buster0004]

I did this today on my Fondriest TF2. The treads in my bottom bracket had a lot of gunk - maybe some of that yellow thread lock from my Campy UT-cups. Made two small cuts in my existing cups and now they screw all the way in by hand. Can't imagine any serious loss of strength, as I only made the small cuts in the first 3-4 treads. Thanks for posting.

[@leqin]

How can anybody not like that - brilliant RJ - I have a old bottom bracket, but by tomorrow I'm going to have a new tool in the toolbox instead.

[@rollinrat4850]

Angle slots away from center slightly to make a sharper cutting edge like a tap.

[@philg6757]

Thanks mate,worked a treat.

[@stevenv2526]

This helped me out a lot thanks!

[@aliabdia5182]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[@burundi8909]

rj thank you great tip again

[@pocopal]

good idea..helped me...thanks

[@mrJayGaragebikes]

Amazing work like always 🤟

[@LeSiZmOr]

Good stuff RJ

[@Rayhid1956]

Nice. thanks for sharing.

[@anzaborrego399]

Thank you!

[@Luan436sp]

Amazing!

[@that70sschwinn]

Nicely done...

[@redalert2834]

Any advice for a bottom bracket that has failed after the threads in an aluminium frame stripped having done 12000 miles? Bottom bracket is a sealed Shimano BB-UN55 - still in good working order.

[@bambam859]

Thank you!!!!

[@18wheelerham]

Ok so I have a question I have a monster cross bike the bb is 73mm and I would like to trim it down to 68mm to improve the chain line the rear is 142x12 so what problems would I run into

[@josekanashiro3610]

Thank you very much for this awesome trick, just save my junky bike, I just bought a t-shirt from your store, thanks again, cheers 🤟🍻

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Awesome, thank you!

[@josekanashiro3610]

@@RJTheBikeGuy This tool can fix busted tread, not just clog of dirt, I don't know how bad were but really fix it😁

[@ender4903]

Is it possible to use it for rethreading the damaged shell?

[@merakedilenler1]

hello my bike has broken threads can i fix it by doing this please reply

[@pixelatedblue]

Can you use this method for removing paint from the bottom bracket threads?

[@shadymoto3690]

Rj the bike god

[@MLFranklin]

Loosely designed like a poor-man's tap. (Obviously a thread chaser.) I like it! Using what you got.

[@loganebeling9023]

Super useful, thanks RJ! Are the notches that you put in only to give the gunk in the threads somewhere to go or is there some other purpose?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

That's pretty much it. They scrape the gunk out and give it an out, instead of this pushing it in.

[@barney6323]

You’re a genius

[@RixterNow]

Very cool. Will this work on an aluminum frame as well?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Yes. Be careful not to cross thread.

[@ricric9521]

Funny. I tried this years ago, but the tolerances on the cup threads are not tight enough to actually "chase" the frame threads. It may clean a little gunk out at best. It will never straighten out threads as a true chase tool will do.

[@neilfroggycrompton2466]

+rjthebikeguy would a hacksaw blade/thin file work ok to cut the notch as i dont have dremel tool?,also ive noticed its usually paint overspray that clogs the bb thread from the factory paint process?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Hacksaw or file will probably work.

[@JUAN-ny4yn]

Esas maniobras hay que hacerlas con grasa no a lo seco.

[@xJuiCYxxJaYx]

hey @RJ the Bike Guy i had to hacksaw out on non drive side a square taper and cut into the threads in a straight line , is there something you can suggest to repair it? perhap[s a link to a previous video.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Not really.

[@nickyburnell]

Done this for years but always cut slots at an angle to push gunk out.

[@greenglass2]

what if the threads are the wrong way? i have a bike and the bb bearing is reversed.

[@longhorn8459]

RJ, thanks so much. I’m restoring a 1988 mongoose stylist and the threaded fork is cross threaded, I could hardly get the retaining nut off. Any ideas on what I should do to fix if anything can be done?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Shrug. The damage is done. You can try to chase the threads. It will work or it won't.

[@longhorn8459]

RJ The Bike Guy yeah I figured, I heard machine shops can braze and recut but probably not worth the hassle, I found a used fork on eBay so I’ll probably go that route. Thanks for your content!

[@1stPlaceDirector]

How about discussing which material the cups are made of. I've seen them in light aluminum, and I'm wondering if they also come in steel? I'm thinking that the light aluminum ones will not work very well in a hard steel frame? I'd think that the thread chasers or taps need to be harder than the steel. How many different materials do this style cup come in? Which model bottom bracket did the cups come off of, that you used?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I have never seen aluminum cups. Aluminum would be too soft. They are hardened steel.

[@1stPlaceDirector]

Campy made aluminum alloy cups with steel races inserted on their C-Record cups. I also have some Shimano Dura-Ace aluminum cups, that came with my sealed bottom bracket.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Okay, the outside parts are aluminum, but the races are steel. No, you want to use cups with steel threads. Just get some old generic cups.

[@mukeshpandya4171]

Thats very nice.. Thank you. I think you made one more video about thread chasing a while back! I have a question - not related to this video; @3:45 - you see where the is a centre hole connecting to two sides of hind wheel; what is that for? I mean, i have a bike it has the same hole just behind the Triangle of the frame where two sides of hind wheel go... have you ever used that? whats it for?

[@pravrao]

That hole is to fit full length mudguards.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

They are vent/drain holes. Yes I did make a video with a generic screw which I mentioned in this video.

[@mukeshpandya4171]

RJ The Bike Guy Oh okay Thank you. I ride road bike with no mudflaps! Thanks again :)

[@jsollien127]

RJ, what model Dremel do you use? I’m buying one and was looking at the cordless, any thoughts.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I don't know the model. It's 5 speed, corded.

[@jsollien127]

Thanks, I'm getting a corded one, they seem more capable.

[@pipelcs5124]

Hello New subscriber here, can you convert a v-brake to disc?

[@markojovicic9844]

You will need New hubs and you need to check if your bike supports disc brakes.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Unless your frame has disc brake mounts, probably not worth it.

[@joehart3826]

What about lube?

[@bearsk745]

Is there any tip for stripped bottom bracket threads? Thanks

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Not really. You can use a threadless bottom bracket.

[@bearsk745]

@@RJTheBikeGuy thanks

[@nicoleannebonton6302]

Do you have a shop to buy a threadless bb

[@jasonlin7658]

Where would I get these cups? Would like to get them for less than $10.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I had them lying around from an old bike. A local bike shop might have some old ones lying around for cheap or free. Maybe on ebay.

[@damntuff62]

I'd use some WD40 to lubricate the chaser tool

[@sunfirefilms]

What's the value of the notches?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Somewhere for the debris that is being scraped out of the threads to go.

[@user-ht6em6po5u]

Hello again RJ. Have you heard of anyone retapping a French thread to convert it into English? I read this article (in French) which basically says that against common sense it works if done very carefully. The guy gives all sorts of alternatives in other articles and it looks like he knows what he's talking about. I wonder what your thought are on this topic or if you know about or heard of anyone who has done it. Anyways, I hope you are enjoying the summer. Greetings from the Basque Country! PD: the article in question in case you are curious: www.muzarde.com/convertir-boitier-de-pedalier-dun-vieux-cadre-de-velo/

[@stevenpaquit9722]

Is it okay if i use grinder?

[@uploadJ]

Not narrow enough groove will be cut

[@ajuk1]

How do you cross thread a BB?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

People have done it.

[@fergusdonaghy3124]

Quite easily unfortunately

[@javito810]

Hi! You can use some grease to do that job too

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Grease won't clean out debris caught in the threads.

[@Ralphnielle]

Man, you saved me from buying a new frame

[@lalind9393]

Nice idea, but a small wirebrush works easier :)

[@masterrap7678]

for serving or what function

[@frankieboie]

Don't forget to wear safety glasses!!!

[@l0r4kpl]

The bike might try to bite you in the eye!

[@frankieboie]

No, but using the dremel cutting disk will!

[@Darchful]

That invention would be to not have to buy some of this? Link: www.vartools.com/en/bottom-bracket-tapping-set-without-tap-var-p78.php I have that of an old BB but the right is a little damaged, if I made the cut, would it be worth it? Thanks!

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

This is not a tap. It doesn't cut threads. It just cleans the threads. This is not a replacement for a tool like that.

[@boatman222345]

Good tips but you need to tell people NOT to use the modified cups when they reinstall the bottom bracket.

[@SmilesDavis]

#gcnhack

[@thousandsunny3103]

Speaking of dirty, ugh, Bro, clean out your bottom bracket tool, yuck. Please! Take care of your tools. But , hey, thanks for the idea!