Overhaul/Rebuild Bottom Bracket With Sealed Cartridge Bearings

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

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[@TooMuchTemper]

Subliminal message at 6:13 says: Q. Do you know what's the hardest part of learning to ride a bike? A. The pavement! I had to work for that one aha. Love the video.

[@kevinhill4328]

Never realised that a sealed BB was so close in design to an old style one but with a sleeve on. Very impressed with the tools you used - nothing more specialised than a clamp and shows we can all do this at home.

[@imrevadasz1086]

You don't have any adjustment though, they seem to use deep-groove ball bearings, I stead of angular bearings. The only adjustable bottom-bracket with cartridge bearings that I know would be the Axix BB from the French brand Spécialités T.A.

[@keithschrack]

Some early cartridges are actually serviceable by design--nothing more than an adjustable BB in its own shell. This video was intriguing, but the typical sealed BB is so inexpensive these days, it hardly seems worth the aggravation to repair one.

[@redsun9261]

​@@keithschrack Yeah, its pretty cheap and not worth the trouble. Untill they dont have BB of your exact size in local stores)

[@keithschrack]

@@redsun9261 In such event, I guess run to your hometown 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘 to pick up a pair of 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡 replacements. Maybe Home Depot or Ace Hardware keep them in-stock. Why didn't I think of that?!

[@redsun9261]

​@@keithschrack i meant bottom bracket, not bearings. There is like 5 different sizes of square BB axle. Wrong axle length could ruin your chainline.

[@timgarland5949]

I just re-watched this. Good stuff! We miss you RJ! I hope all is well with you and you are just taking a break.

[@TheLurker]

I suppose the reason these are treated as consumable is that the labor time to replace the bearings exceeds the cost to replace the BB. But if you're a hobbyist like me with time to kill, might as well give it a shot! Thanks for the consistently useful videos.

[@josvansprang5225]

Thought the same, just buy a new BB.

[@trulyspokencycles4862]

I could see a minor risk of marring the fixed cup threads when pounding the cup off on the lip of the vise. The further risk would be marring the frame threads when reinstalling the cartridge into your bike frame. One reason to replace the whole unit. But I've always liked to reuse as much as possible, so perhaps I'll start keeping these bearings on hand for rebuilds.

[@snowflakemelter1172]

You won't save much if anything.

[@paule4204]

@@trulyspokencycles4862 he would have been better to use aluminium soft jaws.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

The problem with this service is that high quality bearings are the most expensive part anyway. The small amount of money you can save by reusing the sleeve and axle are miniscule compared to the price of good bearing. That said, doing this service could allow you to use higher quality bearing (e.g. high end SKF bearings) than is otherwise available for this style of bottom bracket design.

[@SeymourSunshine]

Fantastic job! Like many others, I had no idea that these were repairable. I'd do this just for the fun of it as well as saving a few bob. That's one of the many joys of retirement.

[@benjamincady9796]

Absolutely legendary. used this to put new bearings in an eye-wateringly expensive sugino 75 cartridge, worked so well and saved a load of money and waste. I didn't have a socket of the right size for pushing bearings back on so used a 15mm ring spanner over the spindle to contact the bearing, then with a piece of 27.2 seatpost on top of it to push it back on with the C clamp. Thanks so much for this!

[@SubversionGarage]

Clamp your C clamp in your vise. Makes everything much easier

[@Toto-is8ci]

First time I was first on your channel. THANKS RJ so glad to have you back!! You are my bike hero. I had no idea that these were rebuildable. Everyone told me that once they were done they were toast. Thanks. With everything so expensive these days, it helps a lot. We rebuild used bikes for kids and farmworkers. Every penny counts. Labor is cheap for us, as retired volunteers.

[@drbobjohnson812]

Toto555 thanks for your service of building bikes. I helped out building bike for a local boys and girls club, it is always good to see people have bikes that would not otherwise have them. I know what mean about labor more available than $ for parts. You fix what you can with what you have first, only buy the parts you cant get by with out

[@ivanvarela3215]

​@@drbobjohnson812I have a tip for you both. You can take rear QR axles and use them as derailleur hanger alignment tools. They have the same thread as derailleur hangers.

[@techno427]

It is easier and probably cheaper to just replace the whole bottom bracket, but a lot of bottom brackets have cheap bearings installed from the factory. So this actually makes sense if you want to install bearings of a better quality.

[@MrJonas2255]

For sure, it's generally a better idea to replace the whole bottom bracket. Often times the tool interface is chewed up so getting new splines on there is an additional benefit (on top of ease and cost). Really the only other time I could see doing this is if you had an odd length spindle that you couldn't easily find... which would be very rare.

[@joehart3826]

Nah Putting sweet as skf or fag bearings on would be good in anyone's book. Whether it's a new or used cartridge bb

[@Drago0900]

Its easier yes but you can upgrade to some higher end bearings plus you arent wasting the rest of the assembly just because of the wear parts being worn

[@Drago0900]

@@MrJonas2255 Could pull another tool interface off another cart bb

[@MrJonas2255]

@@Drago0900 Could for sure, but why is the real question.

[@woody1760ify]

Here in the UK it's called a G clamp. Good video, thanks.

[@danielhall3895]

This reminds me of something that I so miss about SunTour. It's forgotten that SunTour used to make a lot of neat, little, useful tools for things like this. SunTour had a sealed bearing puller tool kit. It was two steel, cup like donuts that slid over the bearings on both sides of the spindle, and a tweezer like puller, with tweezer arms you slid into the inner diameter of the donut cups, and with a little grease or oil, the tweezer arms assist in pulling off the bearing from the spindle, in a smooth, quick motion, Completely non-destructive, since the tweezer arms pulled the steel cup walls, not the bearing that it latched onto.

[@041e71]

One trick I learned when working on engines: by placing the spindle in the freezer for an hour and heating up the bearings a little (not too much becouse otherwise the seals and grease will get destroyed) pressing them on will be a lot easier!

[@joehart3826]

Yes And then the other way round for pressing the threaded push fit spline on

[@MrJx4000]

Putting the spindles in some dry ice if you can get it and know how to use it safely works very well, too. We used dry ice to install large-diameter bearings on AC induction motors that way.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

8:55 You should be using big socket on the left side of the frame, too, so that you're pushing the outer edge there, too. The sleeve is keeping the pressure of the bearing while you press the outsides from both sides at the same time.

[@KrazyGoodMods]

Thank you! I'm rebuilding an old Specialized mountain bike that was pulled out of the garbage. It spent a lot of time out in the mud and weather, so I wanted to replace the bottom bracket bearings, but the bb as a whole is still in good shape.

[@jeremyrichards8327]

I have a 40 plus year old Carlton with a similar square taper cartridge bearing which is fine for now. Your description has given me the wherewithal to repair it when it finally starts to fail. I was under the impression that they were disposable once worn out but looks straightforward to repurpose.Many thanks.

[@PhunkyChikin]

Thanks RJ! Your videos are my go to for things like this. I could not locate quality name brand bearings when I wanted them, so I ended up picking off the rubber seals, and thoroughly cleaning the bearings with dish soap, and a toothbrush. Then, solvent rinse, and marine grease. The rubber seals popped back on easily, and the bearings are smooth.

[@captainkurt66]

Hi RJ, I never thought to rebuild these bottom brackets. I worked at a bike shop for 10 years, all we did was put the old BB in the recycle bin and replace with a new one. Nice video! Always enjoy your videos.

[@zachbrowning4066]

Most definitely because these bottom brackets are so cheap it isn't worth it. The cost of bearings plus the additional labor would for sure cost more than a new replacement.

[@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362]

@@zachbrowning4066 They're like...$11. Even less for the shop, like $5 from JBI or something.

[@kalijasin]

The exact same Modus BC-73, which is now being sold under name VP components, is $20 on amazon.

[@kalijasin]

@@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362 Depends on what you want to do.

[@townground]

Very good technique; well done.👏 Funny how sealed bearings are sold as a superior feature, when really all that is required for non sealed is relatively simple and regular maintenance. It's analogous to indexed vs. non indexed derailleurs/shifting. Indexed is sold as modern and superior, but can be a downright pain in the ass to tune/maintain. Getting into older bikes I'm learning all this, and now I lean more toward the ease of operation, simplicity of the old world stuff. Of course it's all relative with pros and cons to each. Happy New Year, always love watching your videos!

[@louisschummer931]

I hated regularly rebuilding mine and usually a buddy or two because I had the tools(still do) and a knack for getting them just right. A wet muddy trail or stream crossing and they where done.

[@johns3106]

I totally agree with you! During my long involvement with cycling, I have seen bikes go from being simply and easily repairable by the home mechanic (even “high end” bikes) to being ridiculously complex, proprietary machines that need to go to the shop for even the most “basic” repairs (brake bleeds, press-fit BB and headset replacement, etc., etc.). And yeah, indexed shifting is great…until it isn’t! Friction shifting is never out of adjustment!

[@townground]

@@johns3106 Exactly, cheers!

[@TheRokko66]

Very good tutorial, RJ! I did this a few times and used a bearing puller instead to pull out the old bearings. Bearing pullers are cheap. The new bearings can be tapped on the inner Ring with a hammer by using a short aluminum tube that fits over the spindle. You can use a small wrench, when you first press the bearing on the drive side into the outer cap😀

[@nin198520]

Thanks RJ. This is going to save me a ton of money. I’ve got an old French bike and the cartridge bottom bracket with French threads was over 75 bucks

[@ratoneJR]

perfect application for you. nice.

[@MrJonas2255]

Curious to see a French bb with sealed bearings, is it a mavic bb?

[@nin198520]

@@MrJonas2255 Velo orange makes a great French thread sealed Bottom Bracket.

[@oxytocina]

Which cups did you install to the BB cartridge ? I've read about fitting Phil Wood to Shimano but I'm wondering if It could be posible using IRS cups which are cheaper.

[@Triplex5014]

Good to know that one day if my Shimano UN-55 goes bad I can fix it, although it's bulletproof. Thank you RJ for this video. I'm not falling for the trend of hollowtech axles.

[@jimig399]

Well your missing out. I've got the new Shimano Dubs 30 for boost axles and it's way better then these old things. The bearings are outboard, the spindle is 30mm and one solid piece and gives you a lot of stability and strength in the crank. Also you don't have to worry about crank arms loosening occasionally as they tend to do on square tapers. I highly recommend that you fall for the new tech if you can afford it. The new bolt on tru axles are probably my favorite of the new bike trends. With the new outboard bottom brackets being a close second. 🤠 I'm still a fan of the old front derailleur 3x setup but I think it's more sentimental than anything. The new 1x 12 are pretty good but require constant adjustment and diligent maintenance of the drive train.

[@stuvademakaroner9607]

@@jimig399 hollowtech is much less durable (the seals on the bearings are very weak, moisture always gets in), has much higher spinning resistance and much higher frame manufacturing tolerance requirements. Only real upsides are slightly simpler installation and slightly lower weight (not really, deore m5100 cranks+bb weigh the same as old octalink ones if you weigh without the chainrings). Everyone likes to talk about increased rigidity, but it simply isn't true. Octalink was peak tech Snapped ultegra cranks prove the strength argument wrong lel

[@chris1275cc]

@@jimig399 Its SRAM DUB and its 29mm not 30 and its not solid but hollow (that's kind of the whole point), and a known common problem with DUB and the GXP that came before it is....well.....the crank arms come loose after while and creak. The BB'S also have a pretty short lifespan compared to pretty much every other type because in order to fit multiple frame standards they use a very thin section bearing and because the spindle is aluminium and rests directly on hardened steel it basically starts wearing away the instant you start using it, and a bad BB can eff-up your whole crank-set in about 100km. The ONLY outboard system that has stood the test of time is Shimnao's 24mm steel axle (and those that copy it) and even then you won't get anywhere near the lifespan of a cartridge unless you shell out for something like a HOPE or Hambini BB. Fitting "self extraction bolts" (about $10 a set) solves the problem of square taper coming loose as long as your multi-tool has an 8mm Hex, this usually happens when the Crank-set is very new or ancient or because people don't realize there are 2 standards (ISO and JIS) and are using the wrong one. And NO i'm not a retro grouch all my bikes at this point use the some kind of outboard/2 piece system because I basically have no choice, but the only thing the OP is missing out on, on the whole is trouble and about a 200g weight saving (a saving you are basically throwing out the window by sticking with 3x).

[@cup_and_cone]

Won't work on a UN55 or some Shimano BBs... Different design than here.

[@chris1275cc]

@@cup_and_cone He did cover the other common design (which includes UN55) about 8 years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opLVaKB_gtKHiKc

[@backlitcoyote]

Thank you! This is very useful. I have a fat bike that uses a very odd-size cartridge bottom bracket for which I've never been able to find a replacement. Now I know that if the BB bearings go bad I can install new bearings rather than try to find an unobtainable complete assembly.

[@sotirbg]

Great tutorial. I recently did this to renovate an old BB because I had some spare bearings. But if I had to buy new bearings, I personally wouldn't bother because the price of two quality bearings is the same or higher than the price of a new bottom bracket. Great video though and good to see new content from you, RJ!

[@galaxystar527]

You're back....missed you man...glad your video popped up👍just an idea...you can do all of your videos all over again just because times are changing and the other reason...we miss you✌️ anyway, thank you for the helpful information...peace✌️💥

[@arnaudsimon2616]

OMG! 2 videos in 2 days, you’re on a roll! I was missing you and watching old RJ reruns so I’m very happy you’re back and prolific!! ❤

[@bradtowne2305]

Love this content. Never thought I could rebuild one of these.....they are basically just as simple as the cup and cone......yet idiots mechanically like myself never realized it.

[@darrenangel461]

Wow I had no idea you could replace the bearings welldone sir absolute respect !.

[@maxingham9139]

A new Shimano BB uses blue loctite on the outer bearings where the threaded part fits over, Ive noticed. Nice videos you have ,Thank you!

[@londonbuddha]

A useful video.I never thought of replacing the bearings.Halfords in uk charge about £13 for a new bottom bracket with sealed bearings so I will compare the price of the bearings and my time factor against £13.

[@evanswinford7165]

I was told that for proper installation of crank spindles and sealed bottom brackets you put it in so that if you were on the seat, like you were riding, you should be able to look down and read (left to right properly oriented up) what ever numbers and letters are present. I been doing it the way for years and I have had no problems once it assembled.

[@kpsig]

Great video! I would also put the spindle in a deep freeze, before assembly. Even -20 Celsius can make a difference.

[@mumm-ratheeverliving3138]

Ah, good ‘ol Harbor Freight C-clamp. Often, the most useful tool in the toolbox!

[@SzymonMalanski]

Nice tutorial RJ. Out of curiosity I immediately started searching for these bearings to determine whether such an overhaul is cost-effective compared to buying a new BB. To my surprise two bearings cost significantly more than the BB itself (at least that's the situation in Poland). Perhaps the after market bearings are of higher quality than the original ones but still I can have two complete VP BBs for the cost of a pair of bearings.

[@soody4975]

ntn, skf, fag, etc, will be much higher quality, but watch out for fakes. You can get cheap ones on aliexpress for less than the cost of a new cartridge.

[@SzymonMalanski]

@@soody4975 The question is whether the brands you mentioned guarantee at least 2x greater durability? If yes then they're worth considering due to the extended periods between overhauls. I have some experience with VP/Neco BBs and they offer quite good value for the price. They usually last for 2-3 years on a typical city commuter bicycle. Will the higher quality bearings last for 4-6 years? I have some doubts but maybe I'm unaware of the actual differences between low-end and higher quality bearings.

[@einufo]

Same in Germany! Greetings Tino

[@snowflakemelter1172]

That's what I found, it's not worth it if its a stock BB unit.

[@paule4204]

@@soody4975 the bottom bracket manufacturers get a large discount on the bearings because they buy so many. It's not always because they are using cheaper brands of bearings.

[@leonlemgruber2119]

I like that idea of don’t wasting a good bottom bracket because only bearing. But after all, does it worth money wife?

[@jaimegomezgarcia7599]

It's fantastic to see these videos. You learn a lot, and without specific tools. Thank you, and greetings from Spain

[@FinnProp]

Thank you for this! I’m rebuilding an old hybrid bike from the 90s and when I go online I read that Shimano UN300 is crap. This gives me an option to go shopping for really good bearings.

[@Wannaridebikes]

I had to,rebuild a BB What I did for a test. I took bearing out. Then took the black ring off the bearing. Then soaked the bearing in grease remover then regressed it add black ring. Both are running smooth.

[@myvicariouslife4012]

I like your method as it's even cheaper....

[@deanosaur808]

This is awesome. Now I can order the bearings before I dismantle the bottom bracket on my bike, and not worry about finding the correct size cartridge 🥳 I already know the cartridge size, but not the spindle length, and I can't measure without dismantling the bugger 😅 So I just buy the bearings and do the work later 👌

[@sebastiantoma3369]

wow! the c-clamp part was awesome! i just realized i have a similar one - problem solved as of watching this video! thanks a million and keep up the good work!

[@KevinGCoxen]

Cool video. I found this on google search and had already subscribed to your channel. I just put a vintage bracket on my newer mountainbike. I think that your replacement bearings have smaller balls than vintage. That could explain why mine is a tiny bit slower to get rolling. I find vintage runs better at higher speeds although my experiences are limited with vintage. I like seeing how to rebuild the cartridge style. Had i seen this video before i may have stayed with cartridge and simply rebuilt the cartridge like you did. One good note about vintage is both sides can be tightened, I was crushing Cartridges trying to get the BB tight enough to stay put on a bike i have ridden a lot. Thanks again, i will likely try what you did here in the future.

[@lokokas]

Hello! Thanks for showing me what JUST TODAY I THOUGHT to do with an axle with bad bearings. You earned a subscriber.

[@RickyHolton]

Have you considered using a flanged bolt that you thread into the spindle through the 7/8” socket to press fit the threads back on? I know I have one sitting around to hold the tool in place when freeing a seized BB so it was my first guess at how you’d put it back on. It’ll probably register more evenly than the c-clamp? Great video and glad to see more of your stuff popping up in my feed again! Your advice has been valuable in my volunteering at a co-op and fixing up older bikes!

[@colins5785]

Brilliant!. Very clear and concisely presented, and with tools we all have. Thank you!

[@stevemarriott6655]

Love your videos, have watched quite a few now, and am learning more and more each time, your videos are easy to follow and gives me the confidence to tackle these jobs myself, if I could suggest one thing to you though, would it be easier if you put the `C` clamp in the vice as opposed to holding it, it may make things a bit easier, just a thought, have subscribed to your channel and look forward to learning lots more from them.. Thank you, p.s. proves you are never too old to learn new stuff, I am 70 years old and have always had bikes since I first rode one back in 1958 ..

[@royreynolds108]

Clamp the C-clamp in a vise, if possible, to hold it up & in position (third hand). The use of a shorter socket and cup on the drive-side will make sure all of the force is on the outer races of both bearings and not transmit any force through the bearings at all.

[@AntonioGGATX]

Yes, press on the the outer races on both sides to re-install the cups instead of the spindle.

[@TheDustyk47]

This is neat! Plus it keeps something else out of landfills. I'll give this a try in a couple of weeks; as the sealed bottom bracket I have on my bike is about nine years old now - perfect time to try a rebuild such as this.

[@Herbybandit]

What helps with re assembly is putting the spindle in the deep freeze and dropping the bearings in your pocket, the cold fractionally srinks the spindle and warming the bearings expands them, if your lucky they will almost fall together. Don't be tempted to warm the bearings in the oven or boiling water as you'll ruin the seals or get water trapped inside.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I will have to try that next time.

[@andygilbert1877]

Actually combining freezing the spindle overnight and heating the bearing in an oven gently to about 100°C will likely make assembly very much easier. Bearings (including seals & the grease) are designed to take a reasonable amount of heat. I’ve replaced car wheel bearings like this that would normally require a puller to remove and a press to fit…too tight to just hammer out/in. The bearings literally dropped in.

[@steffenstengardvilladsen3740]

Nice. Never realized the driveside cap was that easy to take off. I think you could ease the mounting of the bearing by putting the spindle in the freezer before assembly

[@paleobike]

Great video! I had no idea you could replace the bearings in a sealed BB!

[@wesleybrooks1538]

Hey RJ! No worries about pressing on the outer race of the bearings to install the threaded caps - the central sleeve is only there to support the bearings against that pressure. But for it to work, you would have to support the outside of the opposite-side bearing with a second large socket. Keep up the great work!

[@tonystone3397]

Nice one R.J. I had a BB that I could not remove, (Shimano RS500). I took the dust covers off and replaced the bearings. It worked well, its my winter bike and has a good few miles on it since. Happy new year pal, keep up the great work.

[@iammarkstewart]

RJ's channel is amazing and a bike saver sometimes. However, he didn't mention how much he paid for these replacement bearings. The reason these are considered "disposable" is because in a lot of markets the individual bearings are as much or more than a new complete bb, and that's if you can find them. Then there's your time/labour. If you have discretionary time and it's ok to have your bike offline for the day and you have the tools, go ahead and do this service...but price it out first. And if you keep the old one, practice or refurb that one so you have a pair to rotate for maintenance.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I bought 4 bearings for $6.69 on Amazon.

[@iammarkstewart]

@@RJTheBikeGuy Well, that's perfect then, thanks for updating! I stand corrected and as always, appreciate your time and efforts.

[@dand3975]

A ball joint / u joint press would work good for servicing these bearings. Camping the big C clamp or ball joint press in a vice makes for a easier time holding the bearings axle and sockets at the same time. I have a old Shimano BB I am going to press apart and re build. Excelent video.

[@ebikescrapper3925]

Could you put a long bolt, treaded rod through the middle of the axle shaft and press it that way. You would attach bolts / washers to the bolt / both ends of the rod. Great video.

[@ps3customgamer]

Very impressed. I've had a go at this and broken parts.

[@lazywarrenlewis]

this is the video I've been waiting for years. thank you

[@vavo4902]

Great how-to! Only think I'll suggest is that you take your bracket out and fully disassemble it before ordering bearings. Mine turned out to be 173110-2RS (20 year old Truvativ)

[@hifro7453]

Thank for explaining the part numbers, pretty slick video

[@elrinconderoller1560]

2 industrial bearings here in Spain cost 20€, new bottom bracket 45€, great trick to save money, very clever thanks!!!

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I bought 4 bearings for under $7.50US.

[@lromeroyt]

Press Fit bb. How to remove bearings wo special tools, and replace it by regular square bb? Thanks teacher!

[@trelosenario]

Thumps up always. Thank you for another great video. You make service look so easy.

[@martinorota9684]

A really spectacular Italian job!

[@drbobjohnson812]

Not surprised me that RJ would to do the undoable, or at least what I and others in comments always heard SqTaper BBs = not rebuildable. If I get a bike with a Sq Taper, replacing the bearings is now an option. Although now most my bikes cranks are switched over to hollow tech type. And not sure I would make the effort to replace the bearings. This kind of stuff that gets you beyond RJ the bike guy closer to RJ the Bike GOD. Keep up the great work.

[@peterjensen5001]

When mounting the "cups" you should use a socket in both ends - this will prevent the stress of the bearings you mentioned. 🙂

[@freds4703]

Fred from RCB here again. Nice job. Fits right in with the repair-reuse ethic. I especially like the clamp idea. I replaced many bearings on pool motors using “official” bearing drifts. Also have done many with sockets. Sockets work just fine.

[@Pumpkinfaire]

Never even thought about rebuilding a sealed cartridge bb. I would always just buy a new one when it came time!

[@muzilee8486]

Great video rebuilding a bracket, I've got same confusion of the sides and I watched your's but I noticed that you may flipped the sides, at 3:59 the last removed bearing was the left one, and you turn the shaft L2L & R2R, also notice that the stop step is bigger at left side, but at the last moment when you install the sleeve you put it right -- L2L& R2R, but when you install the caps you flipped it over, there are mark of sides printed on the sleeve, and you did it L2R & R2L, I'm not sure if you make the video in one run but I've got some confusion, because from the wearing of the tip of sides it seems right, also you suggest that L is longer than R of the tappered part, but the R cap also have a stopper that is outside the bike frame when installed, maybe not the same result the shaft length for bearing is L > R, I will check a brand new one to confirm sides and back with result. Any way it's a great work rebuilding it in such detail👍

[@stuartbarber7784]

I just bought a Truvativ Powerspline Crank with nasty bearings, hard to find replacement BB now for decent price. I also have some as new BBs in square taper... Going to use those bearings to fix! Fantastic video mate, watched your stuff for a while. Much appreciated!

[@jonathangreen7111]

I've thrown r these away in the past when they have got rough. Not any more! Thanks.

[@basemahmed1779]

Happy to see you back

[@alexanderlawson1649]

So the axle, cups and sleeve have indefinite life. Pretty amazing to think I've thrown a few of these away over the years. I do have several used ones stored in my used component box, I maybe need to get a few bearings sourced, asap, no need for any new BB's now.

[@MoparDan]

Nice video, RJ The Bike Guy. I'll have to try this on the TruVativ 68/73 x 113mm ISIS Bottom Bracket that came out of my '06 Trek Multitrack 7500 when I did some maintenance this past September. If I'm successful then I'll have a future spare rather than to dispose of it and have to buy another one someday.

[@OptimusSatanas]

Not just saying this but some of the best down to earth straight to the point tutorials aind informationals.

[@ricksaunders3889]

That right there is pure gold. Thank you.

[@RichardChynoweth]

Excellent video (as always). I was about to try this. However, unless I buy in bulk the bearings are almost the same price as a new Bottom bracket.

[@tommyhanlon8012]

Interesting. .... A Very Happy New Year to You, Good Health and Happiness to You and Yours AJ.

[@simon-pp5sm]

Hey RJ! This is awesome, as always. When installing the drive-side sleeve, you could have avoided driving against the outside of the bearings, by pressing this on before installing the bearings -- I bet you could find something that would fit against the inside of the bearings.

[@BStewart122CO]

C-clamp bearing press- brilliant! Yet another RJ tool hack I need to employ (I already made a threaded rod headset cup press!) Thanks!! Now I’m shopping for c clamps… 😆

[@mikeh6286]

That's very interesting. Thanks. One point the viewers might find helpful is that the second bearing isn't pressed onto the bearing stop on the spindle but until the sleeve is just lightly beginning to bind. There are lots of tolerances in these parts that have to be right to be able to bind both at the same time, so we just don't aim for that. If the bearings are getting additional friction before/after the bb installation it's possible the position of the second bearing needs to be adjusted. Also should the bearing fit be loose some bearing retaining compound can be used to get it to stay in the right place. Also remember to get full contact rubber seals on the replacement bearings.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

No, the bearing is pressed to the stop. But that is also where the sleeve starts to bind.

[@mikeh6286]

@@RJTheBikeGuy For that to happen you need to be lucky that the play in the bearings is the same. Often they aren't so one binds before the other. Then what do you do? I just tried to share some light on that issue.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

@@mikeh6286 I guess you have a really low expectation of manufacturing tolerances in this bottom bracket. LOL!

[@mikeh6286]

@@RJTheBikeGuy Oh yes. :) No, but if you look at bearing specs you can get them with all kinds of different tolerances (I think they're called C values, like C3-C5), which result in different preload situations. Should you get tighter or looser bearings then you can try certain adjustments before you give up on those. Then there's the chance you're getting fake bearings that behaves weirdly. Are they useless? Well, you could try the trick mentioned to try and get some life out of them. Hey. Another point you could bring up is how to treat that outer seal to prolong its life (prevent contamination?). Is keeping it clean the best solution or smear some marine grease? Probably the former, but I'm not sure. A good source of bearings is usually the best for that I suppose. Good clean full contact seal.

[@eitchan14]

This was exactly what i was looking for. I have had to replace my shimano BB-UN300 BSA twice now in the span of a year. I wanted to know if I somehow could dissasemble this. Now I know these parts are pressed togehter and I can further investigate the reason. I had some water/moustiure inside and apperently the original could sit for a decade, while thses new ones one for a year. Thank you!

[@majorleaguesurfing]

Excellent video! Quick question - When disassembling a Shimano bb, is the drive side metal lip always the one which is pressed on? I'm rebuilding a mid-'90s Shimano bb-UN71, which has already been removed from my bike and I'm not sure which side is the drive side. Thank you!

[@peterharrer3261]

Never occurred to me you could do this. We're told they're "disposable". Thanks.

[@andyleatherbarrow7322]

Great vid. I never thought of doing that. Not sure what price difference is. BB's tend to be cheap, but I will certainly give it a go.

[@Dutch-vj2eg]

This channel seems abandoned but still an excellent video. Just found my Shimano UN300 BB is toast after three years. Possibly 2000 or 3000 miles only. I will replace it and refurb the worn one, hopefully with some better quality bearings.

[@ziickktheog609]

Best guy on the web!

[@bradkerr2798]

Hey RJ, love your videos. When reinstalling the cup, you should have supported the outside bearing against the clamp jaw with another socket, which would have supported the tube and in turn the drive-side bearing. As is, you were using the shaft through the bearings to force the cup back on; I know it's not a lot of force, and should be okay, but you were so careful to properly press the bearings onto the shaft.

[@CL-dh2mf]

The Legend! Still awesome content, thank you RJ!!!

[@massimouguzzoni8631]

That's a very interesting video. Thank you so much. Best regards from Italy. ❤️❤️❤️💕🇮🇹🌈🇺🇸💕❤️❤️❤️

[@jmfu]

Cool mallot. Cool grease gun.

[@MattExzy]

I always wondered about these, since the industry seems to treat them as disposable. Good to know just the bearings can be replaced.

[@andypicken7848]

Thanks for posting RJ. You are taking all the mistique out of bike maintainence

[@telfer7ely]

Use your vice to hold your G clamp. You have both hands free to hold the BB, bearings, and turn the screw.

[@roncooke2188]

Great video and very interesting but i wondered if it was worth all the effort a new unit is only a few quid and the bike is back on road in 15 minutes. But i will give a try next on in my workshop many thanks

[@imrevadasz1086]

You could probably use a 2/3-arm bearing puller to pull off those cartridge bearings.

[@csedron]

muy buenas, la verdad siempre nos enseñas cosas muy interestantes. Te mando un abrado desde la patagonia Argentina y que sigas tus videos!!

[@DanielOliveira-29er]

2 Things...1st is it worth it to replace the bearings over the cost of a new bottom bracket? 2nd When replacing the drive side sleeve why not use your bottom bracket tool to press it on. Thanks RJ, you have shown me how to do quite a few repairs!!!

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

1. Can be. 2. Dang, why didn't I think of that? LOL

[@gasperfliser8186]

Great job. I also replaced them on my bike two weeks ago.

[@psclassy1123]

Good work but the cost of 2 bearings would be more than a new bottom bracket band new would it not.

[@yosacfc]

Good work 👏

[@АрсенийРозенберг-э2л]

Using half of this method I used to convert BSA to ITA bb's, usually it's hard to get ITA BB right size, so you can buy any, take cheap chinese or any old BSA bottom bracket needed size and change the cups to have a right thread