@pypdjl
> Hmm, I'd rather not have to take my cranks off and regrease
> the bearings after every wet ride.
Use SunTour XC Pro with GreaseGuard then, still readily available on eBay 
Bike Forum
[closed]
Anybody gone back to square taper chainsets, are Hollowtech II rubbish?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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I expect much depends on where you ride, i.e. what the local conditions are like.
I was getting through HTII bearings in a couple of wet/gritty rides.
Swapped back to SqT and have never looked back.
Am now running SqT on all 4 of my bikes and no issues at all, i.e. Middleburn cranks on 2 of them, shimano on one and White Indsutries on another.
No creaking, no loosening (never had a need to bed them in!)
Have never had a failure/snapped crank and I'm not light!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Or alternatively don't mind looking after your kit. My bearings have never seized...
whereas with square taper there's nothing to look after...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Reading these posts, you have to wonder whether HT2 is the result of industrial espionage...
Middleburn send one of their designers out to Japan
He designs a rubbish chainset with poor durability
Shimano sell loads so they're happy
Middleburn are one of the few companies making nice square-taper, so they mop up all the disappointed customers
Posted 2 years ago # -
BB30 is the way forward...
C
Posted 2 years ago # -
mmmmmm square taper,
There were two standards for the axels remember,
bendy and bentmight you be a "larger gentleman" ??
being an unadventurous lightweight I've never bent an axle
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm definitely a larger gentleman and have still never bent a square taper BB despite having broken quite a few sets of cranks.
Posted 2 years ago # -
As I have never bent an axle, had one come loose or the crank come off (threadlock) and can't be arsed fettling bearings I never left sqr taper. Isis was and is pants but octalink seems good quality too.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'M 11 stone and fairly smooth on a bike yet I've twisted square taper axles. HT2 are noticeably stiffer and lighter than square taper and the BBs last fine if you don't submerge or jetwash the bike. I've not seen the splines fail, was it done up properly?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Appologies for digging up an old thread, but I just stumbled across this and found it quite interesting. It seems the majority of the voices in this thread prefer the old school taper axles, and that a few people have had HT2 fail on them.
Personally I cant understand why this is. My first HT2 was on my roadbike, 2008 tiagra so nothing great. 4500 miles on and its perfect. Have completely removed the cranks numerous times and the BB cups a couple of times to clean them. No problems.
Next I got a Cannondale with a 2008 Truvativ GXP system. 2500 miles later, its still perfect. (Yes I know its not stricktly HT2, but its external bearing so the similar arguement applies). Again Ive had the cranks off at least every week to clean, post every ride in the winter.
I recently bought a new condor track bike, it came with a decent quality square taper BB. The level of flex was ridiculous. So guess what, it got changed to Truvativ Omnium with GXP BB. Now it too is perfect, nice and stiff.
The only way I can see them failing is due to poor maintenance, or poor instalation. But with such a simple process of disassembly there is really no excuse for neglect. Im sure one of mine will fail at some point. but when it does I'll happily replace the bearings and carry on where I left off.
Maybe the only way old UN72's are superior is in their fit and forget nature. As far as I can see, HT2 is superior in every other way.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Definitely stiffer, and notably lighter. Not sure the stiffness has made a jot of difference to my riding though.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Maybe the only way old UN72's are superior is in their fit and forget nature. As far as I can see, HT2 is superior in every other way.
I got some UN26s for £5.50 each which seem to last me longer than UN72s. Cheaper and zero maintenance despite frequenct submersion scores for me as I've never noticed flex.
Posted 2 years ago # -
They didn't last as long as people seem to remember
Still got the original square taper in my 105 equipped roadbike from ca. 1989. Was still going strong the last time I had that bike out (easily many 1000's miles over its lifetime).Posted 2 years ago # -
Something that people dont remember is that the 'fit and forget cartridge bearing' BB such as Shimmy's UN72 didn't exist on the market for that long. For most of the history of the square taper BB, it had a variety of different bearing solutions, some reliable, some not, but nearly all of them required a degree of constant fettling or finesse to work with.
Even when the cartridge types appeared, I never got longer than 18 months out of them, exactly the same as Hollowtech 1, and now 2.
I wouldnt go back, though I've yet to have a bike with BB30.Posted 2 years ago # -
Even when the cartridge types appeared, I never got longer than 18 months out of them, exactly the same as Hollowtech 1, and now 2
I never used to get more than 9 months, except with a 2nd hand XTR I was given, which was adjustable and lasted me about 3 years. However I bought 4 UN26s, assuming they'd fail quicker, but in fact the first has already lasted over a year and there's still no play
Posted 2 years ago # -
Who knows what you lot do to your BB but I've had an Octalink BB in one of my bikes since 2004, never serviced and is still smooth! Been running the same bearing in an XT HT11 BB since 2007, still smooth as well!
Do people not know how to install a BB? Looking at your claimed failure rates I'd say so! that and not facing your BB shell!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Three months after going back to square taper and I'm very happy with it. Hopefully I can keep getting hold of the BBs and five bolt chainrings.
Posted 2 years ago # -
OK, so from those with experience, what's the best way of fitting a NDS square taper crank so it doesn't round off? I get tightening it to x torque, but anything else? Cause I really don't want to ruin the taper on my new RS7s...
Posted 2 years ago # -
If you are considering returning back to Sqr Taper then you clearly never suffered from them snapping! I don't understand how you could not like HTII. Fitted properly, never over tensioning the bearings with LOTS of grease and they'll last ages. Torque wrench and some grease goes a long way.
Never had spline problems using them on a DH bike.
Posted 2 years ago # -
One small issue I HAVE seen with cheaper HT2 axles is a tiny bit of galvanic corrosion forming on the end of the axle under the crankarms pinchbolt, leading to mysterious 'click, click' sounds every second revolution.
A bit of wire wool smoothed it off and cured it.
I've not had this issue with Dura-ace or XTR though..Posted 2 years ago # -
Well, my Shimano HTII BB came with the words "improved seals" on the packet.
Following the last round of the Thetford Winter Series, they've now got that slightly stiff feeling about them that bottom brackets shouldn't have. I've taken square taper through similar conditions (i.e. absurdly wet and gloopy) without any problem.
Once they finally disintegrate I might try an Acros, or even a Hope before I go back to square taper though.
EDIT:
Maybe the only way old UN72's are superior is in their fit and forget nature. As far as I can see, HT2 is superior in every other way.
Perhaps HT2 just can't cope with being immersed and square taper can?
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think that the bearing design of HTII cranks is fundamentally flawed. I will never be buy one. I will be sticking with conventional cartridge bottom brackets, I have Octalink on both my bikes.
PS I am a bike luddite, I still use 8 speed so as tonot have to use a paperchain.
Posted 2 years ago # -
nicko74
My square tapered RS7s rounded off after about 10 months. I made sure they were properly tightened as well. Especially after previous cheap square tapered cranks I had did the same.
They were on my one and only bike which gets used a lot though.
Still. The chainrings lasted.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Funny..., this rounding off problem is one I've never had with any square taper crank. Too soft an alloy for the cranks?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Now, I don't want to sound pedantic (but I know I will), but can someone explain to me how on earth do you round a square taper bottom bracket (ok technically you can round a square taper by being an ham fisted moron but for the sake of the argument lets say you are not)?
Mine is still perfectly square after 4 years of use on my switch and now my meta 5.5 for what most of people will call free ride (which is just standard riding). Rode in some super rocky trails, free ride shuttle days (that include the 6 foot jumps/drops), number 00 at an enduro last sunday (with very long stages). And yet it is perfectly square.I am very confident I reach the over 40 000 m of altitude loss with it and it still doesn't have rounded or get any play. I think some people should spend more time at the LBS and less on forums...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Perhaps HT2 just can't cope with being immersed and square taper can?
that's my suspicion...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Perhaps HT2 just can't cope with being immersed and square taper can?
that's my suspicion...
Quite possibly. My GXP got a fair dunking at the first Brass Monkeys mud bath at the end of last year. I did give it a good clean when I got home, but it didnt seem to let anything in.
Posted 2 years ago # -
No idea how they round off juan.
I always do my own bike servicing.
Maybe it's the constant sludge of Pennine grit stone that does it.
Perhaps that's where I'm going wrong. Posted 2 years ago # -
When I first got HT2 cranks the bearings died really fast. Got new bearings and same thing again. Had the BB faced (basically just a bit of paint evened out) and the next bearings lasted ages... Untill I swapped frames and they died very quickly. Had the new frame faced, and the next bearings lasted ages till the bike got stolen.
Based on my experiences I'm assuming HT 2 requires a really even BB and then it can be good (not saying it will last longer then square tapier).
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've been using HT2 on lots of different frames, never faced the shell, and have had no issues, again, I'm not complaining about the year and a half lifespan, considering the mileage.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've got HT2 on 2 bikes and square taper on the third, oh and horrible horrible Truvativ Isoflow on the other one, but it doesn't count. HT2 BBs don't seem to last as long, the last ST BB I fitted into my "retro" went in in about 1991 and came out in 2008, however many thousands of miles later. Whereas the XT BB I fitted in 2009 isn't going to see 2010 out, with oh maybe 1/10th as many miles.
The cranks are better though, and I don't consider the lifespan on a £30 BB to be too terrible if it lasts a year. Now that Octalink, that's disasterously awful.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Gonna stick my neck out...
I think Superstar have cracked the problem with ISIS BB. Mine is 18mths incl 2 winters and still smooth. It's because they have larger loose bearings instead of tiny cartriges.
And they are cheap and stiff and weight less than a Square taper eqv.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think Superstar have cracked the problem with ISIS BB
wow! Loose ? You mean seperate balls ?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Chorlton, do you fit the crank with a torque wrench and periodically check the crank bolts?
Posted 2 years ago # -
yeah it think loose bearing means "Not in a cartridge", a bit like in a Shimano hub.
Posted 2 years ago #
Topic Closed
This topic has been closed to new replies.
