Yep, they should be as loose as possible without there being play. If you’re doing them up tight (even by hand/finger) that’s too much and you’re side loading the bearings. Do them up just enough to get rid of play (I do it until I can feel that the crank is in contact with the BB and then back off 1/4 turn) and IME the bearings last ages. I’ve got one on a SSC HT2 BB which supposedly die after two rides still going strong 4 years later…

I tighten the cranks up using the plastic tool, by hand. I guess as tight as I can, but the tool is designed so that’s enough.

That’s far too tight, all you need to do is remove the slack. There is a Hope bb fitting vid and the chappy says you only just nip it tight.

Hope bb and headset have been astounding for me, three years on a headset and still fine and my BB is about two years and thousands of kms. I always put some grease over the seals before assembling, not sure if that helps. I’ve found the hub bearings less reliable and have moved on to DT hubs now.

There is a nice little Hopetech ‘how to’ video that shows how to pre load the external BB. Nip the plastic wheel in the crank up finger tight to ensure bits are in the right place, back off 1/4 turn then re-seat gently.

I’ve also got 2 mk1 Hope headsets and they’ve had NOTHING done to them for nearly 5 years.
As long as the slack is taken out they just last. I always have an external headset seal (bit of neoprene shock cover) on the lower cup which keeps 99% of the crap out.

Ok.

Consider my wrists slapped.
I’ll buy some more bearings and watch the preload…

I would say the bearing quality is a majot factor here.

Buy hope ones or similar high quality, kInetic are good.

i have had hope last years

What am I doing to get through so many bearings?

I’m in the same boat and have actually gone back to XT bbs.

I’ll try the nip and tuck technique too, before consigning it to the sales forum.

It really is better to have the slightest bit of side to side movement (less then 1mm) than too much.You’re literally closing the gap, not applying any side loading.

you dont want any side to side movement.

nip it up but you dont want play.

I’d rather have a little play than be overloading the bearings. But neither is right, it’s just that one’s more destructive than the other

I found XTR went from smooth but not very free running to shagged with no middle ground. After 3 in a year (faced Soul) I fitted a CK and now just regrease occasionaly with the tool that makes me grin every time.

Sancho – where do you get the Kinetic bearings from? Found the details, but website says trade accounts only.

I didnt know they were trade only but they are what we fit in the workshop

Why would they die? Can’t see why stainless bearings shouldn’t last. Perhaps taking the seals out and ‘maintaining’ them isn’t a good idea.

I tighten the cranks up using the plastic tool, by hand. I guess as tight as I can, but the tool is designed so that’s enough.

With all the wrist exercise you get, you may need to reconsider what is meant by ‘hand tight’. ;-p

Why would they die?

I presume seal failure allowing dirt in with the grease to increase rate of wear.

taking the seals out and ‘maintaining’ them isn’t a good idea.

I only do that as a last resort to try and get a few more miles out of an already knackered bearing.

I’ve got a Hope SS which is about 3 years old it has been subject to minimal maintenance and maximum riding through water & mud, the thick gloopy clay like stuff near Winchester. It still runs perfectly, I did take it out a couple of weeks ago, removed the outer ‘seal’ (top hat type plastic shield) and they looked like new, spinning them on my fingers they felt really smooth.

When I re-assembled (and originally fitted them) I followed the Hope video and made sure the tension on the bearings was just right.

the00 – Member

Why would they die? Can’t see why stainless bearings shouldn’t last.

WARNING: INTERNET FACT

It’s often said that stainless is just a less suitable material for a bearing, apparently they’re less hard and wear differently. True? Nonsense? No idea. With pushbikes corrosion’s obviously more of an issue than with heavy machinery

I have 3 hope bottom brackets in use. Had one of them 10 years, the others 5 & 3.
Changed the bearings on the oldest after 6 years & the middle one I’ve greased up once.
Which reminds me I should have a look at the “new” one.
All three frames were faced .

I’ve never faced a frame. I’ve never had a problem with HT2 BBs failing quickly.

I’m still convinced it’s a myth based on early BBs having a manufacturing problem that the distributor wanted to get out of paying for so they dreamt up the facing myth. You’ll note that there’s no mention of it in the instructions that come with Shimano BBs

(slight caveat – yes there are rare instances of BB shells needing facing but that’s no different to poorly faced head tubes, etc that happen from time to time. It’s not the norm)

With all the wrist exercise you get, you may need to reconsider what is meant by ‘hand tight’. ;-p

Man speakth the truth. 😉

how do you adjust the prelaod on something other than shimano cranks then?

If they don’t have a method for preloading, at least some have shims to adjust the effective BB width to adjust it.

Others have a spring or elastomer washer to take up slack.

Is there a drain hole under your bb shell? If not, drilling one might stop it living in a damp puddle at the bottom of the seat tube.

To help get a better gauge of how much preload you’re applying I find it helps to make sure the axle spline and corresponding interface on the crank arm is spotlessly clean.

A lot of grime seems to accumulate here. If it has then it becomes difficult to judge when you get to the point of turning the plastic tool hard to push past the grime, and turning the plastic tool hard building up the preload.

Spotlessly clean on reassembly then manually push the drive side crank so that the little rubber seal next to the outer bb seal is just touching it, then do the same with the NDS using the tool. If both rubber seals on the inner face of the crank are just touching the dust cover on the BB you’re fine.

Here’s a weird one. My Five is in one of the local shops at the moment while the shock is being serviced. Thought I’d ask them to face the BB shell while its in there. They replied “you didn’t buy the bike from us and we’re not an Orange dealer so I can’t help you with it”

Odd.

Helpful shop…..

They replied “you didn’t buy the bike from us and we’re not an Orange dealer so I can’t help you with it”

Eh? It’s not rocket science…

Presumably it will affect your warranty?

Presumably it will affect your warranty?

Speaking for IR, the frame is second hand. That aside, why should it affect warranty?

dunno! just trying to think of reasons why they wouldn’t face it, sorry!

Maybe it was Al’s shop and he asked to have it done for free??

On facing the BB sheel edge: My bike came as a complete bike with an xt crankset and external bottom bracket. If it needed facing then it would not have been supplied in a fit state for use. You can check this with a set square by holding it against the bottom and side of the shell and moving it around a bit. In my case my shell was fine, i.e the angle was very very close to the square at 90 degrees. If you buy a bike or frame and the manufacturer can’t machine the shell face to within the required tolerances you are wasting your time. It shouldn’t need re-facing at a later date.