So after two muddy rides, the bottom bracket bearings on my Zesty are seized rock solid, and I’ve chipped one of the top hat covers trying to get to clean out the bearings.

So….where/how do people position the bike so they can bash them out? I presume I just locate the internal lip with a screwdriver from the opposite side and bash round the edge like I would a headset? Is there a plastic sleeve like external BB’s?

What replacement do I need, I’ve never bought internal BB’s before?

And when will people realise HTII bearings are not up to the job? Whether its internal or external. Grump over.

Thanks in advance for advice offered…

I could remove them with my bearing puller, if you’re anywhere near Edinburgh ❓

One of these is the best way to get them out.
http://activesport.co.uk/shop/article_QKBBT9/Park-Tool-BBT90—Press-fit-bottom-bracket-bearing-remover-tool.html?pse=coa

You could also use a drift and tap them out, not a screwdriver though or you’ll just break them up.

Tool looks good…..

Struggling to find the bearings though. CRC have push fit bearings but none in stock. Ditto Wiggle.

Where? Please help!

Not a casualty of GT85/WD40 are they?

Think we’ve got some Shimano press-fits in stock at Sunset(thought they’d be a good idea when we took on Lapierre), give us a call on Monday and i’ll hopefully sort you out. 02920371321.

The standard bearings on my Zesty were similarly rubbish. I never bothered doing the whole clean out melarky, just spun the cranks a few times to get the bearings going again and just kept trucking until they got really wobbly. I then replaced them with these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KCNC-BB90-Adaptor-Bottom-Bracket-89-5-92mm-Black-Shiman-/270711803099?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item3f07ae4cdb#ht_2390wt_1199

So far so good, much better than the very poor OEM unit.

You just need a bit of bar and a hammer to get them out, used a makeshift headset press to put the new cups in.

No Bearback, I don’t put WD40 anywhere near my bikes. Washed the mud off, chain lubed and put away, no different to any other bike I’ve ever had. You’d hope they’d last a bit longer, being sealed bearings and all, but its been said before – it doesn’t take a genius to work out the whole HTII design is flawed from a sealing point of view.

Cheers Coatesy, Blake!

Hey, can I have the old BB, I wouldn’t mind taking a look at it 😀 I will of course cover postage costs and let you know what I find out 😉

Fit a new bb unit after packing in as much grease in and around the bearings as you can without dismantling it,grease the seatpost,put a strip of heli tape over the split at the top of the seat tube and never hose the bike higher than the split of the seat tube/upper headset bearing.

Ive done this for years now and i have a ht2 bb thats been on wet rides over coulags over 5 years ago and that BB is still functioning perfectly.Its been in 3 bikes now that have been on wet rides over the years so why hasnt it failed with water sitting in it like a sump?
O.K. i dont ride it as much as a lot of folk but if the bike got soaked back then,and it hasnt been stripped down.. then why the hell has the bb survived?

Because i dont spray chemicals over it after every ride and pour water into it.Thats why.

Same with forks, theres no need to aim the hose at the seals and spray water directly into them.They can survive trail spray perfectly well, but its the people that think mountain bikes are sealed as tight as a ducks arse that seem to be getting the problems.