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Anyone else used one of these?
I put one of the Shimano compatible ones in one of my bikes last July, hoping I'd found a decent yet reasonably priced (£30) BB which would last longer than the Shimano ones which I've never had much success with.
Just swapped a fresh chain on and realised the bearings were totally shot. Must have happened fairly recently because I'd have noticed the excessive play. Pulled it out and the seals obviously... haven't. Right mess. One seal was stuck to the driveside crank.
A quick check of reviews online and most seem positive. Have I just got unlucky? Unknowingly killed it on a wet ride? (Don't remember any particularly recently) I haven't used that bike that much, but it does get ridden in all conditions.
Not sure what to replace it with. The bearings are only a fiver a pair, but it seems like a waste if the outer seals aren't doing their job. Any love for the £50 Nukeproof ones?
Had one for, I think a couple of years on the full suss (Sram compatible). It's still smooth as. The Sram BB lasted about 6months.
Although I'm pretty easy on BBs it would seem.
The Hope Shimano fit BB on my Hardtail was 2nd hand, has outlived two frames and it's done a fair few thousand miles since I've had it.
Are you over doing the preload?
Pedal Bearings and cassettes I kill very quickly however.
I know that Hope is the answer really, just as I did when I bought the last one, I just can't face the initial cost.
Are you over doing the preload?
It's possible. You mean overtightening the cap on the NDS crank? I hadn't actually realised that set the bearing preload. I tend to err on the side of slightly tight because I've had the crank work loose more than once.
I've got Praxis BBs on both my mtb and road bike so 73mm and 68mm. MTB's M24/GxP threaded and road bike's M24 push fit but the older bb without the new rubber compression ring. I'm using GXP cranks on both mtb and road bikes so the road bike's using the Hope GxP conversion spacers whereas the MTB is using the bottom bracket with the GxP sized bearings.
I've just recently replaced the bearings on the road bike but retained the bottom bracket itself. Admittedly the rubber seals are looking tired and could do with replacing but it seems nigh on impossible to get replacement seals outside of the USA. But, I used high quality replacement SKF bearings which already have very good seals on them. The original bearings lasted seven years so I'm expecting the same from these. Can't remember the cost of the bearings but they were cheaper than a new bottom bracket so in my opinion it was worth retaining the old Praxis bottom bracket.
My advice to you would be buy high quality bearings and swap them out. If they fail in 6 months then get a new bottom bracket.
I used a praxis BB to convert the bb30 on my Cannondale, didn't last much beyond 1 wet ride, since then fitted proper FSA BB converter and refitted an old hope BB. But then I don't destroy Shimano bbs once I learnt not to over tighten them.
Praxis on my MTB for 8+ years now, it's one of the self expanding collet ones for a push fit (not sure which exactly now). The push fits I had before squeaked like an excitable mouse near some ripe cheese. The Praxis is only the shell by now, but dead easy to remove (Coppaslip the threads) and knock out the bearings, and then push new ones in. Honestly a 10 minute job so I don't bother with expensive bearings - I know over time that probably costs more (and the planet!!) but it's invested cost vs consumable as well.
As for the preload cap - yes, absolutely, only nip it up so the cranks don't wobble. The pinch bolts then hold the crank on, if you had a crank come loose they gave up not the preload cap.I have found that bearings can settle over time (maybe not seated to the final micron so it seems they are working loose, in which case ease off the pinch bolts, reset preload, and then redo pinch bolts. Done right you can remove the preload cap completely.
Mine is for the Praxxis cranks which use spacers but has been good (once I sorted the spacers after quickly killing my first pair of bearings because of too much preload). So my advice would be to replace the bearings, be careful on preload (but that's not a Praxxis BB problem, it's a consideration for any) and see how that goes.
IIRC mine also has Aluminium bearing covers though?
Thanks all. Will try some new bearings - Sigma have Enduro 2437s, which I think they are, need to double check, at £2.70 each so there's little to lose in trying another pair: https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Enduro/ABEC-3-2437-Bearing-Single-24x37x7/5G9Z
Being able to replace the bearings was one of the reasons I went for one of these over another cheap Shimano one, but there's only point in doing that if the bearings are going to last a reasonable time.
Not used Praxis, but am using Wheels Manufacturing and found that the NDS bearing especially wears really fast if you over tighten the pre-load. It really does just need to take up the slack.