BB facing- necessary?

Ready to install a hollowtech 2 bb into my aluminium frame, threads seem fine and as far as i can see the shell itself is square on.

Is there a way of telling if you need your shell facing? or should you just do it anyway?

cheers

I asked a similar question on another web forum when I was starting the build of my Surly Cross Check. The feedback I got was quite mixed. Some people think not getting the frame faced is madness, others think getting it faced is a waste of time.

In the end I decided not to bother. I reckoned if I could fit the BB bearings OK and everything ended up running straight then I wouldn’t need to get the frame faced. So far so good but if I wear out the bearings prematurely then I’ll be off to my LBS to get them to face the frame.

If your frame and threads look OK you might be as well to stick the bottom bracket in and see if you have any problems fitting it.

Makes sense to me, ok cheers buddy

The big test is to fit the bearings and cranks and then see if they run smoothly and that they don’t follow a weird arc. If they look and feel wonky when you turn the cranks you’ll probably need the frame faced.

it only costs a tenner and takes 5 minutes.

ive had all my frames done, appart fom the trailstar which couldnt be done as its steel and the ISCG tabs were in the way.

It’s a good question as the cups actually align to the threads rather than the faces. If the threads are on the piss, no amount of facing will stop your bottom bracket dying in days.

I’m with Onzadog here. All this facing will just end up with you having an increasingly narrow BB.

it only costs a tenner and takes 5 minutes

everyone local to me charges £25-30 🙁

Facing should only take a teeny bit of metal (maybe less than a mm), so all this talk of having wonky cranks or narrow BB shells is daft, but all external BB mount onto plastic spacers anyway, so it won’t make any difference.

external BB mount onto plastic spacers anyway

I had thought that. So really there is no need?

Having thought about and spec’ing bearings, a little misalignment won’t hurt, with these bearings we’re running way below the rated capacity in normal running. Maybe your jumps and landings will pit the race. But anyhow it’s likely the sealing and jetwashing that will destroy them.

SKF specs (does link work?)

That said, my new frame I’ll have threads chased and shell faced. Might as well if it’s going to the shop to have headset cups swapped over.

HTH

/edit as more replied have been added

I’ll add that I’m only doing this without much thought is that the local shop now recognise me and said it’s a 15 minute job to do it all, fiver for the facing and fiver to swap cups over. Last bike I had it done to, a the shop I bought that bike from cost me £20 inc. fitting the BB.

for “20 for the facing I’d leave it as the BB shell on the frame looks pretty neat and if the alignment looked ok as I fitted the cups.

I bless frames to ensure good luck to the owner. I charge a fiver for this service (I also do weddings and barmitzvas)

You may as well, it only costs a fiver…

can you deliver?

Yes, I do blessings via webcam…

hmmm… well my LBS said he will do it for £7.50 so i guess i might as well?

what are your thoughts on ceramic bb’s too?
or can you suggest a decent steel set?

noticed on ebay–> ceramic cheapness?

worth the risk?

They’re the same as the aerozine ones. Aside from the o-rings on the internal tube and the seals on the bearing unit itself, there is no additional sealing whatsoever. My SKF aerozine BB lasted about 4 rides. Some folks have said packing the space with grease will act as additional sealing and will help.

I wouldn’t bother. But then I run cartridge BB’s 🙂 The bike I had that ran HTII had to be reemed and sleaved after the sloppy arsed shimano cups ate my threads down to nothing. I’ve got a shiney steal insert in there now, it’s ‘ard as nails.

HTII = bag-o-pooh IMO

set aside a couple of hours & do a forum search

or else accept that it’s 50:50 or so

me, I don’t bother. I drill the BB shell, take off the inner tube thing, fill the bearings with sticky grease and then leave the bike in the garage all winter

Clubber – do you do exorcism online too ??

Pay me and I.ll give it a go 🙂

why take th einner tube out, surely thats whats stoping water getting in from the other side?

why take th einner tube out, surely thats whats stoping water getting in from the other side?

…or else it’s what holds water against the bearing

what’s your opinion on fork boots ?