Hi,

I have some serious clunking going on in my bottom bracket, I think its a Shimano Hollowtech Deore one. As long as the sizing is the same can I buy any BB, for example I am assuming a better quality one would fit like an XT?

Thanks

Get a Hope Ceramic one and never look back 🙂 .

It probably pays for itself with the amount of times you’d have to change a cheap bottom bracket in its lifetime.

But will it fit and will I need a tool other than a generic bottom bracket tool to fit it?

take it to a shop

I would rather learn myself, tool to remove current one on order.

You can.

Check Rose bikes for XT at £13 and XTR at £18.

However, I’ve just had an £18 XTR do the same as you describe in 3 months / 1500k. I’ve ordered and XT replacement today and am hoping I’ve just been unlucky…..

You will need a Hollowtech 2 tool/spanner.

How long had your BB lasted? An option is to run 5 XT’s, one a year for 5 years, than fork out for one Hope now.

I have had the bike 2 years or more, I checked the pedals etc, must be the BB. Bit short on cash so the 80 quid for the hope is a bit rich for me. I just worry that I will remove mine and the replacement will be a different size.

lot wot is your BB then….
i had a raceface xtype BB which lasted 2 years (pretty good IMO… just upgraded to a Hope BB … 😉

Superstar do a socket type tool for about £8, that means you can use a torque wrench. They also do an Aerozine BB, that can have new bearings installed.

I’ve changed the bearings in my HT2 BB, & they seem to be lasting ok. (Branded bearings from Ebay that I packed more grease in to). Doubt they will see out the coming Winter so about to swap an old set of HT2 shells ready to go in.

I think it is a shimano deore one

Running a GUB Ceramic at the moment, £38 delivered from China via ebay, works with standard tools,,, seems to be running ok.

Just got the tool, need to order the BB, the XTR one I was looking at says its compatable with 68 and 73 mm shells, does that basically mean it will fit all or do I need to specify the size? If sho how do I find out what I have?

Tape measure the bb shell on yor frame.

They come with some spacers that you put either side of the BB shell so the cups don’t screw in all the way. If it’s 68mm it’s 2 on the drive side & 1 on the NDS, if it’s 73 it’s just 1 on the drive side. If the existing one is HT2 then just look at what spacers are fitted on that and do the same.

And when you take it out make sure you undo them in the correct direction as the drive side is threaded the opposite way to normal – Shimano ones have a ‘Tighten’ arrow on the shell to help.

it will come with spacers, usually 3 of them, 2.5mm each.
the width of the shell will dictate how many spacers you use.
a wider shell will need less spacers.
have a search on youtube for HT2 bb install, there are videos that show you.
when its done, you will be like ‘thats it? i was worried about that?’
it isnt that hard to do.

lastly – dont tighten the little crank screw thing on the axle too tightly. it only needs to light-finger tight so that the cranks are touching in against the bearings with no slack. Too tight and you’ll get clicking from the BB at the outset.

Think along the lines of putting a cap back on a plastic fizzy juice bottle. Do it until it just starts to bite, then stop. Dont tighten past the bite point. Or if you do, then back it off and then re-tighten till the bite point.