Hi Chaps,

I bought a new BB, which is well recommended, installed it. After going out for a ride it sounded a little clicked, so stripped down the BB, and one cup was properly stuck – not cross threaded, just needed a huge amount of torque to remove.

Looks like threadlock on the threads out of the factory….
I’ve always greased up the BB threads before installing, as threadlock seems unnecessary, as the crank arms will stop the cups from unscrewing.

Anyone heard of threadlock on BBs? Should I be unimpressed? (obviously I should have been paying more attention to what was on the threads.) I must have been half asleep when installing, as I always grease the BB threads.

Cheers

Ricks

Yes, some BBs come with threadlock – I’ve never understood why, but it never seems all that strong anyway. I always grease the threads.

One side was bonkers tight, needed a hammer on the BB tool to remove it 😯

Chased the thread with a pick, cleaned up the BB, greased up and it seemed to screw on fine.

Threadlock has no place on a BB, proper torque and grease is all that should be needed.

im curious.

what do folk think threadlock does ?

the CORRECT grade of locktite is as good as if not better than grease at stopping it from siezing if applied correctly. Stops alu and ti fooking up also as its pretty much a plastic barrier. BBs that are going to live in punters bikes for years id threadlock , if it looked like it was coming out in the near future then id grease or ti prep it.

No. Thread lock should not be used on BB threads. Some form of anti seize is correct, but don’t use that shit white lithium grease as it will eventually go hard and seize the threads. I’ve had to remove a BB like that. Just don’t.

I’ve started to use threadlock on my bottom brackets recently after having an issue with one BB in particular. If you look at what threadlock offers its perfect for BB.
There is an article online, i think by pinarello, which explains the benefits.

ok. why not ?

I was actually taught to use loctite & not grease as part of my cytech training a few years ago, but generally I use an anti seize compound instead. Not sure why you’d use grease as you don’t want it coming loose, just be able to undo it when required.

but don’t use that shit white lithium grease as it will eventually go hard and seize the threads

Wish you’d have told me that before the weekend 🙄

Grease, not threadlock, thanks to precession. Unless you’re Italian…

BBs won’t come loose if the threads are okay – the only time I’ve felt the need to add something was when the threads on a frame were almost borked and gluing the cups in made sense.

I’ve never applied threadlock when fitting any component. OK some new bolts have that blue stuff already applied and so it’s there by proxy.

I haven’t been killed to death yet 🙂

Some of the new BB’s come with a threadlock type substance already on them which I cant stand. It makes installing the BB stiff so you have a hard job telling if you are crossing the threads or not. I remove it before installing and then use copper grease/brake anti-seize compound. It seems some shops work to exact manufacturers spec now for fear of being sued. All bolts have to be done up to crazy recommended torques. I hate having to undo bolts or BB’s etc on new bikes. You have to be built like arnie to get somethings apart. Theres “tight enough” and theres ” this fooker aint ever coming undone!”

I’ve always used plumbers tape because I have a roll in my toolbox – never had one seize or creak and it helps if the threads are a bit slack.

But if I couldn’t find it would use either copper slip or loctite whichever came to hand first.

Thread lock a good idea on bb’s. If an external B&B comes loose the cranks hold it tight enough that you are unlikely to notice but loose enough that the movement will trash the threads. We’ve had to sleeve a couple of Bb’s for people where that has happened

PeterPoddy – grease. I’ve always used white Finish Line for nearly everything assembly wise or more recently copper slip for threads. Should I be using something else?

I use threadlock on the Maxle-Lite 😳

Once the world converts to push in BBs ,we will all become experts at gluing,welding and hammering them back in to place 😉

Oh,and another no thread lock user here 🙂

Italian threads sometimes need it on the drive side. I’m my experience.

PeterPoddy – grease. I’ve always used white Finish Line for nearly everything assembly wise or more recently copper slip for threads. Should I be using something else?

Be careful with copper slip – I’ve seen several cases where the conductive copper has caused a corrosion reaction. On steel it’s probably fine (if old-school) but I’d keep it away from other materials.

I use boat trailer wheel bearing grease on everything. Never had a problem in 15 years of use.

Oh yes, and Italian threads are a different case – they need as much glue as possible to keep the stupid things in.

rickon – Member
One side was bonkers tight, needed a hammer on the BB tool to remove it

I installed a new SORA crankset on my road bike about a month ago and the BB was ridiculously hard to install on one side. Never had a problem installing stuff before and I think that I have a fair degree of mechanical sympathy.
Looking at the threads on the BB, they almost looked ‘torn’, rather than neatly cut. Almost as if they weren’t formed correctly. I ended up winding them in a bit, then back out, clean it all up, a bit further in, back out, clean it up again……seemed to work. Just hope it comes out OK.

I have used copperslip for years on my bikes and have never had a problem. Not to say it can’t happen, but I’ve always found it to be fine. Just a tiny smear and it makes all the differnce come removal/maintenance time.

EDIT – double post…

Royce BBs come with a little bottle of threadlock. It’s not very strong though – just anti-creak I think.

Personaly I use grease on everything appart from crank splines which get bearing fit compound to stop them creaking (FSA I’m looking at you!) and brake calliper and rotor bolts which get threadlocked, the exception being the ones on my mariachi as they seemed to gall horribly when installed without grease, but as they double as the SS tensioner they’ll get looked at every few hundred miles anyway.

It’s not right, but

a) components don’t specify the correct lube/dry/anti sieze for the threads allong with the torque setting so the torques are fairly pointless anyway.
b) most of these compounds are designed to go in machinary that won’t be serviced for 20+ years. I’m happy if a component lasts a winter! I’m more worried about galling during instalation than long term problems.