I’m struggling to find this tool – not many sites seem to show detail enough to decide if it fits the old diameter HT2 BB cups or the daft new diamter ones they have pointlessly adopted.

I see that there are plastic inserts that can adapt a tool for the old do that it fits the new, but I’d rather just have a proper, specific metal tool for this new (smaller) diameter BB cup.

Can anyone spare me the annoyance of having to search this up myself, please?

Ta.

You need TL-FC25 so search for that.  You can get a metal ring spanner thing that has that size on one end and older size on other end for a fiver.

It would be helpful to know which bb you have. There are 3 sizes 🙂

Just here to say I hate it too. With a passion.

Bought a nice Park Tool BB spanner years ago, but the plastic inserts/adapters often barely last long enough to fit one bb. Pain in the hole.

It would be helpful to know which bb you have. There are 3 sizes 🙂

Yeah, that confused the hell out of me. I’d thought there were just big HT2 BB cups and smaller ones, then I realised that the smaller one I’d bought was a different size from the previous smaller one, annoying. There was a nice Lifeline Pro socket-type tool in green ano that, I guess, is no longer available with the demise of CRC / Wiggle.

Nicked off Reddit:

There are 3 different hollowtech BB splines:

˚”Original” HTII spline. 16-notch, 44mm OD. Still used on the 105/SLX-spec (and lower) BBs. This is almost certainly what your old 105 crankset had. (tangentially: also used on the external-spline centerlock rotor lockrings needed with 15mm front thru axles)

16-notch, 41mm OD. Used on the Ultegra-level SM-BBR60 and Deore XT-level BB-MT800.

16-notch, 39mm OD. Used on the Dura Ace-level SM-BB9000 and BB-R9100, and XTR-level SM-BB93. (This is cute because it’s the same OD as the bottom bracket shell on a steel bike.)

:slow clap for shimano:

We’re not angry, we’re disappointed, it’s normally SRAM that pulls this nonsense.

These things have been around since 2010, they’re hardly new!

Just put in an order for a cheapy mental ringspanner type one off of Amazon. TBH I could never understand the open versions of BB tools either – they were still more than half the circumference, so what were we gaining other than less notches engaged and more scope for slopping to the side?

Fair enough about them being around since 2010 – just irrelevant to me as I had never used one before.

P.S. Forgot to say thanks!

The open versions (as opposed to the ones which are effectively a big flat socket) allow you to nip up a loose BB without taking the cranks off

Yes, but if they cover more than half the circumference of the cup, that is not possible anyway.

But, never mind – I have what I am after, so job done.

“Yes, but if they cover more than half the circumference of the cup, that is not possible anyway.”

No, that’s not true, you just need enough of a gap to get it over the crank arm.

I realised that after I typed it, TBH.

Not sure which modern cranks (MTB) are slim enough at the end to actually do this, but I imagine some (road especially) are.

🙂

Looks like you’ve already ordered something but these would also work: Shimano TL-FC37 Bottom Bracket tool for Ultegra SM-BBR60

https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/shimano_tlfc37_hollowtech_ii_bbr60_bottom_bracket_socket-ID_86542?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ImwBhBtEiwAFHDZx8EQGGuBxUHgPgptmQkfqe0p5wyR8oqMTwOygmQEgv7nkpL_yn075hoCOrwQAvD_BwE

https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-tl-fc37-hollowtech-ii-bbr60-bottom-bracket-socket-85886.html?utm_source=PHG&source=PHG&utm_medium=Affiliates&utm_campaign=genieshopping

I had a stubborn bb on my steel road frame and this did the job perfectly.

The other plastic adapter I had was absolutely crap and failed at the first attempt.

@kerley have you got a link for one please?

I have one of these multi spanners that fits every size of external BB:

Works on my 30mm BB’s (RaceFace, Nukeproof and Hope) and all my Shimano ones of various ages.