wsw@hlwpc.UUCP (Bill Weiss) (12/04/85)
* Your problem could be excessive wear on the threads of both components. This is easy enough to check visually when disassembled. Another possibility is that you're not holding the adjusting cone tightly on either component as you tighten the locknut or lockring--thus allowing both to turn at the same time. A correctly adjusted component should ALWAYS have a SLIGHT amount of up-and-down and side-to-side play--enought to feel, but not to hear. --Bill Weiss, AT&T Network Systems (mduxb!wsw) ** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
fish@ihlpg.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (12/06/85)
> A correctly adjusted component should ALWAYS have > a SLIGHT amount of up-and-down and side-to-side play--enought to feel, > but not to hear. I adjust my bottom brackets so that there is just enough drag to push back against one finger LIGHTLY, never with any end play, and certainly without any up-and-down play. This is absolutely essential for a rider my size. When overhauling a bottom bracket, you should vigorously brush the shell threads with a stiff nylon or wire brush, then coat them and everything else with white lithium grease. Just stick your finger in there and spread it around real good. The fixed cup should be tightened very firmly. Pack the bearings with as much grease as you can get on them, working it into the mechanism. I just drag the entire bearing through the grease can and work it in with my fingers. You also want to smear grease liberally around the bearing races and on the spindle. You should install the lefthand crank arm and chainwheels prior to adjusting the movable cup. If you haven't removed the chain from the bike, get it clear of the chainwheels so that the crank will spin freely. Tighten the movable cup until there's enough drag to feel when you spin the crank with a finger, then back off about 1/6 of a turn. When you tighten the lockring, make sure you keep the movable cup stationary. If the BB is adjusted properly, the crank should spin without binding, but you should not be able to feel any free play in the bearings when you jerk the crank toward and away from the frame. By the way, you should make sure that the bearings and cups you're using are equivalent to the ones you're replacing. English threads are most common on bikes sold in North America. You can make sure of a good match by seeing that the numbers stamped on the cups are the same. Also, if you're replacing the spindle, make sure that the length and taper are the same. There are lots of variations, and it's easy to get a bad match. However, if the spindle is worn out, you're probably due for a new crankset anyway. __ / \ \__/ Bob Fishell ihnp4!ihlpg!fish