What is your favorite PF30 BB/adapter?

[Blown Reek]

Originally Posted by simplemind

Did you Loctite the Parlee bb, use grease, or dry?

Grease in a ti frame, dry on a carbon frame, and a Park HHP-2. Make sure you're going in straight.

[batman1425]

Have a Wheels MFG one in my Foundry. Install is easy, and it is rock solid. I also like that it is pretty easy to service with new press in bearings should it ever come to that. Way better than any stock Sram BB I've used and really well made for the price.

[simplemind]

Looks like there's an overwhelming support for Wheels Mfg. Another one that hasn't been mentioned is bbinfinite. From what I've read, if your bb housing is in question, this is the one.

[Davist]

Another vote for wheels, have had for two years, not a peep, spins great. Great product.

[11.4]

Simplemind, it's not that Wheels Manufacturing are preferred in any way. They are inexpensive and uncomplicated. Kings are expensive but beautifully made and end up just like King hubs -- some people resent the price or the color or whatever but they are pretty much trouble free and long-lived. My last three bikes all were from significant builders who all recommended the King PF30 bottom bracket first. I wouldn't overthink this. Using adapters, screw-together bottom brackets, or press-in ones like the King, if you install them right in a new frame you tend not to have too many problems. Early on people didn't know quite how to deal with them, early PF30 frames had bottom bracket shells that were rather inconsistent in dimension and sometimes didn't support the bottom bracket properly, and the industry had to work through some teething problems. What's the last time you've seen a PF30 creak thread on this forum?

[batman1425]

Originally Posted by 11.4

What's the last time you've seen a PF30 creak thread on this forum?

This is a good point, even the standard PF30 frames and BB's are better than what they used to be 3 or 5 years ago. That said, I still hear of more problems with the standard systems than the screw together options which make any potential tolerance variations a complete non-issue.

[jtbadge]

The Wheels PF30 BB is great and well priced. I had the previous version - press fit only, no threading - in my steel cross bike for two years, with BB30 native cranks, and never a sound or issue. Installed with grease only, no loctite or anything.

[Mr_Gimby]

Originally Posted by 11.4

Simplemind, it's not that Wheels Manufacturing are preferred in any way. They are inexpensive and uncomplicated. Kings are expensive but beautifully made and end up just like King hubs -- some people resent the price or the color or whatever but they are pretty much trouble free and long-lived. My last three bikes all were from significant builders who all recommended the King PF30 bottom bracket first. I wouldn't overthink this. Using adapters, screw-together bottom brackets, or press-in ones like the King, if you install them right in a new frame you tend not to have too many problems. Early on people didn't know quite how to deal with them, early PF30 frames had bottom bracket shells that were rather inconsistent in dimension and sometimes didn't support the bottom bracket properly, and the industry had to work through some teething problems. What's the last time you've seen a PF30 creak thread on this forum?

Hmm, gotta disagree on your claim about Wheels MFG not being preferred but merely accessible. Running a shop I have my cherry-pick of all of those you mentioned, and I go to Wheels every time. Same goes for many other shop folks I know who can get stuff at significant discount from retail. Though you are correct that shell tolerances are getting much better.

[nicrump]

The problem with even the best press only PF30 BB's is they rely on an in-spec frame.

The absolute best press only PF30 BB that IMO due to its extremely long skirt, somewhat compensates for out of spec frames is the Kogel.

Having said that I've moved entirely to the Wheels thread together solutions. It works, works well, simple and at a great price.

[ikecycke]

Another vote for the threaded Wheels Mfg PF30 to GXP or Shimano. I had issues with bearings on a couple of the press in stock PF30 versions a few years ago, but haven't run into that in quite some time, and never with the threaded conversion versions. I've used them on multiple road, CX, and MTBs over the past few years and they're all running strong.

The Praxis works well, but I don't like that you have to slide a plastic sleeve in first for PF30. My thought is the fewer parts the better.

[-dustin]

i still prefer the basic SRAM bb and plastic Wheels adapters.

Kogel is very impressive, albeit costly.

[oldguy00]

Hi all, with regards to the wheelsmfg BB's discussed, is angular contact preferred? The price diff is about $25 over the 'regular' bearings, so not a big price jump, but are they really any better?

[fa63]

I have used both the regular and the angular contact versions, and the angular contact ones do a little better in the "spin the crank in the stand" test. Of course whether or not that translates to any real life gains is another question.

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by fa63

I have used both the regular and the angular contact versions, and the angular contact ones do a little better in the "spin the crank in the stand" test. Of course whether or not that translates to any real life gains is another question.

I've read some posts about how the angular contact bearings require more 'preload adjustment'..... So for a Shimano crank, does that just mean you have to tighten the cranks a bit more than usual to get rid of play?

[ORMojo]

If not the thread-together type, then Kogel.