Shimano external Bearing adjustment

[Too Tall]

Just call me "Tools-R-Us" :rolleyes: BBT-9 is in the house.

External bearing mavens tell me your best advice. I just setup my first new Shimano crank using expernal bearings and am so not impressed with this it ain't funny. Maybe I'm p'd that they designed this so that any bonehead with 1 wrench and zero experience can do a reasonable job installing...well that pretty much sums it up.

Anywho, tips and gotcha's appreciated. From where I stand you wrench the cups in, install both crank arms, whack whack whack both sides with a plastic hammer to seat the arms...install the cheesey plastic "pre-load" cap torqued to 3-Gnat-o-meters, torque the non-drive side clamp and call it a day.

Sheesh.

[CNote]

Let me guess...bearings feel stiff?

[Jeff N.]

You pretty much got it, except the whack-whack-whack part. I found that unnecessary. I love the Dura Ace 7800 crankset.Jeff N.

[musgravecycles]

Sounds like you got it, no secret setup tips, they just aren't as smooth as the campy, or even the old Shimano BB's, but hey, the 15 yr-old at your local shop should be able to install it...

[ClutchCargo]

You pretty much got it, except the whack-whack-whack part. I love the Dura Ace 7800 crankset. After looking at the finished installation, it wasn't the crankset that got whacked. And it wasn't done with a plastic hammer! Jeff N.

elaborate ? :confused:

[PsyDoc]

The bearings on my 7800 crank setup do not feel stiff. The one thing that I dislike is that the installation instructions call for a preload of 3-to-5 inch pounds. Come'on already...how in the world is someone supposed to know what that feels like. When I did my preload, I lightly gripped that plastic wheel thing they give you and turned until my fingers slipped on the wheel. There is no play in the bearings...at least none that I can tell...and things are going fine after 5k.

[Too Tall]

Hmm...you got a tool with your cranks to install the pre-load cap??? I gotta have a talk with Dr. Shimano about putting everything into the retail boxes AGAIN!!!

For what it's worth...3 inch pounds is about how muc pressure a bowl of jello can take before your finger breaks the surface. Not alot.

OK I give. I'm signing up for the week long "Bearing Monkey 110" Cert. class at the Park School. No way I'm going to get left in the dust :rolleyes:

Clinchers suk

[ClutchCargo]

You pretty much got it, except the whack-whack-whack part. I love the Dura Ace 7800 crankset. After looking at the finished installation, it wasn't the crankset that got whacked. And it wasn't done with a plastic hammer! Jeff N.

elaborate ? :confused:

[ClutchCargo]

You pretty much got it, except the whack-whack-whack part. I love the Dura Ace 7800 crankset. After looking at the finished installation, it wasn't the crankset that got whacked. And it wasn't done with a plastic hammer! Jeff N.

elaborate ? :confused:

[BarryG]

The one thing that I dislike is that the installation instructions call for a preload of 3-to-5 inch pounds. Come'on already...how in the world is someone supposed to know what that feels like.
Come'on, this ain't rocket science. If the tool disc has a radius of 1 inch, then you preload with a force of 3-5 pounds at the tool's circumference. It's not hard to guesstimate 3-5 pounds and it's not critical anyway. Just give it a good effort turning without straining and you're done. The plastic cap is designed to strip out if you turn it too hard so you can't overload the bearings.

The BBT-9 is the way to go, so you can relax TT - you're already ahead of the bell curve.

Barry

[Jeff N.]

elaborate ? :confused:I erased what I said. Disregard. Jeff N.

[znfdl]

Too Tall:

To make the installation more challenging you should drink a bottle of wine preferably a bottle of Zinfandel. Given your size maybe even a magnum and then install the bottom bracket and crank.

If you need a good bottle, give me a call....... ;)

[Ozz]

they have good zins in virginia? ;)

luv zin - not snooty - very tasty - goes with anything that can be cooked over fire. :beer:

"Green & Red" is one of my favs....

[znfdl]

Virginia does not have zins, I like mostly California; Fife, Eadmeades (Huge Zins), if you want a reasonably priced Zin blend try the Marietta Old Vine Red. Too Tall and I particularly like that wine, price is about $11 per bottle.

My favorite grilled meat with a good Zin is Jamaican Jerked Lamb.

[dave thompson]

..but a really big Claret would work very nicely. Pairs extremely well with external bottom bracket bearings

[Dr. Doofus]

thunderbird

[Ken Robb]

try Seghesio Zin for another stout red

[Too Tall]

Cnnote - yep. Stiff bearings...what's the deal?
Znfndl - I gave it up for lent.

[CNote]

Cnnote - yep. Stiff bearings...what's the deal?
Znfndl - I gave it up for lent.

I don't know. I only know that the cranksets I've witnessed with the external bearings (none of my own) tend not to be as smooth as more "traditional" cranksets. It seems that bearing friction has been sacrificed to some degree in order to achieve a "stiffer" crankset, since all of us are busy turning our cranks into wet spaghetti noodles. Whether or not they loosen up a bit with use, perhaps someone who has one could say.

As an interesting sidenote, and my bias will be evident here, what do Tom Boonen, Alessandro Petacchi, and Magnus Backstedt all have in common (other than being really fast)?

[zap]

TT-I have a set of ceramic bearings left over from my Magic Motorcycle days. I've heard these bearings are the same size.

[Too Tall]

Cnote - OK I'll bite what?
Zap - DONE DEAL!

[znfdl]

They all use campy?

[CNote]

They all use campy?

Yep, and apparently their antiquated square-taper BBs and aluminum crankarms aren't slowing them down at all. Yeah, this is a rant of mine, but the point is that there is all this nonsensical hype about making a stiffer crank/BB when in the end, it doesn't really seem to matter. The biggest, baddest sprinters in the world win on "yesterday's technology." Unfortunately, the bearing quality of "today's technology" seems to suffer. Rant over.

[Too Tall]

Oh don't quit there man it is a fine rant. On my own bikes I vow to resist EVER using anything other than square taper BB's. Maybe it's a big guy thing or perhaps I ride alot...or I ride alot in bad conditions..whatever. The Octalink stuff has never lasted more than a season for me if that and it is WRONG to lock me into one supplier for BBs.

Wife is a dedicated follower of fashion...not that there is anything wrong with that...so for her I install whatever she wants. I'm fairly sure ISIS is a good thing but everytime I had a choice I'd install square taper...it works and has no drawbacks.

On a GLOWING note...I just got a set of Sugino 75 track cranks and matching BB. Dang, they are gorgeous and remind me of the glee I had many yrs. ago cracking open the box of new Campy NR cranks. Even the packaging is vintage 70's....sweet! The Sugino old school stuff is still lovingly made with precision, care and utility by the Japanese. I dig the "NJS" stamp on all the parts too :)

[Bradford]

Whether or not they loosen up a bit with use, perhaps someone who has one could say.


I was talking about the Shimano 10 cranks and BBs with my LBS last week and they warned me that if I got them, the BB would be a bit stiff at first but would loosen up and be nice and smooth after riding for a while. I'm still on 9, but the LBS likes the 10 stuff.

[BdaGhisallo]

They don't advertise it too widely, ( I noticed a small reference to 7800 bb bearings on their website ), but Phil Wood offer a service where they take your DA 10 BB and replace the oem bearings with their own bearings and seals!

They claim that the refurbished bb is a lot smoother, better sealed and will last a lot longer than the stock DA bb. I sent one in to get down and will post my impressions when I get it back. They charge $49 for this service.

[Too Tall]

BDG - That's very interesting regards Phil Wood.
For what it's worth. I installed the Sugino 75 bb and and it is by far the best spinning BB I've installed. Don't ride these in the rain...no seals what so ever.