[adrianfleming]

Hi,

Thought my cranks were a bit stiff the last time i rode so i took the whole lot apart and found a seized up bearing in the bottom bracket.

I have race face ride DH cranks with x-type BB ( compatible with hollowtech II cranks)


from what i can see from the forum people think the raceface BB are ****, however i cant afford the £70 for a hope, even if they are the best.

have been looking at some cheap alternatives and wondering what you thought of these.

Token TK877 ex type £20
race face dueus £29.99
shimano xtr £29.99
superstar components HT11 or aerozine £19.99,£30
gusset ext24 £24

or back to the raceface ride mountain £16.99

any other suggestions for less than £40

i have also looked into removing the bearings but cant see how to remove it without damaging the cups

thank

 

[BluKoolaide]

I'm hard on BBs due to riding in the NorthWet during the winter. I've gotten 2 years out of Shimanos before they get stiff - that's pretty good for how much I ride and hose down my bike.

 

[frank daleview]

A few thoughts:

Most people who have had problem with their race face bb's had way too much preload on them. That being said, the same ham-fisted mechanics put shimano BB's on their bikes with race face cranks and had better results. I had my raceface deus BB for 5 years, thousands of miles, both dry summer and winter snow riding before it finally died. The new raceface deus BB's are very nice, and completely rebuildable. If that means anything to you I would go the deus. Shimano components are also almost always a safe bet. Regardless which you choose, use the least amount of preload necessary to remove play and your BB will almost invariably last longer.

 

[Raybum]

AF,
Just when through this myself... in the end, I removed the bearings from the shimano cups and pressed in new enduro bearings. Took a bit of effort and pounding to get the old ones out but eventually succeeded. However, in the process I bought two brand new race face bb's...never used, still in original packaging. If you're interested, PM me and I can send you models and price.
R

 

[adrianfleming]

How do you get the bearings out, as they are flush to the inside of the cup on the ride mountain x-type. not like others that have a lip so you can give it a good thump.

 

[Raybum]

I used a punch at an angle and worked my way around the inner race of the bearing...Just don't get it too cocked in the cup or you'll mess up the cup.

 

[Dougal]

Bearings are easy enough to replace and way cheaper than a new BB. There are a multitude of ways to get them out, the plastic shields are the only fragile part, but working around them with a knife blade or jewellers screw-driver (when the plastic is warm) will pop the shields out.

6805 bearings, let me know if you get stuck finding some for a good price. The old raceface bearings were the wrong type, hence the early death. New caged bearings will last longer.