Knackered bottom bracket.

Among the bikes I've stripped for salvage recently; there seems to be an
increasing number with totally wrecked bottom bracket bearings.

Can't ever remember wrecking one myself - even a very old rusty Raleigh.

Is quality going downhill just lately?

On 8/7/2016 3:59 PM, Ian Field wrote:
Among the bikes I've stripped for salvage recently; there
seems to be an increasing number with totally wrecked bottom
bracket bearings.

Can't ever remember wrecking one myself - even a very old
rusty Raleigh.

Is quality going downhill just lately?

Older (pre-1980s), products which have had no maintenance
since new are just about at life's end. Lubricants dessicate
and fail, bearings and bearing surfaces shortly after.

Just about anything except very top-end models after roughly
1990 were mostly built without significant shop prep as
labor costs rose. Most shops quit full all-parts-off new
bicycle prep and the factory setup was marginal at best.
There are exceptions but that's the general run of it.

That said, regular cleaning and lubrication can keep even
midrange hub and BB bearings running for a cyclist's
lifetime. We see Record hubs regularly (mailed in for new
spokes and rims) which are running well after 40~50 years
with annual or 2-year bearing service.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

grease evaporates...esp older greases....grease tech moves on very competitive field.

moist often seen in headsets. BB friction is, I speculate, largly consumed b chain friction...chain friction is largely ignored as a nuisance.

a very small portion of grease surviving evap continues lubing the mechanism with increasing friction....friction increase squares. hahahhaha squares....

rarely ridden Record hubs are famous for lasting forever as are Pyramid Hubs.

Andy, are hubs races CNC'd from DT et al ? gotta list ? is there a time eg 20110-2012 when CNC became common among a certain price range ?

I dahn no if CNC wokd have a major effect on bicycle components n now doubt that existence in bike components.

"AMuzi" wrote in message
...
On 8/7/2016 3:59 PM, Ian Field wrote:
Among the bikes I've stripped for salvage recently; there
seems to be an increasing number with totally wrecked bottom
bracket bearings.

Can't ever remember wrecking one myself - even a very old
rusty Raleigh.

Is quality going downhill just lately?

Older (pre-1980s), products which have had no maintenance since new are
just about at life's end. Lubricants dessicate and fail, bearings and
bearing surfaces shortly after.

Just about anything except very top-end models after roughly 1990 were
mostly built without significant shop prep as labor costs rose. Most shops
quit full all-parts-off new bicycle prep and the factory setup was
marginal at best. There are exceptions but that's the general run of it.

That said, regular cleaning and lubrication can keep even midrange hub and
BB bearings running for a cyclist's lifetime.

The oldest Raleigh had an oiling thing on the bottom bracket, the oiler had
probably never been used.

The bearing was a little rough, so I pumped in a mixture of PTFE and moly
grease. It lasted until I passed the bike on to someone who wanted to
restore it.

Currently; I have a crunchy jamming pedal, its not the same side as the
kerb. They were cheapies from the bicycle section in a supermarket - so I'll
just leave it till it gets enough PITA to bother replacing them.

eyeyehahahha.......


a grease cup ?


http://www.google.com/search?site=im... racket+oiler

On Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 2:35:14 PM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
On 8/7/2016 3:59 PM, Ian Field wrote:
Among the bikes I've stripped for salvage recently; there
seems to be an increasing number with totally wrecked bottom
bracket bearings.

Can't ever remember wrecking one myself - even a very old
rusty Raleigh.

Is quality going downhill just lately?

Older (pre-1980s), products which have had no maintenance
since new are just about at life's end. Lubricants dessicate
and fail, bearings and bearing surfaces shortly after.

Just about anything except very top-end models after roughly
1990 were mostly built without significant shop prep as
labor costs rose. Most shops quit full all-parts-off new
bicycle prep and the factory setup was marginal at best.
There are exceptions but that's the general run of it.

That said, regular cleaning and lubrication can keep even
midrange hub and BB bearings running for a cyclist's
lifetime. We see Record hubs regularly (mailed in for new
spokes and rims) which are running well after 40~50 years
with annual or 2-year bearing service.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

I've taken apart 10 or 12 year old bike bottom brackets and the grease is black with dirt and wear from rollers running on bare metal.

With maintenance old fashioned open roller bottom brackets will last forever.

The new enclosed BB's will required replacement at regular intervals but what that is I haven't discovered yet.

"DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH" wrote in message
...
eyeyehahahha.......


a grease cup ?


http://www.google.com/search?site=im... racket+oiler

I broke the little flap off - the thread is near enough to the plastic
screws for a car number plate, so I used a large syringe to pump the grease
in, then sealed it with a number plate screw.

wrote in message
...
On Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 2:35:14 PM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
On 8/7/2016 3:59 PM, Ian Field wrote:
Among the bikes I've stripped for salvage recently; there
seems to be an increasing number with totally wrecked bottom
bracket bearings.

Can't ever remember wrecking one myself - even a very old
rusty Raleigh.

Is quality going downhill just lately?

Older (pre-1980s), products which have had no maintenance
since new are just about at life's end. Lubricants dessicate
and fail, bearings and bearing surfaces shortly after.

Just about anything except very top-end models after roughly
1990 were mostly built without significant shop prep as
labor costs rose. Most shops quit full all-parts-off new
bicycle prep and the factory setup was marginal at best.
There are exceptions but that's the general run of it.

That said, regular cleaning and lubrication can keep even
midrange hub and BB bearings running for a cyclist's
lifetime. We see Record hubs regularly (mailed in for new
spokes and rims) which are running well after 40~50 years
with annual or 2-year bearing service.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

I've taken apart 10 or 12 year old bike bottom brackets and the grease is
black with dirt and wear from rollers running on bare metal.

With maintenance old fashioned open roller bottom brackets will last
forever.

Most of the real old bikes I ended up with probably never got any oil since
leaving the shop.

Very often rusty, but advanced lubricants hide many sins. Once or twice I've
had to adjust bottom bracket bearing on old bikes - but never had to repair
a broken one.

A relative had a complete BB bearing failure on a very recent bike, the
spacer cage had been crushed and the shop didn't have any, so I filled the
cup with balls. AFAIK: My brother sold the bike when the relative passed on.

It was a cheapie mail order bike that needed some bearing or other sorting
out every several months.

Obviously I don't know the history of bikes I salvage for parts - but so
many had wrecked BB bearings recently, that I couldn't help but notice.

SEARCH: RALEIGH BICYCLE BOTTOM BRACKET GREASE CUPS
Google…images ..shopping … all
https://www.google.com/search?q=RALE...0RCYQQ_AUIcygB
that grease cup was priceless.
Shimano replacements are inexpensive n durable well worth the coupla bucks…same for headsets.
My first serious bike is a carbon steel 10 speed with deluxe CR.equippe.
All modded out to 21C now as the last scavenged parts supply either ranout or the antique alloy cracked on the stated date.
With the 21C equipment the old frame runs on without hassle.

.......


retired owners of the salvaged bikes I had have passed on....the aluminum n steel off to China.

On Tue, 9 Aug 2016 19:30:48 +0100, "Ian Field"
wrote:



wrote in message
...
On Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 2:35:14 PM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
On 8/7/2016 3:59 PM, Ian Field wrote:
Among the bikes I've stripped for salvage recently; there
seems to be an increasing number with totally wrecked bottom
bracket bearings.

Can't ever remember wrecking one myself - even a very old
rusty Raleigh.

Is quality going downhill just lately?

Older (pre-1980s), products which have had no maintenance
since new are just about at life's end. Lubricants dessicate
and fail, bearings and bearing surfaces shortly after.

Just about anything except very top-end models after roughly
1990 were mostly built without significant shop prep as
labor costs rose. Most shops quit full all-parts-off new
bicycle prep and the factory setup was marginal at best.
There are exceptions but that's the general run of it.

That said, regular cleaning and lubrication can keep even
midrange hub and BB bearings running for a cyclist's
lifetime. We see Record hubs regularly (mailed in for new
spokes and rims) which are running well after 40~50 years
with annual or 2-year bearing service.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

I've taken apart 10 or 12 year old bike bottom brackets and the grease is
black with dirt and wear from rollers running on bare metal.

With maintenance old fashioned open roller bottom brackets will last
forever.

Most of the real old bikes I ended up with probably never got any oil since
leaving the shop.

Very often rusty, but advanced lubricants hide many sins. Once or twice I've
had to adjust bottom bracket bearing on old bikes - but never had to repair
a broken one.

A relative had a complete BB bearing failure on a very recent bike, the
spacer cage had been crushed and the shop didn't have any, so I filled the
cup with balls. AFAIK: My brother sold the bike when the relative passed on.

If you do that again the old rule of thumb was always one ball less
than full. You put balls in the outer race, shoulder to shoulder, as
it were until it is full. Then take out one ball and assemble the
bearing.

It was a cheapie mail order bike that needed some bearing or other sorting
out every several months.

Obviously I don't know the history of bikes I salvage for parts - but so
many had wrecked BB bearings recently, that I couldn't help but notice.
--
cheers,

John B.