How long should a bottom bracket last?

[iateyoubutler]

I fitted a new one on my commuter at the end of January, and have covered about 1000 miles since then. Anyhoo, I stopped off at the bike shop last night because I needed a new pair of pedals - mine were shot and clunking away nicely which was doing my head in, or so I thought...........

£35 later the guy said to me "your BB is shot, just to make you aware", I shrugged this off because it was only 6/7 weeks old and left the shop.

Bike still clunking like a bar steward, I`ve spent some time looking at it today and the BB is full of play, in all directions. I`m going to get another tomorrow and fit it, but a 1000 miles? Come on, that is crap...........

 

[rualexander]

Shimano or Stonglight cartridge square taper BBs, or any decent brand, should last for many thousands of miles.

 

[iateyoubutler]

This was genuine Shimano, I`ve had the same one on my other bikes and they have taken serious punishment with no trouble, for 1000`s of miles. I must have bought a lemon..............

 

[iateyoubutler]

Square taper

 

[Lee_M]

the official answer is

"longer than they do"

Ive had all sorts of bother with mine (Trek BB90), scrupulously cleaned and fettled, need replacing regularly.

if you're commuting and not looking after them it can massively shorten their life

 

[iateyoubutler]

the official answer is

"longer than they do"

Ive had all sorts of bother with mine (Trek BB90), scrupulously cleaned and fettled, need replacing regularly.

if you're commuting and not looking after them it can massively shorten their life

Everything I own gets looked after, so please rule that avenue out.............

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Shimano Square taper UN 54 lasts light years.*
Shimano BB 24 lasts one year.
SRAM GXP lasts weeks.
BB30 lasts the half-life of a quark.


* Yes I know....

 

[Yellow Saddle]

the official answer is

"longer than they do"

Ive had all sorts of bother with mine (Trek BB90), scrupulously cleaned and fettled, need replacing regularly.

if you're commuting and not looking after them it can massively shorten their life

How can you not look after them? There is no maintenance to be done on such BBs and they don't care if they are polished or muddy.

 

[davidphilips]

Everything I own gets looked after, so please rule that avenue out.............

if its a square tapper you must just be unlucky and bought a faulty bb, other than putting a power hose on them i dont see anything you or any one could do that would make one fail in such a short time.

 

[iateyoubutler]

I don`t do dirt, my bikes (all of them) are my babies, I`m not happy unless they are all clean and fault/noise free

 

[iateyoubutler]

if its a square tapper you must just be unlucky and bought a faulty bb, other than putting a power hose on them i dont see anything you or any one could do that would make one fail in such a short time.

I never do that, when I do use the hose to clean it it`s a very gentle spray, has always been the same with all of my bikes

 

[Drago]

Don't even spray bearings. Bucket and a brush.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I think you may simply have got a dud. I've got basic UN26 bottom brackets in two of my main bikes which have been fine. Just going back through my notes I see that the one in the knockabout bike has now done over 10,000 miles , much of which has been commuting and a lot of which has been in very muddy and gritty conditions.

That bike has developed a click which needs investigating. I think I'll have had my moneys worth if it's the bottom bracket.

 

[Tin Pot]

I fitted a new one on my commuter at the end of January, and have covered about 1000 miles since then.

Is it the first one you've fitted?

What was the process?

 

[iateyoubutler]

Is it the first one you've fitted?

What was the process?

No

And what do you mean by "what was the process"?