Servicing your bottom bracket or bearings have to be your daily bike maintenance part. Regular bottom bracket maintenance or crank bearing cleaning and greasing can improve your bike performance massive. The bottom bracket creak is too annoying. Cause it just works often from the dust between the bearing and seals surfaces. So, it is essential to clean them daily. Also, it would be best if you greased bike crank bearings and bottom bracket. These can make your bike smooth and fast so that you can enjoy your ride.
So, do you know how to grease bike crank bearings? If not, then don’t worry. You can learn how to grease bike crank bearings and the bottom bracket also, through this article.
First, you need to remove the bottom bracket and crank bearings, clean them properly, and then grease the crank bearings and bottom bracket.
Required tools
To remove the crank bearings, you have to remove the bottom bracket first. So, you can use bottom bracket tools for removing the crank bearing. And the tools are:
- Park Tool BBP-1.2
- Park Tool BBT-30.4
- Park Tool THH-8
- Park Tool HMR-8
Also, you require a bike bearing grease. The best bike bearing grease is:
- SHIMANO Dura-Ace Grease.
- Park Tool PPL-1 Poly Lube 1000 lubricant.
- Bel-Ray Waterproof Grease.
- Phil Wood 3-Ounce Grease Tube.
- DuPont Teflon White Lithium Grease.
- White Lightning Crystal Grease Biodegradable.
- Finish Line Premium Grease.
Step by step procedure to grease bike bottom bracket and bearings
Now we’re are starting the total procedure to grease your bike bearings and bottom bracket.
Fixing workspace and tools
First, fix a workspace and place your tools so that you can find them easily when needed.
Removing the Crank arm
Next, remove the crank arm. Mostly, there has only one removable crankarm in a new crank. So, confirm that you’ll remove the right one. You can use an 8mm hex wrench. Until the crank comes off, continue to loosen it. It is called the self-extracting. If it doesn’t work, then you can try the crank arm extractor tool.
Pulling cranks & spindle, clean all the parts
Now, pull the other non-removing crankarm and the spindle. When you pull the spindle, you can see two dust covers for your bearing and spacers. Before keeping on the bench, take some time to clean the spindle, dust cover, and the spacers, when you’ll pull the parts.
Clean the spindle, crank surface, spindle interface/crankarm, and the bolt. Then, try to dispel all the grease and dirt and clean the bottom bracket bearings. Dispel all the grease and dirt that are left behind.
Removing the press-fit bottom bracket
To remove the press-fit bottom bracket, you can use Park Tool BBT-30.4. But, you can use it only for a 30mm spindle. Otherwise, if you have a smiler spindle, then you can use Park Tool BBT-90.3.
However, you require to grab one of these tools. Then, confirm that on the bearing, you have kept good contact. But not on the frame. Push into any one of these tools and hammer it. You may have to hit several times to loose on each side.
Cleaning bottom bracket, bearings, and the frame
You may clean entire parts, including the frame surface, bearings, and bottom bracket, after removing the bottom bracket. If you see any damage to any parts, then try not to use these again.
Continue cleaning
It would be best to keep up cleaning entire parts until all the dirt and grease on the back has gone. When the cleaning finish, the bottom bracket, and bearings will ready to grease.
Grease frame interface and bottom bracket cups
To the frame interface and bottom bracket cup, add some grease. On both, keep an adequate level of grease. The extra grease leaves you with some on both sides, the bottom bracket cup grease will push out of the frame, and the frame grease will press into the frame.
Installing bottom bracket
There have two sections of a bottom bracket installation. If possible, you can have the right bearing race. So, try to have a race with a 30mm spindle cup if you have a 30mm spindle and the second section, at a time, presses only one cup.
Simultaneously, if you try to press both cups, both cups have chances to become crooked. Also, it can lead to permanent damage to the frame. Moreover, if you have a carbon frame, it’s not a good move. So, at a time, press only one cup.
Grease bearings, spindle and installing dust covers and spacers
To the installed bottom bracket bearings, add some grease. Inner race on both sides and around the bearing cup, Keep a decent level of layering. Now, install the spacers on the crank by grabbing these. Add some more grease next to the dust cover after you having the spacers and then dust cover. This dust cover side will meet the spindle and also the bearing.
Next, into the bottom bracket, slide the spindle. And with your hand, tap it a few times. Then grab any spacers and dust cover and as well push those on.
Start to Tighten Crank after Grease Crank Interface
The crank arm accompanies the crank bolt, and also, the spindle adds some extra grease in that place. Start to tighten up the crank arm with an 8mm wrench. Until the bolt is snug, spin the bolt in all the way.
Fully tightening the crank and observe torque rating
In your crank arm, look up the torque spec. It will be tight enough when the spec is around 40-50nm.
If there have any preload adjuster, then tighten it up.
FAQ:
When do I require to replace the bearings?
When the bearings feel leaky and rough, you require to replace them. You can’t fix the worn-out races and bearings by applying new grease.
How long the bottom bracket lasts?
On the low end, maybe 5000 miles a bottom bracket lasts. Sometimes, people can use basic Shimano (UN51 / 55 / similar), which can last more than 10k miles. But, unfortunately, sometimes, your bottom bracket lasts for 500 miles.
Can overuse of grease in the bearing is dangerous?
Excessive grease volume (excessive greasing) in the bearing cavity causes the rotating bearing components to start churning the grease. Then pushing it out of the way, which can cause temperature increasing and energy loss.
Conclusion
Finally, you can learn how to grease bike crank gearings and also the bottom bracket. Well, it’s excellent to grease, clean, and service your bike bearing, crank, and bottom bracket every few months, even if it’s silent. These can make your bike faster, smoother, and long-lasting also. Hopefully, you have learned some techniques which you can also apply in the future.