what manner of bottom bracket do you have? spline or square taper? approx age? manufacturer ?

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml

what's spline and sqaure taper? Is square taper the quadratic, older type of bottom bracket? I had one of those on before but replaced it this past summer. Had to change it to a newer one in order to fit my new crankset onto it. I have Shimano Ultegra (octalink) on there now. Does that help? I'll try to find out what exact bottom bracket it is and post later. thanks.

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�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

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no, that is fine. splined ultegra. look first to the drive side and insure that the cup is snugged up against the bottom bracket shell of the frame. then, go over to the non-drive side. this is the side you will tighten. remove the crankaram. slip your bb tool into the cup and turn clockwise. that sucka should be good and snug, but not crazy-man cranked like a mofo. you can test for looseness and/or binding by jiggling/spinning the opposite crankarm. if this does not solve the bb problem, and you remain convinced it IS a bb problem you must remove the bb and throw it away. ya don't really rebuild these units. to remove turn out the drive side cup - but note it turns clockwise to REMOVE ( reverse threaded ). get a new one just like the old.

to remove cogs you need another new tool. a lockring tool. slip it into the spliny hole in the outboard lockring next to the small cog ( uhhhh, after you remove the wheel and QR nut, that is). twist off the lockring counterclockwise. slide (or kinda pry) off the cogs - sometimes they get stuck. grease the splines onthe hub, and slide the new cassette on - it only goes one way as the splines allow. put the lockring back on, and only snug it girly-man tight with the tool/wrench. you will feel little serations biting as it snugs home.

there you go, brutha.

I already bookmarked the link max posted. But I really appreciate your help. I I don't have a 32mm wrench, so have to make a trip to the store first. I'll replace the cogset sometimes next week. I let you how it went. Thanks!



daniel

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ok, just realized that I can save the $$ on the wrench...the tool has holes, so I used a screw driver for leverage.

I saw a little bit of rust, so I decided to take it out and clean it. I don't know how I should explain it, but there were some small metal pieces all over the bottom braket. There were many more inside the frame. Initially I thought they were the "creation" of the interaction of the bb and the frame, but it looks just like new. So I take a close look at the octalink site and the teeth seem a little worn down. Is this normal? If not; could it be that I didn't "snap" the 8link teeth of the bb into the space provided by the crank arm? It was pretty easy to install the square type, but with the 8link it seems a little bit more tricky. How do you make sure that the teeth really "snap" in?

thanks so much for your help. I owe you a beer.

daniel

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�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

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metal pieces, you say. hmmmm, generally speaking production of metal pieces is not a normal function of a bicycle. i would have guessed they were the threads from the frames bb shell ( bad . . . . ) but you say this is not the case. if they are stripped out chunks of the octalink interface you should be able to readily see that. the bb spindle is steel, and the crank alumunum so the crank will "go" first - look at the interface of the crank. a few gouges and slight munged up marks would be normal . . . . missing hunks and lots of exposed raw aluminum would not. the interface has a sort of built in guidance system in that the female splines on the crank are chamfered at the edges - when you slide them together the two pieces will settle together in the chamfer before tightening.

however, you also say the pieces were all over the inside of the frame, and all over the bb. could this just be normal grunge and crap which has loosened up and accumulated inside the bb shell? are these bits of metal stuck in the grease of the bb's shell itself from sitting under the open seattube of frame ? it is a dirty place in there. if the meatal "pieces" are stuck on the bb's shell - and are more like fine bits of filings such as you would find in an oil filter, as opposed to identifiable stripped threads of something this is what i think you ave there. if the crank interface looks intact i would say you are just looking normal bb crap, from your description.

of course, could be you are a ham fisted yayhoo stripping everything in sight based on advise from a dude on the internet. hard to say. :) carry on !

ok, cleaned everything and put it back together. doesn't seem like the metal crap stuff comes from the seat tube, already checked that. the 8link are a little bit worn down, not much tough. So wherever it came from, it's gone and my bike is maybe 1.5g lighter now. So if you are a really concerned about the weight of your frame, that might be a way to go...

ok, I admit, I'm a "ham fisted yayhoo stripping everything in sight based on advise from a dude on the internet". But thanks for your help.

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�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

MoodBoost Drink : Mood Support + Energy.

excellent! so, is the wobble gone ?

yes, everything seems too work fine. guess I found myself a bike mech that fits my budget and he doesn't even mind working on saturday nights :) ok, he still has lots to learn...

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�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

MoodBoost Drink : Mood Support + Energy.