Bottom bracket question

[mjhagan@comcast.net]

I'm planning on ordering a new bottom bracket to go with a crankset
upgrade. How do I determine if
I need a 68mm (English) or 70mm (Italian) bracket. I have an '07 Fuji
Team. All help is most appreciated.

[Nate Knutson]

On Sep 10, 5:15 pm, mjha...@comcast.net wrote:
> I'm planning on ordering a new bottom bracket to go with a crankset
> upgrade. How do I determine if
> I need a 68mm (English) or 70mm (Italian) bracket. I have an '07 Fuji
> Team. All help is most appreciated.

the 68 and 70 are the actual face-to-face dimensions of the bb shell.
and no fuji will ever have an italian bb.

[David L. Johnson]

mjhagan@comcast.net wrote:
> I'm planning on ordering a new bottom bracket to go with a crankset
> upgrade. How do I determine if
> I need a 68mm (English) or 70mm (Italian) bracket. I have an '07 Fuji
> Team. All help is most appreciated.
>
The snide answer would be to measure across the bottom of the
bottom-bracket shell. If the measurement is 68mm....

But the real answer is that you need a 68. In recent years almost-all
(someone will probably point out a counter-example) road bikes use 68mm,
"English" threaded bottom brackets, and certainly any bike not made in
Italy or France will use 68mm. Japan not being France or Italy, I'll
bet 68mm English thread.

--

David L. Johnson

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not
certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
-- Albert Einstein

[Stephen Bauman]

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:15:38 -0700, mjhagan wrote:

> I'm planning on ordering a new bottom bracket to go with a crankset
> upgrade. How do I determine if
> I need a 68mm (English) or 70mm (Italian) bracket. I have an '07 Fuji
> Team. All help is most appreciated.

The 68/70 mm refers to the width of the bottom bracket shell, as others
have stated. Also, it is most likely 68 mm being a Fuji. The best
solution is to measure the width of the bottom bracket shell and buy the
proper sized spindle.

However, if this is not practical, here's a foolproof solution. Buy a 70
mm spindle and 1 mm's worth of shims (spacers). If you are putting a 70
mm spindle into a 70 mm bottom bracket - fine. If you are putting a 70 mm
spindle into a 68 mm bottom bracket then install the fixed cup with the
shims. This will seat the fixed cup at the proper distance from the
center line for a 70 mm bottom bracket shell. Crank alignment on both
sides will be perfect. The downside is that both the fixed and adjustable
cups will have 1 mm less thread in the bottom bracket shell - who cares.

If you make the opposite mismatch (putting a 68 mm spindle into a 70 mm
BB shell), two problems could result. The adjustable cup will be 2 mm
further into the shell than designed. You may not have enough threads for
the lock ring to grab the adjustable cup. Also, the left hand crank will
be 2 mm closer the the center line than designed. You may have problems
with that crank clearing the chainstay.

Steve Bauman

[Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com]

On Sep 10, 6:36 pm, "David L. Johnson" <david.john...@lehigh.edu>
wrote:
> mjha...@comcast.net wrote:
> > I'm planning on ordering a new bottom bracket to go with a crankset
> > upgrade. How do I determine if
> > I need a 68mm (English) or 70mm (Italian) bracket. I have an '07 Fuji
> > Team. All help is most appreciated.
>
> The snide answer would be to measure across the bottom of the
> bottom-bracket shell. If the measurement is 68mm....
>
> But the real answer is that you need a 68. In recent years almost-all
> (someone will probably point out a counter-example) road bikes use 68mm,
> "English" threaded bottom brackets, and certainly any bike not made in
> Italy or France will use 68mm. Japan not being France or Italy, I'll
> bet 68mm English thread.
>
> --
>
> David L. Johnson


Colnagos built in Tiawan use an Italian threaded BB....

[smokeystrodtman@gmail.com]

On Sep 11, 7:43 am, "Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com"
<pe...@vecchios.com> wrote:
> On Sep 10, 6:36 pm, "David L. Johnson" <david.john...@lehigh.edu>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > mjha...@comcast.net wrote:
> > > I'm planning on ordering a new bottom bracket to go with a crankset
> > > upgrade. How do I determine if
> > > I need a 68mm (English) or 70mm (Italian) bracket. I have an '07 Fuji
> > > Team. All help is most appreciated.
>
> > The snide answer would be to measure across the bottom of the
> > bottom-bracket shell. If the measurement is 68mm....
>
> > But the real answer is that you need a 68. In recent years almost-all
> > (someone will probably point out a counter-example) road bikes use 68mm,
> > "English" threaded bottom brackets, and certainly any bike not made in
> > Italy or France will use 68mm. Japan not being France or Italy, I'll
> > bet 68mm English thread.
>
> > --
>
> > David L. Johnson
>
> Colnagos built in Tiawan use an Italian threaded BB....- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Colnagos built in Taiwan? Hell just froze over!!

Smokey

[Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com]

On Sep 11, 1:13 pm, smokeystrodt...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Sep 11, 7:43 am, "Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com"
>
>
>
> <pe...@vecchios.com> wrote:
> > On Sep 10, 6:36 pm, "David L. Johnson" <david.john...@lehigh.edu>
> > wrote:
>
> > > mjha...@comcast.net wrote:
> > > > I'm planning on ordering a new bottom bracket to go with a crankset
> > > > upgrade. How do I determine if
> > > > I need a 68mm (English) or 70mm (Italian) bracket. I have an '07 Fuji
> > > > Team. All help is most appreciated.
>
> > > The snide answer would be to measure across the bottom of the
> > > bottom-bracket shell. If the measurement is 68mm....
>
> > > But the real answer is that you need a 68. In recent years almost-all
> > > (someone will probably point out a counter-example) road bikes use 68mm,
> > > "English" threaded bottom brackets, and certainly any bike not made in
> > > Italy or France will use 68mm. Japan not being France or Italy, I'll
> > > bet 68mm English thread.
>
> > > --
>
> > > David L. Johnson
>
> > Colnagos built in Tiawan use an Italian threaded BB....- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Colnagos built in Taiwan? Hell just froze over!!
>
> Smokey

Orginally we were told at Interbike that they were for the Asian and
European market but like 1 1/8, not so.

[Chalo]

> However, if this is not practical, here's a foolproof solution. Buy a 70
> mm spindle and 1 mm's worth of shims (spacers). If you are putting a 70
> mm spindle into a 70 mm bottom bracket - fine. If you are putting a 70 mm
> spindle into a 68 mm bottom bracket then install the fixed cup with the
> shims.

"68mm" or English threaded BBs use 1-3/8" x 24tpi threading. "70mm"
or Italian threaded BBs use 36mm x 24tpi threading. In addition,
British threaded BBs use left hand threading on the right side, while
Italian BBs use right hand threading on both sides.

The two are not compatible.

Chalo

[Mark]

Chalo wrote:
>> However, if this is not practical, here's a foolproof solution. Buy a 70
>> mm spindle and 1 mm's worth of shims (spacers). If you are putting a 70
>> mm spindle into a 70 mm bottom bracket - fine. If you are putting a 70 mm
>> spindle into a 68 mm bottom bracket then install the fixed cup with the
>> shims.
>
> "68mm" or English threaded BBs use 1-3/8" x 24tpi threading. "70mm"
> or Italian threaded BBs use 36mm x 24tpi threading. In addition,
> British threaded BBs use left hand threading on the right side, while
> Italian BBs use right hand threading on both sides.
>
> The two are not compatible.

For cartridge BBs, I agree. For Cup-and-spindle BBs, you might be able
to use the Italian/70 mm spindle with the English cups, perhaps.

Not that I'd recommend it, but it might work.

Mark J.

[jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org]

Chalo Colina writes:

>> However, if this is not practical, here's a foolproof solution.
>> Buy a 70 mm spindle and 1 mm's worth of shims (spacers). If you
>> are putting a 70 mm spindle into a 70 mm bottom bracket - fine. If
>> you are putting a 70 mm spindle into a 68 mm bottom bracket then
>> install the fixed cup with the shims.

> "68mm" or English threaded BBs use 1-3/8" x 24tpi threading. "70mm"
> or Italian threaded BBs use 36mm x 24tpi threading. In addition,
> British threaded BBs use left hand threading on the right side,
> while Italian BBs use right hand threading on both sides.

> The two are not compatible.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/bb-adjust.html

Jobst Brandt

[Stephen Bauman]

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:55:54 +0000, Chalo wrote:

>> However, if this is not practical, here's a foolproof solution. Buy a
>> 70 mm spindle and 1 mm's worth of shims (spacers). If you are putting a
>> 70 mm spindle into a 70 mm bottom bracket - fine. If you are putting a
>> 70 mm spindle into a 68 mm bottom bracket then install the fixed cup
>> with the shims.
>
> "68mm" or English threaded BBs use 1-3/8" x 24tpi threading. "70mm" or
> Italian threaded BBs use 36mm x 24tpi threading. In addition, British
> threaded BBs use left hand threading on the right side, while Italian
> BBs use right hand threading on both sides.
>
> The two are not compatible.
>
> Chalo

Cups and spindles (axles) are sold separately. When one buys a crank
assembly one specifies: cup threading; bottom bracket shell width; number
of chainwheels; number of teeth for each chainwheel; crank arm length and
possibly pedal thread. The assembly is made up of separate parts to
specification.

Cups and spindles of each brand/model are designed to work with one
another regardless of bottom bracket threading and bottom bracket shell
width. There is only one set of cups and lock washer per threading,
regardless of bottom bracket shell width. Indeed, the same cups are used
for both track and road bikes. Italian track bikes come in bottom bracket
shell widths of 68 mm and 70 mm, both with Italian threading. Just to be
perverse, Cinelli road bikes once had a bottom bracket shell width of 74
mm. Then again, Raleigh's once used a 71 mm width bottom bracket shell.

The question remains what does one do, if the threading is known but
measuring bottom bracket width is not practical. The failsafe answer is
to choose the spindle for the wider bottom bracket shell and use shims to
"widen" the bottom bracket shell to fit the spindle.

Steve Bauman

[bfd]

"Stephen Bauman" <sbauman@abt.net> wrote in message
news:pan.2007.10.07.01.18.50@abt.net...
> The question remains what does one do, if the threading is known but
> measuring bottom bracket width is not practical. The failsafe answer is
> to choose the spindle for the wider bottom bracket shell and use shims to
> "widen" the bottom bracket shell to fit the spindle.
>
OK, fine me an "italian thread" shim or spacer. Virtually impossible. I
finally found a LBS that had one customed made for me.

[Stephen Bauman]

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:59:11 -0700, bfd wrote:

> "Stephen Bauman" <sbauman@abt.net> wrote in message
> news:pan.2007.10.07.01.18.50@abt.net...
>> The question remains what does one do, if the threading is known but
>> measuring bottom bracket width is not practical. The failsafe answer is
>> to choose the spindle for the wider bottom bracket shell and use shims
>> to "widen" the bottom bracket shell to fit the spindle.
>>
> OK, fine me an "italian thread" shim or spacer. Virtually impossible. I
> finally found a LBS that had one customed made for me.

They are not threaded. The shim works with any threading.

It's a metal spacer washer with an O.D. of about 43 mm and I.D. of about
37 mm and a thickness of 1 mm. Your LBS can probably order them from
Kingsbridge (they used to cost about 50 cents each retail). You can also
go to any metal stamping house like http://www.bokers.com download his
washer catalog and see which of his standard 21,000 sizes meets this
requirement.

Steve Bauman