Spanish BB Length

[Bunky]

"BMX standards" is like an oxymoron... each standard is created by whatever company created whatever design first, and then a bunch of companies take it and mess with it.

[Austin Tasseltine]

if the tube spaces isnt long enough, you just have to put an extra thin spacer or two between the bearings with it. its a bit fiddly, you can either tape it to the tube spacer or put one bearing into the frame, put your crank axle a little way into the bb, then put the spacer and tube on, then put the second bearing in.

you can get away with not running the tube if you have powerbites or other pinchbolt cranks, but you probably should if you can

[nailbomb]

yeap, did exactly that with the new bb but instead i installed a 1mm thick spacer in the frame cause the tube spacer is at 50mm and bearings are 18mm for both, my frame bb length is 68mm, so my non drive side bearing sticks out a lil (not even noticeable), tighten them up as tight as i could and it still spins really smoothly, my previous problem was definately a tube spacer issue, glad everything is sorted now!

[Hairfarmer]

Better to have too much spacer than not enough.

[weedbix]

you can get away with not running the tube if you have powerbites or other pinchbolt cranks, but you probably should if you can

Sprocket can come loose doing that

[cmc4130]

Same question just came up on a different forum and a Google search brought me back here. What's weird is that Profile's website now has a tube spacer for Spanish listed as
1.985" (which converts to 50.419mm) rather than the typical 48mm tube spacer for a 68mm bb shell.

http://www.profileracing.com/estore/product.php?productId=63

[Stoked]

Oh profile is being so profile.  You know them...

[erenes]

I got MID 68 and the same frame next season with 73mm. Bigger tyres, wider bb could help to move chainstays another 2.5mm each side. Same story with Spanish? Anyway I saw also custom Spanish bb that was CNC deeper by mistake or so (I had to cut 48mm to 46mm). You can always throw inside a 1-2mm washers to avoid preload/sideload on bearings and give them support.

[JFax]

I hate tube spacers, they never fit nicely. Be glad it was too short, and not too long. I have had problems with BBs for like 10 years and the biggest annoyance is having too long tube spacers, had to go to a machine shop to get it cut nicely.

After all my troubles I have collected an impressive amounts of tube spacers that I can chose from when buying a new frame.

[dude...]

After all my troubles I have collected an impressive amounts of tube spacers that I can chose from when buying a new frame.

haha likewise

someone should make an adjustable length bb spacer, kind of like the colony adjustable headset one

[erenes]

someone should make an adjustable length bb spacer, kind of like the colony adjustable headset one

someone should make an adjustable length bb shell on the frame, kind of like... bla bla blah

[dude...]

someone should make an adjustable length bb spacer, kind of like the colony adjustable headset one

someone should make an adjustable length bb shell on the frame, kind of like... bla bla blah

[erenes]

#1

I hate tube spacers, they never fit nicely. Be glad it was too short, and not too long. I have had problems with BBs for like 10 years and the biggest annoyance is having too long tube spacers, had to go to a machine shop to get it cut nicely.

#2

Better to have too much spacer than not enough.

Somehow Im always in the team "#2", using spanish bearings with alloy cups inside mid bb shell since few years (looking like smaller version of Us bb). Cause I only had extra Spanish bearing and cup to fit MID when Mid exploded in the middle of the night. Then never replaced back to proper Mid bearing. Then recetly cracked the 19mm bb axle in the middle of the night. Too far away from my garage but somehow had access to extra 19mm axle. But one small spacer lost when the axle exploded. Removed most of spacers from old rusty axle. Then put on the new axle. And still missing one after instalation. So having 5 of 6 needed spacers inside BB, all making rattling noise and bearings still slowing down. And not having any will or power or tools to remove again whole set and no missing last 1mm spacer. Dude, that night I would love your adjustable BB lenght spacer.



actual BB is MID 73mm + sticking out cups to Spanish making it somwhow something close to Spanish 77mm?

[dude...]

ok yeah i get what you mean, sorry bit of a misunderstanding.

if the tube spacer is aluminium, you can cut it down and file it flat pretty easily.

and yeah its super annoying when you dont have enough spacers in the bb, and have to take the bearing back out to add more. if theres not enough in there, there might as well be none at all for the good that theyll do

id also recommend harvesting bbs out of old frames that other riders dont want anymore (people throw away perfectly good bbs and spacers all the time because they can be bothered to remove it from their old frame.

[erenes]

ok yeah i get what you mean, sorry bit of a misunderstanding.

No, I really meant adjustable shell. HA HA HA.
If adjustable spacer can be done, adjustable shell probably too. It is not a rocket science.
WTF LOL

Both of them - adjustable spacer and adjustable shell make no sense. too complicated, too heavy, too expensive. A right spacer and couple of small washers if needed are good enough.