Just hit 500 bottom bracket replacements and it made me rethink my whole approach

3 comments

3 Comments

500 bottom brackets" means you've seen every way they can fail. That's the kind of data that changes your whole process.

blair_lewis852mo ago

After rebuilding about 300 vintage bikes, you start to recognize the exact creak a loose cup makes. That experience made me switch to a specific thread prep paste on every single install now.

lisa_bennett3d ago

Hold up though - doesn't thread prep paste make it harder to catch those subtle sounds when something's actually loose? I've always felt like a little dry install lets you feel everything through the wrench, that direct metal on metal feedback tells you way more than a greased up connection ever could.