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The day I realized I was installing bottom brackets backwards

Been building bikes for about 4 years now. Last month a customer brought in a creaky crank on a 3 month old build I did. Pulled it apart and saw the non drive side cup was cross threaded just slightly. That's when I remembered my old mentor used to say "threads face the chain" and I had been doing it opposite the whole time. Anyone else have a moment where you found out a basic step you thought you knew was totally wrong?
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3 Comments
nina_jenkins
Honestly I read somewhere that Shimano actually designs their cups so the thread faces towards the center of the bike, not the chain, which really threw me off for a while. Tbh it's one of those things where you just gotta trust the feel more than the logic sometimes. Ngl once I started checking with my thumb like that it saved me a ton of hassle.
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craig.sage
craig.sage21d ago
Always ran them the other way until this same thing finally clicked for me.
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paigem45
paigem4521d ago
Oh man, that chain face thing finally makes sense now. I check my bottom bracket cups with my thumb before I even thread them in, just run it along the back to feel which way the ridges point. Saves me from that horrible cross thread sound.
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