Bushnell EBBs

[fatbikephil]

Has anyone who has a bike with one of these had bother with it? Currently, it's the only bit of the Jones I don't like. In the first year of use it came loose a few times, despite installing it as per the instructions. Since going SS I've had to adjust it regularly and never been that convinced when tightening it up. It never seems to tighten firmly, you just turn the torque wrench for a bit until it clicks. Of late it's clicked and creaked constantly and on looking at it, one of the moving 'wings' is slightly bent so won't be pressing evenly against the shell. Where the wedges tighten against it, there are marks where they have ploughed into the alloy but's hard to see if this is cause or effect of it being bent.... You can't get spares now that Problem Solvers have bought out the design from Bushnell so its a case of £155 for a new one which I'm reluctant to pay out if it's going to do the same. Obviously before I do that I'll attack this one with hammers and power tools to try and straighten things out...

Anyone had any experience of this one?
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/bottom-brac ... e-rohloff/
Seems too cheap to be any good but the system looks fairly idiot proof and may be worth a punt if I can't get my current one back in shape.

[sean_iow]

Is it the ally one? Like this

https://www.bikemonger.co.uk/bushnell-l ... 4289-p.asp

I had one in the Genesis. Never gave any issues BUT if I adjusted it I would take it out, take apart and clean it all up and then install and adjust. Once installed if I adjusted it then I would get creaks. I think the dirt gets in the machined away parts and the bb shell and when adjusted this then ends up under the working surface and makes the noise. Did the HT550 with it without and creaks.

[Joe]

I have two of these and not really had any issues with them. As Sean says though it's best to clean everything very thoroughly so there is no dirt in the frame or EBB, then assemble with lots of grease and get it to where you want. If you move it after you've been riding you'll get dirt between the frame and EBB that will cause creaking.

I've never used a Torque wrench on mine and I've just done it up to 'pretty tight'nm torque.

[Cheeky Monkey]

Never had issues on the Gryphon or the Swift (tho I dont have the latter anymore).

[Bearbonesnorm]

Had one on my Carver. Never caused me trouble ....... except that time at the SS champs where it slipped on a horrible climb in front of loads of hecklers and resulted in a bollock / TT interface. How we laughed

[Lazarus]

Is it the same EBB type as was on a Dialled Alpine Love hate ?

if so I have one you can have as i snapped the frame and its sat in my parts box waiting for someone who needs an EBB

[fatbikephil]

So looks like it's just me then
Sean, Joe - I used a couple of bits of inner tube to seal the ends off (cable tied round the frame shell and the BB cups) when I ran gears. When I switched to SS I machined a couple of plastic caps to act as shields to keep the worst of the muck out. They seemed to work quite well as when I took it all out to clean and re-grease after a years use it was still fairly clean inside. As I'm adjusting the chain fairly regularly taking it all to bits / out / clean / re-grease isn't really an option.




Here is the offending bit. The other one is a bit scuffed but not as bad as this. You can see where the wedges have dug in. It is bent across the axis in the second pic but really no idea how this has happened in service so wondering if it's been machined wrong....

Is it the same EBB type as was on a Dialled Alpine Love hate ?

if so I have one you can have as i snapped the frame and its sat in my parts box waiting for someone who needs an EBB

It's one of these https://problemsolversbike.com/article/ ... -tensioner
Not sure if this is what you have Lazarus but would be interested in aquiring it off you if it would fit - c55mm dia by 68mm wide.

[sean_iow]

Funny you should mention regular adjustment. On the genesis I'm sure I never needed to adjust for chain wear, I must have changed ratios often enough and stripped and cleaned perhaps?

On the Salsa I recently fitted a new chain, chainring and cog, kmc z1, absolute black oval thick/thin and surley, same as I always use. Sprinting for a traffic light the chain came off, turns out in less than 150 miles the chain had worn to the point off dropping off

Sent the chain back and got a new one foc but I've had to adjust it twice in 100 miles as it was going slack. I don't recall having this issue before, no idea why. At that rate of wear I'd have needed to adjust the chain 10 times on the ht550, twice a day! Do you find chains seem to wear quicker recently?

[fatbikephil]

Same experience with a KMC Z1 Sean - it stretched like cheap knicker elastic and unevenly too so you ended up with terrible tight spots. The connex 808 on the Jones stretched a wee bit at first then settled down to adjustments every few hundred miles or so. I adjusted once on the HT last year...

[sean_iow]

I used to use z610 (I think) which was discontinued and replaced by the z1?

Unusual only replace the drivechain when I'm in danger of breaking a tooth on the cog and at that point I'll replace the whole lot but never had an issue with chain wear before.



Like to get my money's worth

I might just go cheap 8 speed or 9 speed.

[Lazarus]

Not sure if this is what you have Lazarus but would be interested in aquiring it off you if it would fit

Unfortunately [ and it is the right size] its one of the old style ones that are pictured that you use bolts to secure in place - I feel fairly confident you dont want to drill a hole in your Jones and weld some bolts on s o no use i am afraid

[Pirahna]

Wifey and I both have a Jones, both in regular use. Neither have ever received any maintenance in the five or six years we've owned owned them, but then they're both setup geared. My Niner is single speed with a similar BB, it's never given any trouble.

[fatbikephil]

Not sure if this is what you have Lazarus but would be interested in aquiring it off you if it would fit

Unfortunately [ and it is the right size] its one of the old style ones that are pictured that you use bolts to secure in place - I feel fairly confident you dont want to drill a hole in your Jones and weld some bolts on s o no use i am afraid

No probs, thanks for the consideration

Hmm. Next up measure BB shell - I hope to hell I haven't managed to distort it

[Joe]

It is bent across the axis in the second pic but really no idea how this has happened in service

Perhaps there was an issue with the two wedge shaped nuts that move outwards and expand that now bent part. IIRC they have to be centred on the bolt so that they move apart at an equal distance as you tighten the BB. If they start with one further from the centre then it might cause uneven pressure on your BB shell, possibly causing slipping and the bend we can see?

[fatbikephil]

Yup wondered about that and noted the instructions state to ensure they are an even distance apart but a loose fit on the tabs on the wedges to ensure they tighten easily. I think I may have had them a bit tight.....

Anyway, 20T press employed to bend the offending wedge back into shape and a rat tail file to smooth out where the wedges dug in. Tightened up much more positively and has gone back to loosening one side then the other when you unscrew it. For ages it seemed to be loosening straight away on both sides making me think one side wasn't actually tightening enough.

So read instructions as usual is the advice to myself!

Tah all, until the next time...