The Taiwan Bicycle
Manufacturing Industry Review

PF30 Bottom Bracket | How to Install and Remove with Ease

Glenn Reeves

This is cool.

The video shows how easy it is to install and remove a pf30 bottom bracket.

For the first method, you only need one tool, a wrench that comes with the unit.
What is the unit? It is a pf30 bb where one half of the sleeve threads into the other half. So by turning both the left and the right sides together, this bottom bracket unit “pulls” itself into the bb shell—it self-installs.

You are able to do this most of the way by hand. Once it becomes too hard to turn by hand, you use a circular wrench to move each side fully into the bb shell. To remove it, you simply loosen each side with the wrench, then complete the removal by hand once you can turn each cup by hand.

If you have a conventional pf30 bottom bracket, then you’ll need the appropriate toolset. The toolset showcased in the video is perfect since it allows the user to both install and remove a pf30 bb. There are good tools around that enable you to either install or remove a pf30 bb. But not both.

Sure, you can also make your own homemade press fit tool yourself. All you need is a long bolt with its associated nut along with two “plates” or surfaces—just squares of steel or tin will do—and a crescent wrench to turn the bolt. But then you have the problem of removal. Individual solutions nearly all involve an impact method of some sort or another. That means a driver that wedges behind the bottom bracket inside the bb shell. Striking the driver with a hammer propels the bb free of the shell. This places unnecessary stress on the bb cup and even the bearing itself if you get it wrong.

Having the ability to install and remove a pf30 bb all in the one kit is mighty convenient. If you have a pf30 bb then being able to conveniently remove and re-install it whether that be for regular maintenance or regular changes if you are doing high mileage on lower quality bb units is what you want.

 

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