# Tools needed to assemble bike from scratch ?



## Pol4k (Apr 29, 2014)

Hey all, I'm trying to find a list of tools needed to have at hand when bouilding bike from scrtach.
I mostly find articles and videoes on what tools are needed for bike maintenance, but nothing on bike assembly, from buying a frame and components separately. 
Anyone has a link or care to list tools I need to invest in ?


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Google "list of tools for a build mtbr" there are a few threads with lists of tools.


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## tuckerjt07 (Nov 24, 2016)

It's also going to vary slightly based on frame choice, just a call out. 

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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

if you're not going to use a torque wrench, don't do it yourself.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

You don't need a torque wrench unless carbon fiber is involved. Exception is if you not a truly mechanically inclined person (saying you are cause you can change a light bulb in your car or change the oil doesn't count).

I don't even own a small enough torque wrench for bikes. I have a preset tool for tightening stems on carbon fiber bars and that's it.

Building a bike from scratch though unless you know bikes well is a bad idea. Cost way more than just buying one ready to go and that doesn't count the cost of tools (which you don't need much except for a few speciality tools)

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## roadkill401 (Mar 14, 2017)

I was going to say, the tools you need are a telephone, and a credit card. But that is just a smartass remark from the joker inside of me.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

working in bike shops for several years, I have seen far too many "i don't need a torque wrench" scenarios where cranks fall off, stem bolts shear in half, Shimano cranks strip out, chainring bolts fall off on the road, etc. manufacturers put those values on their products for a reason and if you think you can hit 14Nm on your Hollowtech II crank arm with your wrist and 5 Nm on your stem bolts, you're fooling yourself. maybe you can by by without it but I prefer the peace of mind that things are buttoned up correctly. that's my two cents, take it or leave it.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

I'll bite. From "scratch", i.e. bare frame and ongoing maintenance:

"Normal tools you can use elsewhere" (so not a waste of cash)
-set of hex wrenches
-pliers
-various lubes (lithium, marine, chain, KY)
-misc open wrenches
-compressor (can be handy)
-shop hammer

"Tools you might use on something else, sometime" (bit of waste of cash)
-long 1" wrench (for cassette tool - see below)
-torque wrench
-good wire/cable cutter
-extension bar (crank install, depending on type if tons of torque required)

"Tools specific to your bike, that you can't use elsewhere" (waste of cash)
-cassette tool
-bearing press / shimano BB wrench
-mineral oil/DOT fluid (brakes - DOT fluid might fall into category above)
-carbon/assembly paste (to prevent slip, minimize torque requirement on carbon)
-chain checker/tester (need this anyway, but bike-specific)
-tire levers (need these anyway, but they are bike-specific tools)

If you plan on building more bikes in future, or will be maintaining your own, none of these are wastes of cash and could eventually start saving you money.

I'm sure this list is incomplete.


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## Joe Handlebar (Apr 12, 2016)

It will vary slightly from bike to bike, true. But nearly all bikes will require these at minimum...

A full set of allen wrenches
A 5Nm set key
A chain tool
A T-25 torx bit/wrench for disc rotors (unless your using center lock...for those you can use the cassette tool, below)
A cassette tool (minimum for installation, you need a chain whip to remove it)
Won't hurt to have a phillips and a flat head screwdriver as well just in case.

Bottom brackets is where things go sideways as far as standards go. If you are using a threaded BB, you'll need that tool. If you are using a press fit, you'll need to fashion a BB press tool (don't buy a shop one unless your going to be using it all the time). I made myself a bottom bracket/headset press with large washers, nuts and a 3/8" (I think) bolt. It's worked flawlessly for years now and I've done headsets and BB's with it. And, if your going to use a press fit to threaded adapter...well, then you need both!

Personally, I disagree with those who would discourage you from learning to wrench, even if it is your first build. Learning to build and work on your bike is worth every trial and error and every success. It makes you more self-sufficient on the trail, and allows you to work on your bike as needed without having to worry about scheduling shop time and being without your bike. I was fortunate to be able to have been a professional mechanic for 13 years. For the last 15 years since then, I've been able to use that experience not only for all my bikes, but I also get to be my neighbors wrench too.

Whatever you choose, if your going to do your own build, give yourself more time than you think and go slow. One other option is to have your LBS install your headset and bottom bracket only. Then do everything else.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Joe Handlebar said:


> It will vary slightly from bike to bike, true. But nearly all bikes will require these at minimum...
> 
> A full set of allen wrenches
> A 5Nm set key
> ...


Damn, forgot the T-25 and chain whip.


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## drag_slick (Sep 24, 2004)

Joe Handlebar said:


> A full set of allen wrenches


Just to clarify... full set of metric allen wrenches


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

Pol4k said:


> Hey all, I'm trying to find a list of tools needed to have at hand when bouilding bike from scrtach.
> I mostly find articles and videoes on what tools are needed for bike maintenance, but nothing on bike assembly, from buying a frame and components separately.
> Anyone has a link or care to list tools I need to invest in ?


If buying the parts separately, The cost of these tools may far outweight the cost of having a shop assemble it or buying another bike.

I have gone through this. Most commonly you will need the appropriate specialty tools for:
installing the headset (unique to bike)
installing the Bottom bracket and crankset(unique to bike) 
cutting fork steerer tube, installing star nut and mounting crown race (Can be done at home with ingenuity but not recommended)
cable cutter
chaintool
Cassete tool w Torque wrench
chain whip
Needle nose pliers or similar
Cone wrenches/pedal wrench (some bikes and some wheels)
*Inch pound torque wrench and or NM preset wrenches*
Metric allen 1-10
t-25
tire lever
stans
compressor, charger pump or lots of c02 and a prayer
Neccessary brake bleading tool if not going shimano. 
channel locks
small black zipties
All of the appropriate greases and lubes


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

FJSnoozer said:


> If buying the parts separately, The cost of these tools may far outweight the cost of having a shop assemble it or buying another bike.
> 
> I have gone through this. Most commonly you will need the appropriate specialty tools for:
> installing the headset (unique to bike)
> ...


Damn, forgot the chain tool too! It's hard to make this list off the top of your head.

I think the bottom line - and several of us have mentioned it - is if you intend to keep working at it, these tools will pay off. You may even find you enjoy working on your bike.

I'd start with some of the most common tools that have non-bike uses as well, that way the risk is low. If you find you like tinkering, head to Chico's or the Park Tool site to check out some of the more specific stuff.


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## idividebyzero (Sep 25, 2014)

I would get something like a press fit bottom bracket installed at a shop. Most other bike tools will get a decent amount of use so they are worth buying.

Pay no attention to people that say you should just take it to a shop if you dont know what youre doing. Nobody knows what theyre doing the first time they work on something. Bikes are not rocket engines and are one of the easiest things to learn and a great introduction to just working on other things around the house.


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

I think you are confusing the statements about taking it to a shop with 

"Take it to a shop to get the specialty part of the assembly done and have fun doing the rest of it yourself"

It is cheaper to have them press in your bottom bracket and cut your fork and install your headset. 

All of the other tools you will need over time. There are too many different types of BB and headset tools to own them unless you want to start removing square taper BBs from all of your friends bikes for fun.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

GiantTurd said:


> Working in shops for over 20 years, I have seen more damage done with torque wrenches then without.


Can you provide some examples? (I'm not baiting you either - I honestly want to know.) Only things I can think of would be (1) a badly calibrated torque wrench, (2) applying the wrong amount of torque, i.e. misreading the actual spec.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

RAKC Ind said:


> You don't need a torque wrench unless carbon fiber is involved.


Wrong.

Show me a dropper post that doesn't have a seat clamp torque spec listed. Great way to destroy the internals on the dropper. Crank bolts are another PRIME example. I have a 5Nm preset that covers pretty much any clamp interface (I've had 7Nm seat clamps crumble at that torque, so I just go to 5) for any bar or seatpost. I also have a beam-style torque wrench for bigger stuff like crank bolts.

I, too, have seen too many "home mechanics" who thought their arms were precision calibrated torque wrenches screw things up by over tightening or under tightening. If you're going to do it, do it correctly.

To start with, I recommend anything involving cutting metal or pressing bearings to be done at the shop at least the first time around. Tools for those jobs usually wind up being expensive and infrequently used (like facing/reaming tools, bb thread taps for chasing threads, etc), or have high consequences for mistake (like cutting a steerer tube too short). Your first time around, leave that to the shop. I do hope you plan on having your head tube and bb faced and reamed/chased. Little details like that often make a difference for a really solid and reliable build.

I recommend a bleed kit even if you do have shimano hydro brakes. Some people supposedly can trim the hydro lines on them without bleeding, but I can't. It's uncommon that bikes don't need the hydro lines trimmed. Too-long hydro lines really suck and they flop around and snag on stuff. Snagging a hydro line on something at speed will pull it out and end your day. This might be one of those "let the shop do it" jobs if you've never bled brakes before. Especially if the brakes are a brand/model that are more complicated to bleed well *coughSRAMcough*.

A lot of these tools listed fall into the "it depends" category. Things like bb installation tools depend on the bike and the bb you're installing. Maybe your frame has a threaded bb. Lots of different tools out there depending on the bb you have. You might need multiple torx bit sizes, but you might not need any. You might also not need any cone wrenches at all. There is 1 bike out of 4 in my basement that needs any for anything (hubs). The 4 bikes in my basement also require 3 different tools to install the bb. One has a pressfit bb, so that's another tool to remove (same tool as removing a headset, so that's nice, at least). There are potentially 3 different pedal wrenches you might need. The traditional wrench flat type is one, but you may alternatively need either a 6mm or 8mm hex depending on the pedals. Some pedals have wrench flats AND will accept a hex wrench. Some accept only a hex, and some accept only a traditional pedal wrench. I have all 3 different types of pedals in my collection. I have RaceFace Turbine CINCH cranks on one bike. Those, it turns out, use an old bb tool I had that I thought I'd never use again (ISIS bb tool) for the chainring/spider direct mount lockring. Shimano centerlock rotors might require either a cassette lockring tool OR a Shimano Hollowtech II BSA external BB tool (lockring tool for bikes with qr skewers, bb tool for bikes with thru axles). Some stuff has very brand-specific tools (like Hope cranks and a lot of other stuff).

For assembling one bike, you'll start small...but if you do it for more than one bike, you'll start acquiring new tools for each build and eventually build up quite a collection of bike tools.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

GiantTurd said:


> Working in shops for over 20 years, I have seen more damage done with torque wrenches then without.





phlegm said:


> Can you provide some examples? (I'm not baiting you either - I honestly want to know.) Only things I can think of would be (1) a badly calibrated torque wrench, (2) applying the wrong amount of torque, i.e. misreading the actual spec.


As I mentioned in my post, it might be a crappy part, too. I have personally had a few seat clamps crumble when being tightened to their proper torque by well calibrated torque wrenches. They were all the same clamp (on Scott Solace road bikes), so just a bad design. I just started ignoring the printed number on the clamp and stopping at 5Nm for all clamp bolts.

Beyond that, I've not seen the torque wrench causing problems. IME, if people are taking enough care to actually use one, they don't tend to be the people stripping out bolts and ham-fisting lever clamps.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

Ah well never bothered with a dropper yet. I know technically every bolt has torque specs, but never bothered with it till CF. No need to.

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## idividebyzero (Sep 25, 2014)

> This might be one of those "let the shop do it" jobs if you've never bled brakes before. Especially if the brakes are a brand/model that are more complicated to bleed well *coughSRAMcough*.


Everyone should learn how to bleed brakes, its one of the most frequent maintenance things you should do on a bike (maybe not a full bleed but getting air out of the system is something that should probably be done every couple of months). Its a very useful thing to know how to do and not as difficult as people make it seem, even with a worst case scenario like Avid BB7s (which is what I learned on)


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

RAKC Ind said:


> No need to.


Again, crank bolts. If you aren't putting a torque wrench on them, you have no idea if you're even close to what they're supposed to be.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

idividebyzero said:


> Everyone should learn how to bleed brakes, its one of the most frequent maintenance things you should do on a bike (maybe not a full bleed but getting air out of the system is something that should probably be done every couple of months). Its a very useful thing to know how to do and not as difficult as people make it seem, even with a worst case scenario like Avid BB7s (which is what I learned on)


maybe so. but for someone who's never built a bike before, the sheer number of things to buy and learn might make adding bleeding hydro brakes a little overwhelming. When learning, I'm a fan of doing it one thing at a time. It's not like if you don't buy the bleed kit from day 1 and don't learn it right then, that there won't be another opportunity to learn to bleed them.

I owned hydros and had shops take care of bleeding them for years simply because I didn't want to fuss with them, and because the specific ones I had (old Magura Julies) were a pain. I eventually took the time to learn, but it was the only maintenance task I needed to do at the time so I could just focus on bleeding the brakes.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

A dedicated bike tool kit is a good place to start and then add tools as you need them. There are so many standards in bike parts that without knowing which parts you're going to buy you can't buy all the tools. Deal with it as you're going along. 

I have three torque wrenches and the problem I have with them is that, on bikes, most of the values are so low that it's dead easy for the tool do be wrong or for you to accidentally go well over. You can feel much more with a little allen key than you can with a big, heavy torque wrench. I would say that good feel is more valuable than a torque wrench.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Mr Pig said:


> I have three torque wrenches and the problem I have with them is that, on bikes, most of the values are so low that it's dead easy for the tool do be wrong or for you to accidentally go well over. You can feel much more with a little allen key than you can with a big, heavy torque wrench. I would say that good feel is more valuable than a torque wrench.


not all torque wrenches are big and heavy. very true that the big and heavy ones are not good for low torque fasteners. As I said before, I use a different wrench for high torque crank bolts vs. clamp bolts.

Here's the thing - I would NEVER recommend to someone who is not experienced with wrenching on bikes to forego a torque wrench. If you're an experienced wrench, that's something else entirely. Sure, I don't use a torque wrench on everything. But I learned where I'm okay not using it through experience.


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## Pol4k (Apr 29, 2014)

Thank you all for great comments.
I like to play in garage, whether it's car, bike, or Lego  I'm a guy after all 

One thing I'd like to know, if going with Sram 11 speed chain, do I need master pliers, chain rivet extractor and chain wear ?


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

Pol4k said:


> .. do I need master pliers, chain rivet extractor and chain wear ?


You need a chain-breaker right out of the blocks. You can't resize a new chain without one and you'll need to do that. You also want to carry one with you on rides anyway, for dealing with broken chains so you could buy a compact or multi-tool one.

You can manage without chain-link pliers, I still don't have a pair. New quick-links are usually very stiff so are hard to pull closed, but you get there. a big pair of normal pliers across the corners opens them again.

You don't need a chain wear tool to start with obviously and to be honest, they're mostly not that accurate. I have three different ones and I reckon I'm going to go back to measuring the chain with a steel ruler as I think it's probably more trustworthy. It'll be a while before you need to worry about chain wear, six months even if you ride hard.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Mr Pig said:


> ...
> 
> You can manage without chain-link pliers, I still don't have a pair. New quick-links are usually very stiff so are hard to pull closed, but you get there. a big pair of normal pliers across the corners opens them again.
> 
> ...


Yep, same for me - didn't have one for years. Bought one and it is a nice addition tho.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

phlegm said:


> Yep, same for me - didn't have one for years. Bought one and it is a nice addition tho.


It's one of those tools I keep thinking about buying but never quite get around to it.


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## tuckerjt07 (Nov 24, 2016)

Mr Pig said:


> You need a chain-breaker right out of the blocks. You can't resize a new chain without one and you'll need to do that. You also want to carry one with you on rides anyway, for dealing with broken chains so you could buy a compact or multi-tool one.
> 
> You can manage without chain-link pliers, I still don't have a pair. New quick-links are usually very stiff so are hard to pull closed, but you get there. a big pair of normal pliers across the corners opens them again.
> 
> You don't need a chain wear tool to start with obviously and to be honest, they're mostly not that accurate. I have three different ones and I reckon I'm going to go back to measuring the chain with a steel ruler as I think it's probably more trustworthy. It'll be a while before you need to worry about chain wear, six months even if you ride hard.


You can also take some tie wire or craft wire, the type motos use to tie on grips, and run it around the pins of the quick link. Then start twisting the wire, may need pliers, as it gets tighter it will cause the link to slide and wallah it's now open.

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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

tuckerjt07 said:


> You can also take some tie wire or craft wire and run it around the pins of the quick link. Then start twisting the wire, may need pliers, as it gets tighter it will cause the link to slide and wallah it's now open.


Mmm, never heard of that one. I'll give it a try :0)

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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

I've seen those tools for quick links, channel locks do much the same thing 

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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

RAKC Ind said:


> I've seen those tools for quick links, channel locks do much the same thing
> 
> Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk


Not exactly.

I'll admit, I don't have one of those tools. I also think about it, but never buy. There is always a higher priority. I make do with needle nose pliers when I need them. IMO, they work better for the job than channel locks. Still not as elegant of a solution as the tool made for the job, though. But even that tool is only much good for reusable links. Not much point for the single-use links unless you JUST HAPPEN to mangle your chain in exactly that spot. And in that case, the quick link is probably already pried open.

For snapping them tight, I just use chain tension by stepping on a pedal and holding the bike stationary.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

That's the same I do to lock them. I hold the back tire and slam the DS pedal down with my hand.

For me channel locks (the one that have a rounded profile for grabbing not the flat clamps) grabbing the corners and pop off instantly for me.

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## rustydogg (Oct 9, 2016)

I'm the same boat as you but I'm not trying to put a bike together at least not yet. 
If you have no tools at all not even allen keys (which I've had for years just for working on my car) then getting one of them Mechanics tools kit might not be a bad idea. 
I like to tinker a lot so I do have some stools from installing stereos, lights and doing some minor maintenance on my cars. 
If you look around you can find deals online I bought a Craftsman Mechanic's took kit online (270) pieces for around $50. I know Craftsman is not what it used to be but it gets the job done. 
Around Christmas time I bought bicycle tool kit from JensonUSA. I would like to say that I bought it for around $100. 
I decided to buy my own tools and learn how to do my own maintenance on the bike after I bought a new bicycle and wanted it to get it adjusted. The local bike shop wanted $75 to do it or pay $150 for a one year maintenance deal including changing flat tires. 
I really wanted to give them my biz but my daughter got into riding also, my buddy, his sister, and my wife. I've figured that I might as well learn and it has been fun. 
I never even changed a flat tire before on bicycle so that's where i started when I got a flat. 
Now I bought a cheap Mongoose Mountain Bike from Craigslist for $35. Its rusty in some places and it needs a new chain. I've decided to take it apart, clean it, grease it and see how it turns out. I don't know the history of the bike but someone took care of it at one time before it was abandoned in some shed. They used anti seize compound on the pedals and crank threads which made my job a lot easier. 
I've learned a lot from reading guides, watching youtube videos and taking this thing apart.


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## BlueWhyte (Aug 2, 2010)

Midgemagnet said:


> I'd like to cast my vote for _two_ torque wrenches: one in the 2 to 20 Nm range will cover most bike fasteners, and a bigger one that covers 35 to 55 Nm for the bottom bracket and cassette. Torque wrenches aren't the best method for ascertaining fastener tension*, but they are certainly the least worst method for everyday use.
> 
> While I'm at it, I'd also like to cast a downvote for Allen keys. It's too easy to cam out with those things, so I much prefer hex sockets for a ratchet wrench, or - for the smaller sizes where torque isn't too critical - bits for a 1/4" hex drive screwdriver.
> 
> * The best methods are fiddly/expensive/use proprietary bolts (delete as applicable).


Agreed. The saying "use the right tool for the job" comes to mind. I wouldn't work on, or build a bike without a good torque wrench. I use a Venzo torque wrench that can be had on Amazon for $45-55 dollars. It has very good ratings. It comes with a case and the most common bits you'll need. It will cover almost any bolt you need to torque except maybe a crank bolt which is usually over 50Nm. If you want a really good TW then get a Park Tools or a CDI.

Then go to Harbor Freight and get their T-handle Hex set(2mm-10mm) with a stand that costs about $10.

A torque wrench is the most important tool you will need. I wouldn't trust a mechanic that didn't use one at least sparingly. Especially if you get a full suspension and you're tightening pivot bolts and whatnot. I don't think manufacturers have torque specs just for the heck of it.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

We forgot to mention a good bike stand. You can get away without one for some stuff, but its super-helpful for drivetrain work.

Anyway, looks like we scared away the OP.


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## suck3rs (May 22, 2017)

Are there different tools for removing Bottom Brackets? I road the hell out of my bike and then let it set. Before I stopped riding it as much, I developed a lot of crank wobble. I don't know what to do really with it. I am thinking of getting the tools and then pulling the BB apart to see if it just needs some cleaning and tightening.

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/searchlistingdetail.aspx?id=82767

Edit: This is a link to my mountain bike.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

suck3rs said:


> I am thinking of getting the tools and then pulling the BB apart to see if it just needs some cleaning and tightening.


Not very likely I'm afraid. Don't worry though, bottom brackets are not expensive.

There are different kinds of bottom bracket, too many quite frankly, but externals ones are the most common and they all use the same tool. You need to find out which kind you've got?


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## suck3rs (May 22, 2017)

Mr Pig said:


> Not very likely I'm afraid. Don't worry though, bottom brackets are not expensive.
> 
> There are different kinds of bottom bracket, too many quite frankly, but externals ones are the most common and they all use the same tool. You need to find out which kind you've got?


Oh the link in my post is my bike. I suppose I should have said that. From that site it states that it is a Shimano BB-LP27 107mm. I honestly don't even know where to begin and from reading there are all types of BBs that require different tools.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

That's a square-taper bottom bracket which is 107mm long. Just buy another one of the same type. You'll need a crank puller and a square-taper BB tool to swap them, plus the usual allan keys etc.


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## spyghost (Oct 30, 2012)

i have a hardtail and built it from scratch. these are my tools:
- hex/allen set
- cable/housing cutter
- large bolt with lots of large washers (for headset cups and bb if PF)
- threaded bb tool - or see previous
- chain whip
- chain breaker
- lock ring tool
- hacksaw (for cutting steerer tube)

common consumables include:
- oil
- grease
- hacksaw blade
- masking tape and pencil for marking

you'll also survive routine maintenance with those above.

a mounted vise along with a tube cutting clamp/guide will help a lot but isn't mandatory specially if it's just for yourself.

if you want to consider wheel builds and fork/shocks/dropper maintenance, you'll add a bit more on the list


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