# Mid BB vs. Spanish BB bearings???



## BikeSATORI (Mar 20, 2004)

Can someone help me clear this up!
what is the difference between "mid" bottom bracket bearings, and "Spanish" bb bearings?
- outer diameter? same thing?

I just bought a set of old Fly euro-to-spanish conversion bottom bracket, but it has 22mm spanish bearings in the cups, but I need to replace them with 19mm spanish bearings.

I'm just wondering if I can also look at mid bearings as an option as well??? I'm assuming not, but just need to make sure.







now, after that, I have to worry about how the hell I'm going to press out the old 22mm bearings from the cups?!?!?  

if I can get these set up correctly, with proper chainline, it may be the ultimate crank/bb interface IMO! so stout. It's like external (x-type/megaexo) bearings for my 3pc bmx cranks! :thumbsup:


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## Cru Jones (Aug 10, 2006)

Outer diameter on mid is bigger than spanish. I think you'll have to go with 19mm spanish bearings. Not sure how to get them out, you should be able to tap them out.


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## BikeSATORI (Mar 20, 2004)

Cru Jones said:


> Outer diameter on mid is bigger than spanish. I think you'll have to go with 19mm spanish bearings. Not sure how to get them out, you should be able to tap them out.


thanks, just what I was looking for. I thought the od was bigger, just needed to confirm.
I'm gonna look around for some 19mm spanish bearings... maybe some flys or stolen... 
As for tapping them out, it's gonna be tough, since the euro dia. is smaller than the spanish, I can't reach the outer bearing race to tap on, so I'll have to just tap carefully in the inner and hope I don't shred the bearing.... we'll see how it goes.


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## Evil4bc (Apr 13, 2004)

Holy Crap wear did you get thoes , FLY only made a limited run and something like 7-10 pairs were shipped into the U.S. 

The bearings pop fit in and out , so getting the bearings out shoulnt be too hard on this one . If you get one of the new FLY hop up kit's all the spacers and bearings should fit right in for 19mm .


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## BikeSATORI (Mar 20, 2004)

Evil4bc said:


> Holy Crap wear did you get thoes , FLY only made a limited run and something like 7-10 pairs were shipped into the U.S.
> 
> The bearings pop fit in and out , so getting the bearings out shoulnt be too hard on this one . If you get one of the new FLY hop up kit's all the spacers and bearings should fit right in for 19mm .


Excellent, just what I needed to hear, thanks for the tip.
didn't realize they were that rare here. I could get another set from friends in Japan, but I'm not gonna deal with that right now. It would be like $75, just for cups and bearings anyway!

yeah, I figured that I could just swap them out, it's why I picked'em up even though they are 22mm and I need 19. I won't be needing those hop up spacers though, but the kit is fairly cheap anyway.
hopefully work out a decent chainline with that tricky Tree, eh Brad? hope to see it soon, although I'm in no rush since it's the holidays anyway.


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## Evil4bc (Apr 13, 2004)

BikeSATORI said:


> Excellent, just what I needed to hear, thanks for the tip.
> didn't realize they were that rare here. I could get another set from friends in Japan, but I'm not gonna deal with that right now. It would be like $75, just for cups and bearings anyway!
> 
> yeah, I figured that I could just swap them out, it's why I picked'em up even though they are 22mm and I need 19. I won't be needing those hop up spacers though, but the kit is fairly cheap anyway.
> hopefully work out a decent chainline with that tricky Tree, eh Brad? hope to see it soon, although I'm in no rush since it's the holidays anyway.


Oh Japan ... that doesnt count they have EVERYTHING there . I picked up vintage Paul front derailers from $30 a piece . Tokyo hands had Easton and Shimano parts in stock I had never even seen in the U.S.

Personally I still want a set of heated bike grips with the intigrated gloves :thumbsup: 
or the solar powered pet robot jelly fish :skep:

Oh sorry the cups should give you perfect chainline if you planning on useing the tree with a chainguide similer to a E-13 with a 68mm bb shell


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## gomestr (Sep 27, 2004)

I didn't know fly was making a conversion set. I just tried to look it up, and saw an archived post on the flyybikes.com site about it from 2 years ago, but i can't seem to find out where to get it from. Are they still availible in the US anywhere??

I thought of a set-up like this a while back when i realized that the spanish bearings had the same 37mm OD as the new x-type bearings. I wanted to run something stronger then the stock profile euro bb (tiny bearings that don't last at all). I was also looking for a way to run my profile ss cranks with a 7/8" spindle in a uero bb frame. I ended up using a raceface x-type external bb, and machined an adapter sleve to shim the 7/8" spindle up to the larger x-type size bearing. This will also work with the old school Bullseye 2-piece MTB or bmx cranks. Bullseye handmade poorly sealed threaded bearings that came with them didn't last long, and were high maintenence. It works pretty well, but isn't as durable as i would have liked. Not sure if it is bearing strength, or seal quality, but Raceface, or shimano BBs .


The only downside is bearing durability/quality. I would use the spanish bearings which are a little wider, but they don't make them to fit the SS cranks (only 3/4 (19mm) and Primo 22mm spindle cranks. I may try the new phil wood replacement x-type bearings. Phil also makes a tool to remove/install these bearings in the external cups. It would probably work with the fly cups too.

I think the new Truvative Howitzer BB would also work, it has wider bearings with a smaller ID, but the cups are quite a bit wider, and may start messing with the chainline.

if anyone knows where to pick up a set of the fly conversion cups, please let me know.


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## Evil4bc (Apr 13, 2004)

gomestr said:


> I didn't know fly was making a conversion set. I just tried to look it up, and saw an archived post on the flyybikes.com site about it from 2 years ago, but i can't seem to find out where to get it from. Are they still availible in the US anywhere??
> 
> I thought of a set-up like this a while back when i realized that the spanish bearings had the same 37mm OD as the new x-type bearings. I wanted to run something stronger then the stock profile euro bb (tiny bearings that don't last at all). I was also looking for a way to run my profile ss cranks with a 7/8" spindle in a uero bb frame. I ended up using a raceface x-type external bb, and machined an adapter sleve to shim the 7/8" spindle up to the larger x-type size bearing. This will also work with the old school Bullseye 2-piece MTB or bmx cranks. Bullseye handmade poorly sealed threaded bearings that came with them didn't last long, and were high maintenence. It works pretty well, but isn't as durable as i would have liked. Not sure if it is bearing strength, or seal quality, but Raceface, or shimano BBs .
> 
> ...


Please refer to my post above , FLY made a very limited run of these and only 7 pairs were shipped into the U.S. 
Zach Dank still have my last pair and I want them back  

FLY no longer makes the Euro to Spanish B/B conversion cups


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## cholo (Nov 25, 2006)

Is this the BB design that used outboard bearings? I think I remember it. Please post pictures if you can...


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## ufdff15 (Apr 15, 2004)

Only 7 brad! wow I better hold on to mine then! Now I just need to replace the bearings and it will be all better again.


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

BikeSATORI said:


> Can someone help me clear this up!
> what is the difference between "mid" bottom bracket bearings, and "Spanish" bb bearings?
> - outer diameter? same thing?
> 
> ...


Mid is a press-in. It's like American, but it doesn't need the cups. Spanish is a smaller press-in. I think.

Sounds interesting. Definitely post up pics.


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