Kona Fire Mountain - Bottom Bracket Removal

bobnsam · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 3

Hi

I hope someone can help with this one.

I bought a Fire Mountain a few months ago and it has developed a fault with the bottom bracket.

The center spindle is wobbling.

As it is not easy to get time off where I work, I dont have time to take it to a bike shop to get someone to look at it. I thought it would be a good chance after years of biking to repair/replace it myself Very Happy

I bought my socket set, crank puller - so now my peddle/cranks are off.

The bottom bracket tool does not seem to be able to remove the bracket.

Looking at my bike - it seems I have a lock ring? I can't find any information on this bike and its components, so I dont know if this is a lock ring and if I need a tool to remove this first ? Question

(it looks like one)

A photo can be found here:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/jasoncheswick/Fire-Mountain.jpg

If anyone could assist I would be grateful, as I am back to using my 1992 GT All Terra while I am working on the Fire Mountain! Shocked

Many thanks

Jason

Gunner · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:09 pm Post subject:

Looking at the picture, I presume you did not by the Kona new, it looks as if there has been quite a bit of water through the bracket probably causing the damage or "wobble" you are getting now.

I don't know about cartridge bottom brackets, I have never replaced one, but on the old "cup & cone" type you needed to remove the "lockring" which you refer to, to access the bearing cups and axle.

You will need a special spanner for this:

You will use the right hand part of the spanner pictured here for this job, to lock into one of the notches.

This one is from here:

http://www.tredz.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=4102

As you can see they are quite dear, why not try searching Ebay, I think they can be got from SJS for 0.99p with some clever bidding.

Once that lockring is off it should be plain sailing with your bottom bracket tool, Wink

Agman · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:49 pm Post subject:

If what you are saying, that the spindle is loose. Then sounds like the bearings have gone in the sealed unit. So it's a case of replacing with a new one, a simple job to do. However you need to know what size of the sealed bottom bracket is, that is the lenght and width.You can see the model no: on the cartridge itself.

However you will need a Park-Tool BBT-22 BB remover which have 20 teeth. Might be cheaper to get a LBS to do it. http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=25&item=BBT-22

bobnsam · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 3

Thanks

It was in fact a new Kona, just near the end of last year. I noticed alot of dirt etc around the rubber seal and shortly after cleaning it I started to feel something was wrong.

From the symptoms I have, I assumed as you said, that water and dirt had got in and now the bearings are worn Sad

If that is a lock ring then I will probably have to get the tool now, as I have already started building up my tool box, and then hopefully I will be able to get the BB out and get a new one.

Many thanks

Denny69 · Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Posts: 720 Location: Stockton on Tees

Or you can go to bikehut and get the same tool cheaper:-

www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catal ogId_10151_productId_218504_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelecto rGroupId__varient__categoryId_31290_crumb_33980-31270_parentcategoryrn _31290

Fair enough you need a canny size socket/spanner to go on the BB tool but for that price you can't go wrong, with the right tools should only take 10 - 15 minutes.....be very careful when replacing the BB though as the threads are very easily damaged through cross threading.

I use the bikehut tool and it's never failed me yet. Very Happy

bobnsam · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 3

I have been discussing this on the Konaworld forum also.

I found a Park Tool lock ring spanner with 5 teeth that would do the job perfectly - for £15.99

Hearing that the lock ring may be very tight and both lock ring and BB may have to be spun at the same time - makes me wonder if this isn't the job for the experts? Does anyone have any experince of this ?

Does anyone know why all BB help relates to a sealed BB cartridge or a lock ring and "cup" - but no one ever mentiones a lockring and sealed cartridge like the Kona Fire Mountain?

Also - I have seen images of BB's with really deep splines and the BB tool really sits in the grooves. On the Fire Mountain the slines are very shallow and the tool doesn't appear to want to stay in them.

Thanks for any help

J

Gunner

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