Wanted: 38mm bottom bracket cup spanner

Dear Everyone,

I have need of a 38mm bottom bracket spanner, for removing an awkward old Stronglight BB. If anyone could lend me one I'd be most grateful. The two bike shops near me wanted £15 for a quick go with their's, bastards.

Failing that, is there such a thing commercially available?i went to buy an adjustable spanner but there wasn't one wide enough.

Josh I've got an adjustable that fits the flats on a BB cup. You will find one if you shop around. Got mine from a surplus store that sells pretty basic tools, nothing fancy.

Thing is, the flats aren't very wide at all... d'ya think it'll be ok?

I've made it work. It's not ideal, but if you're not too bothered about a chip or two on the paint, it'll be fine. Always found it helps to put the adjustable side of the spanner on the side which you're turning toward, so it doesn't loosen when you apply pressure.

I might have one Josh, let me check tonight.

Just to check, you want something similar to this;

What size spanner do campagnolo fixed cups need? I have a sugino that fits campag: this is different, right?

Andy that one looks like it'd be a more standard 36mm spanner for a cup that has two flats but that is otherwise round.

Mine is hexagonal and is 38mm.

I'm not sure about that Skully.

Andy that one looks like it'd be a more standard 36mm spanner for a cup that has two flats but that is otherwise round.

Mine is hexagonal and is 38mm.

So a 38 mm standard spanner in effect? I think I've got one of those too.

In effect yeah, except they're too expensive to be used once. Hang on, I'm gonna nip out to check a hardware shop.

EDIT: or this at £12.99 from Slane Cycles:

I'll check tonight and let you know.

There was nowt at the hardware shop. The biggest adjustable they had a maximum size of 35mm.

If you can get to W10, I will take it out for you

Regards.

I've just checked Josh, and unfortunately I don't have a 38 mm spanner. Hope someone else comes up trumps.

josh, i've got an adjustable spanner that opens to 42mm that you can borrow

A 16 x 100mm bolt and two nuts will take out even the most stubborn fixed cup and does not rely on gripping it by the flats. Screw one nut down about four cm, place the end through the fixed cup from the inside and screw on the second nut on the outside. Tighten this nut with a socket whilst holding the bolt head with a spanner. Then continue turning the outside second nut until the cup unscrews.

Hilary, I'm struggling to visualise what you're describing...?

Ummar, that sounds ace, fancy meeting up tomorrow lunchtime? :-)

Picture of the bolt tool is on the right, left is a commercially made tool that works on the sam,e principle - ie clamping the fixed cup from both sides...

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r77/hilarystone/BB-fixed-cup-tools.jpg

I just used this technique recommended above by Hilary, works a charm but getting the nuts to seperate again once the cup was loosened was a bit of a chore. My god it was done up tight. The bb cup was supporting all my weight and still wouldn't loosen, and ended up having to hit the adjustable spanner with a large ball pein hammer to shock the bb cup into submission. Had to wind the bolt out of both nuts at the same time using the bb shell as a holder and two large adjustable spanners. Once I'd cleared the outer nut's thread I just tapped the nut off the bb cup (the nut had firmly stuck itself to the bb cup). No damage to the cup, still looks sweet, the nuts have squashed a bit though.

Solved this by sticking the cup in a bench vice and turning the frame.

Hilary.... genius. I know this is an old thread but that technique using a bolt and a couple of nuts helped me out big time. I don't have a 38mm spanner and didnt fancy spending £20 on one. Such a simple idea, had the fixed cup off the bike in seconds!