# OSBB Bearings



## B.Garcia (Nov 21, 2011)

This may be such a stupid/ commensense question but does The new tarmac frame (sl4) come with OSBB bearings right? Im using wheels manu. so that means that are already placed in, right?


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

No stupid questions when it comes to the Specialized magic act of BB de jour. 
I presume you don't have a Sworks SL4 or you would have mentioned it. The std. Tarmac SL4 is BB30 or what Specialized calls alloy OSBB and yes...uses OSBB bearings...same bearings as are used in the Sworks PF30BB as well.
Wheel Mfg adapters work great on the SL4 btw and all BB30 bikes and very popular with Shimano cranks which are excellent.
Have fun.


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## B.Garcia (Nov 21, 2011)

Correct! I do have a regular tarmac sl4 pro! Thanks for the info! But I was actually trying to figure out if my Tarmac already has a bb30 bottom bracket assembly installed already since I'm using adapters. the reason I ask is because I'm using a standard sram red crank but i want to use the speash crank. Wondering if I need to buy anything else to make the conversion. Thanks for the help!


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

B.Garcia said:


> Correct! I do have a regular tarmac sl4 pro! Thanks for the info! But I was actually trying to figure out if my Tarmac already has a bb30 bottom bracket assembly installed already since I'm using adapters. the reason I ask is because I'm using a standard sram red crank but i want to use the speash crank. Wondering if I need to buy anything else to make the conversion. Thanks for the help!


Will try to be clear because it is easy to get confused about this stuff.

Your bike is SL4 Pro = alloy OSBB = BB30 industry std.

Sounds like you have std Red cranks designed for external threaded BB which you run with Wheel Mfg adapters 

If installing Specialized cranks, you need to remove the Red cranks and remove adapters.
Specialized cranks are a direct bolt up to alloy OSBB or in other words are compatible with BB30 which is what your bike is. Should be plug and play using the bearings that are pressed into the frame. 

One note however. If is important to properly space the Specialized cranks to your BB. So when you get the cranks, be sure to get the correct spacers and wave washer. You can download the Specialized PDF to help you visualize where to place the spacers and wave washer, obtain the correct torque specs etc.
Hope that helps.


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## Optimus (Jun 18, 2010)

If all you're getting is the frameset, the bearings are not installed. The bb adapters do come with the frameset, however the adapters are Shimano compatible and not for Sram.


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## Skeletor (Sep 21, 2005)

roadworthy said:


> Will try to be clear because it is easy to get confused about this stuff.
> 
> Your bike is SL4 Pro = alloy OSBB = BB30 industry std.
> 
> ...


This is very good info and what you need to know. I'm curious about where you get your cranks from. My dealer had no luck getting me some a couple months ago and said Spesh would be tight on cranks for a while on the aftermarket...


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## B.Garcia (Nov 21, 2011)

Used off ebay. Specialized said they would only be selling the cranks with the full bike or so what i heard,


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## Scott in MD (Jun 24, 2008)

Can I jump in? Please consider this whole post as on big question.....

1- Specialized alloy OSBB is normal BB30 with 68mm width carbon frame at the bottom bracket, and 30mm crank axle outer diameter, and 42mm bearing cup outer diameter?

2- the carbon frame width at the BB for Bb30 is the same width as integrated /threaded BB, so in general, without manufacturer's hype, the frame stiffness at BB is about same for BB30 as integrated?

3- The crank diameter for BB30 is bigger (30mm) than integrated (less than 30mm) , so all other factors the same, crank stiffness across the axle is stronger for BB30. Yes? What is crank diameter for threaded/integrated?

4 - BB90 is wider (90mm) than BB 30. 90mm wide BB90 is the same width as integrated/threaded (68mm) plus the 22mm width of two 11mm integrated/threaded bearing cups, or two Wheels Mfg spacers. Yes?

5- Since BB90 has a wider carbon frame width at the BB, it is probably stiffer FRAME design than threaded/integrated or BB 30, but since it uses normal threaded/integrated cranks with smaller crank axle diameter, the cranks for BB90 may not be as stiff across the axle as BB30, although it is hard to say if the overall system stiffness (crank axle and frame) for BB30 and BB90 would be any different. In other words, the overall system stiffness for the system is based on larger diameter crank (30mm) for Bb30 and larger frame width (90mm) than BB30. Yes?

5a - because of this above, BB30 and BB90 are generally perceived as "better" than threaded/integrated, although the interchangeability and simplicity of threaded/integrated is a big plus. Yes?

5b - does one BB design squeak or creak more than another?

6- BB30 is lighter than threaded/integrated by about 150-200 grams, mostly due to the a sense of the male and female thread joint. Yes? 

6a - is BB30 lighter than BB90?

7 - All BB designs result in pedal width at about same point (about 155mm out from centerline) but because or narrower width, BB30 provides more crank arm clearance than threaded/integrated or bB90. This only matters if you are somewhat pigeon-toed (like me). BB30 extra crank arm clearance allows you to rotate your cleats on your shoes "pointing inboard" from straight just a little more than BB90. Yes? 

7- Newer design Specialized OSBB uses a 46mm press-fit cup versus the 42mm cup on BB30. Yes?

8- the newer 46mm cup design uses two 4mm-thick Derlin sleeves to form the press in surface for the normal BB30 bearings to sit it. Why is this advantageous? Is it because new 46mm BB design does not require spacers to set the width of the BB30 bearings, so slightly lower weight? 

9- is Specialized's new 46 mm design the same thing as "PF30"?

10- BB30 is time-tested and proven design. New 46mm OSBB is not. There is no reason to believe that new 46mm diameter BB design will turn out to be less durable than BB30, but only time will tell. Yes? Or is there some concern that the 4mm thick sleeves could rotate in the BB or otherwise wear out? 

10- Spesh cranks are generally viewed as pretty good and equal to the best of the other brands. Yes? 

11- why doesn't shimano make BB30 cranks? Seriously? They are giving up a huge part of the market, Yes? 

12 - Is it simple to remove the Wheels Manufacturing press-fit adapters that convert bb30 to shimano after you have installed them? 

Thanks!


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Hey Scott,
First a tip about asking questions on a message forum from a guy who is a self professed tech junkie. Never ask more than a couple of questions as it will limit your response and also reduce quality of answers. That said...some answers.


1- Specialized alloy OSBB is normal BB30 with 68mm width carbon frame at the bottom bracket, and 30mm crank axle outer diameter, and 42mm bearing cup outer diameter?
*Ans: Yup
* 
2- the carbon frame width at the BB for Bb30 is the same width as integrated /threaded BB, so in general, without manufacturer's hype, the frame stiffness at BB is about same for BB30 as integrated?
*Ans: Frame stiffness...lets call it a wash. But width isn't the entire tell of the tape. Its the overall section modulus aka width of the BB in 3 planes. If you look at the threaded BB of my new Roubaix SL3...the BB is shaped like a ball...super stiff in all directions. Width is only one dimension. The benefit of BB30 more portends to the stiffness of the crank at 30 versus 24mm versus the BB shell itself. Most of this discussion is moot though for the average rider who won't be able to tell the difference...I can't
* 

3- The crank diameter for BB30 is bigger (30mm) than integrated (less than 30mm) , so all other factors the same, crank stiffness across the axle is stronger for BB30. Yes? What is crank diameter for threaded/integrated? 
*Ans:Threaded cranks have 24mm spindle.
A tenent of engineering is...a column with larger diameter and thinner wall is stiffer than a the same wall thickness smaller diameter column...aka crank spindle. The basis behind a BB30 crank being stiffer is due to its larger diameter...and lighter is due to its reduced wall thickness.*

4 - BB90 is wider (90mm) than BB 30. 90mm wide BB90 is the same width as integrated/threaded (68mm) plus the 22mm width of two 11mm integrated/threaded bearing cups, or two Wheels Mfg spacers. Yes?
*Ans: BB30 is BB90 only with wider shell. Weight economy is confused...some believe a wider shell maybe heavier but it isn't. A wider shell allows for a wider chainstay connection and hence in theory more lateral stiffness. Weight increase is confounded because it is a 'system' of components including thinner wall, wider chainstays. Call weight a wash. BB90 isn't a bad idea...just has questionable value added...kind of the like the so called benefit of BB30.
* 

5- Since BB90 has a wider carbon frame width at the BB, it is probably stiffer FRAME design than threaded/integrated or BB 30, but since it uses normal threaded/integrated cranks with smaller crank axle diameter, the cranks for BB90 may not be as stiff across the axle as BB30, although it is hard to say if the overall system stiffness (crank axle and frame) for BB30 and BB90 would be any different. In other words, the overall system stiffness for the system is based on larger diameter crank (30mm) for Bb30 and larger frame width (90mm) than BB30. Yes?
*Ans: A BB30 crank on a BB90 bike is gonna be very stiff. A BB30 crank on a BB30 is also going to be very stiff. In a blind test unless you are a world class sprinter, I bet you can't tell them apart. All BB90 is...is it places the bearings in space the same distance apart as an external bearing threaded crank. That is why threaded cranks are plug and play on BB 90.
* 
5a - because of this above, BB30 and BB90 are generally perceived as "better" than threaded/integrated, although the interchangeability and simplicity of threaded/integrated is a big plus. Yes?
*Ans: the so called better argument is debated on many a bike forum. My personal opinion is...I prefer a threaded BB with external bearing threaded crank. Why? Because I don't have world class sprinting ability and hence a threaded BB is plenty stiff for me. I will bet only 1-2% of all riders could actually feel a difference. In other words...marketing.
* 

5b - does one BB design squeak or creak more than another?
*Ans: I am not going to take the time now to explain why BB30 cranks sometimes squeak...but they do. It is virtually always set up error however.
* 

6- BB30 is lighter than threaded/integrated by about 150-200 grams, mostly due to the a sense of the male and female thread joint. Yes? 
*Ans: Nope...threaded cups do add a small percentage of weight...but its mostly in the weight of crank itself.
*


6a - is BB30 lighter than BB90?
*Ans: Again BB90 is a wider variant of BB30. A BB90 isn't necessarily heavier because a bike frame isn't just the BB. A BB90 can accomodate wider chainstays which can be lighter than narrower chainstays because they can be made thinner wall and due to their width still have greater lateral bending strength.
*

Edit:
I had a bit more time and came back to finish your questions.

7 - All BB designs result in pedal width at about same point (about 155mm out from centerline) but because or narrower width, BB30 provides more crank arm clearance than threaded/integrated or bB90. This only matters if you are somewhat pigeon-toed (like me). BB30 extra crank arm clearance allows you to rotate your cleats on your shoes "pointing inboard" from straight just a little more than BB90. Yes? 
*Ans: Yup...a noted benefit of BB30...narrower Q-factor. And as you state, it either helps or hinders a given rider. For example...I am the opposite of you...more slew footed or walk with my toes pointed out a bit and therefore a wider Q-factor aka external bearing crank works better for me. That said, I would say most can ride either BB width spacing with cleat adjustment to their shoes.

*
7- Newer design Specialized OSBB uses a 46mm press-fit cup versus the 42mm cup on BB30. Yes?
*Ans: Yes, Specialized version of PF-30 which is a narrower variant than industry std. PF30 did come on the scene after BB30. It is coined by Specialized carbon OSBB versus alloy OSBB...a bit of a misnomer really and Specialized dance around using industry std references like BB30 and PF30...but in the case of the latter, Specialized design is a bit unique with narrower spacing of 62mm and has created quite a controversy as discussed on this forum in other threads.
* 
8- the newer 46mm cup design uses two 4mm-thick Derlin sleeves to form the press in surface for the normal BB30 bearings to sit it. Why is this advantageous? Is it because new 46mm BB design does not require spacers to set the width of the BB30 bearings, so slightly lower weight?
*Ans: The advantage is in part cost...make no mistake. BB30 is not easy to manufacture on a carbon shell bike because the insert molded alloy cups need to bonded well to the carbon, precisely aligned and then finish machined for precise bearing alignment. By contrast, PF30 is a single bore that can be molded right into the shell, perhaps even without a clean up machining operation. Its a lot cheaper to make. Other advantage is...plastic inserts are more susceptible to press variation as plastic will elastically deform more than metal so nominal press interference can be postured higher to begin with. Another notable advantage is bearings aren't sitting right on the frame and bushings are sacrificial and replacable. As to lower weight?...maybe fractional but not much...alloy cups may weight just a few grams more than plastic bushings.
The other advantage or benefit of PF30 is...it should be more quiet than BB30 because sound propagation is abated more in plastic which is a natural sound deadener. By contrast, carbon has a pretty high resonant frequency and metal even more so...and why BB30 have a greater propensity to creak if not set up properly. The downside of PF30 if there is one is, plastic bushings aren't quite as robust as as the metal cups of BB30 inserted into the carbon. This isn't that big a deal because they are replacable. In summary the difference between BB30 and PF30 is largely design philosophy. Time and miles will sort out the winner and likely BB design will morph in favor of which design proves to be the most appreciated.
*

9- is Specialized's new 46 mm design the same thing as "PF30"?
*Ans: Yes is is the same as industry PF-30 albeit with a narrower carbon shell and bushings placed slightly closer together.
* 
10- BB30 is time-tested and proven design. New 46mm OSBB is not. There is no reason to believe that new 46mm diameter BB design will turn out to be less durable than BB30, but only time will tell. Yes? Or is there some concern that the 4mm thick sleeves could rotate in the BB or otherwise wear out? 
*Ans: Yes, that's right...time will tell. As to bushings rotating in the shell, this should never happen...because even if a bearing freezes the press creates greater resistance than the spindle sliding inside the bearing inner race. Best practice reported as with BB30 is use a Loctite even on the press in plastic bushings. This mitigates any creep and resulting creak of plastic on carbon. If you buy or build a PF30 bike, research the best Loctite grade for the application...as Loctite is generally formulated differently for different applications.
Btw...the specs on this are constantly evolving...designs never are static and engineers make running changes to bikes all the time even throughout the model year and production runs.
*
10- Spesh cranks are generally viewed as pretty good and equal to the best of the other brands. Yes? 
*Ans: Yes. Spesh cranks are excellent. If you buy a PF30 Sworks bike, give consideration to the crank that was designed for it. Specialized made it harder to adapt aftermarket cranks to their flagship Sworks bikes by making unique PF30 spacing. They did this with obvious intent to sell more of their cranks.

*11- why doesn't shimano make BB30 cranks? Seriously? They are giving up a huge part of the market, Yes? 
*Ans: I believe the answer is three fold. One...their cranks work outstanding on BB30 and PF30 bikes with adapters. Shimano sells their Ultegra and DuraAce bikes throughout the world this way. So they don't really diminish their sales by not retooling for BB30. Two...retooling their crank line is a large capital investment. If their profitability isn't badly hindered by selling their cranks to be used with adapters, than it isn't cost effective to retool.
Three...industry std. constantly evolves aka the huge proliferation of all the different BB's you see out there. Shimano and Campy no doubt are taking a 'wait and see' approach as their cranks can generally be made to work with integrated BB's and their resulting sales aren't badly hindered.*


12 - Is it simple to remove the Wheels Manufacturing press-fit adapters that convert bb30 to shimano after you have installed them? 
*Ans: Yes...Wheel Mfg adapters are a very light press or almost slip fit. Easy to remove them without fouling the bearings.
*

Hope that helps.


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## KristineB (Mar 22, 2012)

*BB30 cranks on a BB90 bike*

Does anyone know if it is possible to put SRM cranks off a BB30 Cannondale on a Trek Madone with BB90? I have been given conflicing info on whether or not one can get an adapter to make this possible.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

KristineB said:


> Does anyone know if it is possible to put SRM cranks off a BB30 Cannondale on a Trek Madone with BB90? I have been given conflicing info on whether or not one can get an adapter to make this possible.


Nope...BB30 spindle length is too short. Best way to think of Trek BB90 is...spacing of the bearings is identical to that of an external bearing crank. Instead of a 68mm BSA threaded shell with cups threaded on outboard to widen effective bearing spacing, the shell itself in the case of BB90 aka 90mm is extended to where the threaded on cups reside. As a result any typical external bearing crank is plug and play on BB90...including Campy...but shorter spindle BB30 cranks won't fit.

Park is great resource for not only defining different facets of bicycle design but also propose best practice for repair:
Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » BB90 (BB86, BB92, etc) Bottom Bracket Service

Hope that helps.


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## marcbs (Apr 23, 2008)

I'm new to this forum. That's a tremendous amount of info, thank you.

I'm looking at an S works 4 or Rob'x. They all seem to have Specialized's cranks. I've used Dura Ace in the past and will use it on the new bike. Simple question (I hope). Can I use Dura Ace cranks in the bottom bracket or is there an adapter that's needed? If an adapter is needed are there any negative consequences? Is there a good reason to use the Specialized crank set over the Dura Ace crank set.

Thanks again for the info.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

DuraAce cranks which are excellent are perhaps one of the most popular cranks adapted to BB30 and PF30...so yes they can be adapted and they work very well. You will simply have to work out the spacing for Specialized version of PF30 which is a bit narrower than BB30 spacing. This should easily by resolvable. Wheel manufacturing sells BB30 spacer kits that will space the larger 30mm ID BB bearings to your 24mm DuraAce crank spindle. The thing that makes the DuraAce cranks so good other than their native hollow and very stiff design, is how they mount....single one piece spindle with left arm that mounts to a spline. The left arm position is adjusted with little plastic wheel dial that comes with the crank so you can precisely adjust preload...just like you can for the external bearing threaded BB's they are designed for.
Specialized cranks are very good. There are no losers here. It will be easier for you of course to choose a Specialized crank because spacing will be right there...plug and play.
At the end of the day, run what you prefer. Me?...if running DuraAce...would be happy with either but would likely strongly consider the Specialized cranks which are BB30 and hence do not need adaptation and therefore should be fractionally lighter. You won't feel any difference though.


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## marcbs (Apr 23, 2008)

Thanks for the prompt reply. I'll just make a decision now... I've ridden so many bikes lately I'm losing a bit of perspective. The quality of the upper end bikes is very similar. Interestingly, they seem to packaged with so-so wheel sets.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

marcbs said:


> Thanks for the prompt reply. I'll just make a decision now... I've ridden so many bikes lately I'm losing a bit of perspective. The quality of the upper end bikes is very similar. Interestingly, they seem to packaged with so-so wheel sets.


Don't we all. All the top brand bikes and groupsets are excellent so hard to pick a favorite. At the end of the day, color, aesthetics and a certain feel probably seal the deal. The thing that pulled me to the Roubaix was its more upright riding position and great ride quality. A great time to be in the market for a bike...but hard to choose a favorite given all the great product out there...a good problem to have tho.


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## GONE4ARIDE (Mar 19, 2003)

I am in the process of building up my S-Works SL4 and I have run into an issue with the BB / crankset installation. 

I am temporarily using a SRAM S975 Quarq GXP crankset, so following Specialized's directions, I first installed their OSBB cups, pressed in the 6806 bearings using Specialized Mindset bearing press drifts, and finally I pressed in Wheels Mfg. SRAM BB30 adaptors. The problem I have run into is that once I install the drive side portion of the crank thru the BB shell, it seems to push the non-drive Wheels Mfg. adaptor away from the BB shell by about 1-1.5 mm. Even after installing the non-drive crankarm, I am left with about 1-1.5mm of side-to-side play which I did not expect. 

Has anyone else run into this? I was under the impression that there would not be a need to use any spacers to take up side to side play when using the OSBB cups with the Wheels SRAM BB30 adaptor.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

GONE4ARIDE said:


> I am in the process of building up my S-Works SL4 and I have run into an issue with the BB / crankset installation.
> 
> I am temporarily using a SRAM S975 Quarq GXP crankset, so following Specialized's directions, I first installed their OSBB cups, pressed in the 6806 bearings using Specialized Mindset bearing press drifts, and finally I pressed in Wheels Mfg. SRAM BB30 adaptors. The problem I have run into is that once I install the drive side portion of the crank thru the BB shell, it seems to push the non-drive Wheels Mfg. adaptor away from the BB shell by about 1-1.5 mm. Even after installing the non-drive crankarm, I am left with about 1-1.5mm of side-to-side play which I did not expect.
> 
> Has anyone else run into this? I was under the impression that there would not be a need to use any spacers to take up side to side play when using the OSBB cups with the Wheels SRAM BB30 adaptor.


I believe you have stumbled upon a nuance written about on this forum in length. Specialized version of PF30 is only PF30 in terms of diameters...not in terms of BB width. Specialized Sworks bikes are narrrower from bearing to bearing center compared to conventional PF30. This should be easily resolved however. Most crank mfr's sell spacers. Generic 24mm ID spacers maybe readily available. 1-1.5mm should be easily resolved. You can find reference to spacers by downloading the PDF service manual for Sram cranks...which rely on a wave washer for lateral pre-load. A spacer or two will allow the wave washer to be correctly compressed...should be in about the middle of its compression. Keep in mind, if you don't get proper compression of this wave washer...not too much clearance and not fully compressed, you set yourself up for either bearing noise or premature bearing failure. So take your time to space your crank properly. You will simply need 1 or 2 more spacers than normal to take up the lateral clearance of Specialized narrower version of PF30.
Hope that helps.


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## GONE4ARIDE (Mar 19, 2003)

roadworthy said:


> I believe you have stumbled upon a nuance written about on this forum in length. Specialized version of PF30 is only PF30 in terms of diameters...not in terms of BB width. Specialized Sworks bikes are narrrower from bearing to bearing center compared to conventional PF30. This should be easily resolved however. Most crank mfr's sell spacers. Generic 24mm ID spacers maybe readily available. 1-1.5mm should be easily resolved. You can find reference to spacers by downloading the PDF service manual for Sram cranks...which rely on a wave washer for lateral pre-load. A spacer or two will allow the wave washer to be correctly compressed...should be in about the middle of its compression. Keep in mind, if you don't get proper compression of this wave washer...not too much clearance and not fully compressed, you set yourself up for either bearing noise or premature bearing failure. So take your time to space your crank properly. You will simply need 1 or 2 more spacers than normal to take up the lateral clearance of Specialized narrower version of PF30.
> Hope that helps.


Thanks for the suggestion. 

I spoke with a Specialized Product Mgr. today and he suggested that I take up the play using either a wave washer on the drive side, or even a rubber o-ring. He mentioned that a solid spacer could also be used, but only if it precisely fills the measured gap.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

GONE4ARIDE said:


> Thanks for the suggestion.
> 
> I spoke with a Specialized Product Mgr. today and he suggested that I take up the play using either a wave washer on the drive side, or even a rubber o-ring. He mentioned that a solid spacer could also be used, but only if it precisely fills the measured gap.


Unfortunately even Specialized product mgr's give poor information or sometimes it is misconstrued. Use a solid spacer or combination of narrow spacers with no compliancy that come with a new Sram crankset to tune clearance...not an O ring or wave washer. Having two wave washers provides excessive lateral compliance and O rings are compressible and can increase rotational drag as well. Using solid spacer(s) allows the single wave washer to do its job properly per design intent.
Good luck.


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## Akez (Aug 13, 2011)

Just bought a sl4 pro frameset, and plan on using it with a bb30 sram force crank, I need the pf30 bb right?


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## Optimus (Jun 18, 2010)

Akez said:


> Just bought a sl4 pro frameset, and plan on using it with a bb30 sram force crank, I need the pf30 bb right?


NO! With the pro frameset, you'lll need the regular bb30, not pf30. It already comes w/ the bottom bracket, so you should be all set.


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## mikeyp123 (Mar 9, 2007)

Akez said:


> Just bought a sl4 pro frameset, and plan on using it with a bb30 sram force crank, I need the pf30 bb right?


Get the SRAM BB30 Bearing Assembly (NOT the press fit). Although the frame will come with the bearings, you will need the dust caps, spacers and wave washer. As mentioned above, the SL4 PRO frameset is a totally standard BB30 bottom bracket.


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## hitman (Jun 3, 2012)

*which spacers?*

I've come across this thread after doing a search.
I've fitted shimano cranks to an S Works SL4 using the supplied delrin adaptors and after a few rides have experienced a creaking bottom bracket.
On inspection the cranks exhibit side to side play of about 5mm.
Speaking to Specialized they said that this shouldn't occur and when I asked if there was a need for washers to be installed, they said no and that there must be something wrong with the way the cranks, adaptors and bearings were installed. 
However, after reading this thread it seems that I will need to install spacers to take up the play in the side to side movement of the cranks.
Can someone confirm this and also if so, what washers should I use (wheels manufacturing?) and where should I install them - between between the bottom bracket cups and bottom bracket shell?


cheers


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

hitman said:


> I've come across this thread after doing a search.
> I've fitted shimano cranks to an S Works SL4 using the supplied delrin adaptors and after a few rides have experienced a creaking bottom bracket.
> On inspection the cranks exhibit side to side play of about 5mm.
> Speaking to Specialized they said that this shouldn't occur and when I asked if there was a need for washers to be installed, they said no and that there must be something wrong with the way the cranks, adaptors and bearings were installed.
> ...


hitman...Shimano cranks when purchased separately come with a small black cogged plastic adjustment wheel that placed into the left crank arm tightens the screw that draws the left crank arm toward the BB taking out lash. With the left arm pinch bolts loosened up, this wheel is tightened finger tight or to a small inch pound torque spec...you can find a PDF service manual for your specific crank on line...which places a small amount of lateral preload on the races of the bearings...what you want. Then the pinch bolts of the crank are tightened and you should have no lash. The adjustment is based upon a sliding spline on the crank spindle...the left crank arm female spline can be moved inboard or outboard to adjust lash...and has a fair range of adjustment...hopefully enough to take out the 5mm or so of play you have. If you don't have the small adjustment wheel tightens the recessed star screw in the left crank arm,
ask you bike shop for one...they probably have 50 in their back room from installing different Shimano cranks.
Hope that helps.
See below..


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## hitman (Jun 3, 2012)

Cheers roadworthy for the reply
I am aware of the adjustment wheel and the method of pre-loading the bearings and carried this out when fitting the cranks.
I'm going to have a look at this again today but think that I have previously moved the crank as far in as possible.
As I've mentioned before I'm getting lateral movement of the cranks of about 5mm but maybe as much as 7mm.
I can't provide the link at the moment (not enough pots as new member) but I've now found that wheels manufacturing suggest fitting spacers of 3.5mm to each side of the bottom bracket for Specialized carbon frames with an OSBB. This would seem to match exactly the play that I'm experiencing in my bottom bracket.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

hitman said:


> Cheers roadworthy for the reply
> I am aware of the adjustment wheel and the method of pre-loading the bearings and carried this out when fitting the cranks.
> I'm going to have a look at this again today but think that I have previously moved the crank as far in as possible.
> As I've mentioned before I'm getting lateral movement of the cranks of about 5mm but maybe as much as 7mm.
> I can't provide the link at the moment (not enough pots as new member) but I've now found that wheels manufacturing suggest fitting spacers of 3.5mm to each side of the bottom bracket for Specialized carbon frames with an OSBB. This would seem to match exactly the play that I'm experiencing in my bottom bracket.


hitman,
If the small adjustment wheel is turned clockwise all that it can be, then you likely need 1-2 spacers as you say. One of the things we learned on the forum due to Mads' keen mind is...what Specialized calls carbon OSBB which is basically their proprietary aka narrow version of industry std. PF-30, is...the carbon OSBB has unique spacing of 62mm. Note that BB30 bikes for example which is the BB on the SL4 Pro...which is industry std. 68mm...can still be accomodated with the same Spesh crankset assembly no. The only way Spesh can install the same crank on both BB designs is by spacing out the Sworks bikes, i.e. adding plastic spacers to take up 7mm or so additional axial clearance...which is the same play you are contending with your Shimano crankset. You know of course not to ride the bike until you achieve proper spacing and preload. 

I would start with Wheel Mfg and purchase 2 X 3.5mm spacers. Their advice sounds spot on. 7mm of additional spacing will allow you to be within the range of lateral adjustment with your left crank arm on the spline.

By doing this...I presume the narrower Spesh carbon OSBB is narrower symmetric about the bike frame centerline, your chainline should be fine. You can confirm this by measuring a Sworks bike at the dealer with Spesh cranks...or contacting Specialized for the chainline value which they should provide. I believe you will be fine with the Wheel Mfg spacers based upon what I know about the narrower Sworks carbon OSBB.
Let us know how it goes.


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## Aaron_K (Aug 23, 2012)

*Crux with BB30 Red Crankset*

So I recently purchased a new 2012 Spec. Crux frameset. I decided to also pick up a sram red bb30 crank to install in the frameset to take advantage of the OSBB. The frame comes with bb30 bearings pressed in but doesn't have the dust caps and washers necessary for the crankset. I purchased the crankset second hand so it didn't come with any of the washers etc. 

My question is whether or not I can get a "washer set" for the crankset without having to purchase a new bearing set which has the necessary wavy washer and spacers and dust caps. 

Also, is there anything else that I would need to be able to install this crankset? 

Thanks for the help. 

-Aaron


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Aaron_K said:


> So I recently purchased a new 2012 Spec. Crux frameset. I decided to also pick up a sram red bb30 crank to install in the frameset to take advantage of the OSBB. The frame comes with bb30 bearings pressed in but doesn't have the dust caps and washers necessary for the crankset. I purchased the crankset second hand so it didn't come with any of the washers etc.
> 
> My question is whether or not I can get a "washer set" for the crankset without having to purchase a new bearing set which has the necessary wavy washer and spacers and dust caps.
> 
> ...


Aaron,
A couple of ways to proceed. You can send an email to Sram customer service and ask if the spacer set is available separately and if so order it though your lbs. Or...you can order the bearing and spacer set...bearings wear out and no foul in having back ups...or you can ebay the bearings. That should be all you need. Crux is std. BB30 and if you have BB30 Sram crankset...plug and play.
Cheers.


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## anhvtv2 (Sep 11, 2012)

*Need help please,
*
I have 2011 Stumpjumper FSR Comp Carbon frame

Bottom bracket like that:

Truvativ Press-Fit GXP Bottom Bracket 84.5 

and I bought SRAM TRUVATIV X.0 BB30 crank set for my frame on ebay.

Please advise me can it fit my frame or not? If not please give me some examples that I can find and buy online (Sram X9, X0, XX). Many thanks for your soon reply cause I have to complete payment within 2 days!
Anh


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Since this is a mountain bike frame and the BB/crank widths are different to road bikes, you'd have better luck with this question over at Mtbr Forums. There's a Specialized sub-forum there too.
http://forums.mtbr.com


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

anhvtv2 said:


> *Need help please,
> *
> I have 2011 Stumpjumper FSR Comp Carbon frame
> 
> ...


As ukbloke, stated, Spesh mtb shells tend to be bit different than road bikes shells in terms of width...plus, Specialized tend to be a bit 'cute' when it comes to making their version PF-30 special with narrower shell width for road bikes...which may carry over to their wider mtb BB shells...best to check in with the community there to determine whether the shell width will work with that BB which btw converts PF30 to a threaded BB designed for an external bearing crank with longer spindle, which leads to your second issue. 

Your crank and BB you show appear to be incompatible. The Truvativ BB you list is for a GXP crank which typically has a longer spindle than the BB30 crank you have chosen, so they may be incompatible. Further, the BB you show may not fit the shell 'width' of the your Spesh mtb BB. So you have some homework to do. Personally, I would cancel your order until you sort this out as no need to make an expensive mistake.


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## anhvtv2 (Sep 11, 2012)

Many thanks for value advice! I'll cancel this transaction and find other GXP crank set. Regards
Anh


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## zlionakis (Nov 21, 2012)

Hello from Greece, 

I am currently using a rotor 3d+ crankset with my Tarmac SL4 SW that has an OSBB. The frame was provided with adapters to fit a 24 spindle crank if needed.

My question is if I will have any problems trying to fit an 2012 FSA K Force Light Compact SRM crankset. The megaexo bb that it is used with this crank ( for normal english frames) is the 8200 which as I found out is narrower by a few (roughly 2) mm than the non-carbon bottom brackets made by fsa.

As it seems the spindle of the "Light" carbon fsa's is about 2mm smaller. Do you know if the specialized provided adapters will fit or they are only for DA cranks? They could fit if there is enough space for DA to use spacers....but I am not sure

Thanks in advance,

Zac


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## zlionakis (Nov 21, 2012)

Update:

Total fsa 8200bb is 88mm including the caps. The shimano bb is 90mm. This makes of an actual 2mm difference.

The osbb shell is 61mm. Do the shimano adapters provided by specialized with the frameset take the total width to 90mm??? Does somebody have any info on that?


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## m2ber04 (Aug 13, 2012)

I currently have a 12' Tarmac Elite, with a FSA Gossamer crank BB30. I'd like to upgrade the crank to ideally to Shimano Ultegra or 105, but wondering if I should just use an SRAM Rival Crank so I don't need the adapter. Does anyone know if those adapters add weight making the change not worthwhile? Should I just stick with SRAM or another BB30 compliant crank?


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

m2ber04 said:


> I currently have a 12' Tarmac Elite, with a FSA Gossamer crank BB30. I'd like to upgrade the crank to ideally to Shimano Ultegra or 105, but wondering if I should just use an SRAM Rival Crank so I don't need the adapter. Does anyone know if those adapters add weight making the change not worthwhile? Should I just stick with SRAM or another BB30 compliant crank?


The whole what crank or whether to run spacers question is really more about personal preference than any notable performance difference. Some have a preference for a given crank...sometimes more about fashion than anything. Shimano cranks with spacers are excellent on BB30...and Specialized sells their complete bikes this way in fact. There is a good argument however for running a BB30 crank without spacers...in theory stiffer...with larger diameter spindle but few will feel any difference. The weight difference is probably as nebulous as any difference in performance no matter what crank you go with. FSA Gossamer cranks are likely about the bottom of the food chain but again changing cranks will likely provide no quantifiable difference other than changing the look of the bike.
Have fun.


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