Tech Tips

Repair guides written from the workstand in Ballston Spa — bleeding brakes, chasing creaks, setting preload, and the tools each job actually needs.

Unior Crank Puller for Splined and Square Taper, model 1661/4: a drop-forged tool used in the workshop guide to crankset removal

Bottom Brackets

How to remove a crankset (and pick the right tool)

A workshop guide to crankset removal across the four interfaces you'll meet in service: square taper, splined (ISIS/Octalink), Hollowtech II, and SRAM DUB/GXP. Tooling decisions, the cheat sheet, the gotchas.

· 7 min read

White hardtail mountain bike clamped in a Unior workstand by the seatpost, ready for Hollowtech II bottom bracket service

Bottom Brackets

Replace or clean your Hollowtech II Bottom Bracket

A workshop guide to servicing a noisy Shimano Hollowtech II bottom bracket: how to tell whether it needs cleaning or replacing, how to remove the cranks and cups with a 16-notch external wrench, and the reinstall torques.

· 8 min read

Hand holding a Unior 193HX-US 5 mm hex T-handle next to a road bike crankset to check for a creaky bottom bracket

Bottom Brackets

Creaky bottom bracket? Check these first

Creaks love the bottom bracket, but they don't always live there. What to rule out first — before you spend time and money on new bearings.

· 2 min read

Unior 1699/4 bottom bracket tap engaged in the BSA shell of a red road bicycle frame to chase the threads

Bottom Brackets

Frame Prep: Threaded Bottom Bracket Shells

Why factory frames need shell prep, and how facing and chasing a threaded bottom bracket shell prevents creaks and extends bearing life.

· 3 min read

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