{"product_id":"aluminum-bottom-bracket-socket-hope","title":"Aluminum Bottom Bracket Socket Hope","description":"\u003cp\u003eHope's BB cups are CNC-machined aluminum, anodized in the same precision-bearing line that Hope is known for in the UK. The cup face is the kind of surface that shows every tool mark; and on a Hope-equipped build, the customer notices. A steel socket that fits an HT2 cup loosely enough to work on a Shimano BBR60 will leave concentric scratches on a Hope cup's anodized outer notches the first time it's torqued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1671 Aluminum BB Socket cut for Hope sizes to Hope's specific cup notch profile. The aluminum body conforms to the cup face without leaving marks; the spline mesh is full across all sixteen notches at the install torque the cup wants. This is the socket whose job is to make the install invisible; no marks, no scratching, no “the shop's been here” evidence on the cup face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe visible-mark threshold\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBikerumor's 2018 coverage of the 1671 line documented the design call from the outside:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The tight fit of the Unior BB sockets promises an easy to use fit (with knurled grip for hand setting cups) and no marring on your bottom bracket cups.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe no-marring claim is the load-bearing one for premium-finish cups specifically. Customers who buy Hope BBs are paying for the visible quality of the cup face along with the bearing precision; a returned wheel with concentric tool marks reads as shop damage, even when the install itself was clean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHope external bottom bracket cups (UK-machined, Hope notch profile)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCups with Hope-specific outer engagement geometry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNot for\u003c\/strong\u003e Hope's headset or hub fittings; this is a BB-cup-specific socket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrive:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1\/2\" square drive (use with a torque wrench, ratchet, or fixed handle such as the Pro Socket Handle)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e CNC-machined aluminum, red-anodized\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNotch fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hope outer profile, knurled grip for hand setting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e the socket itself; pair with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bottom-bracket-socket-retaining-tool\"\u003eBottom Bracket Socket Retaining Tool\u003c\/a\u003e for low-profile cup engagement\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBuilt in Zreče\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and sponsors professional road and mountain-bike race teams. The Hope-specific socket is the precision case for the 1671 family's design rationale: a cup whose finish is part of the product, served by a tool whose finish-on-cup is part of its design. Two precision-machined aluminum parts meeting under torque without leaving marks on each other is what the family was cut to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePro tip from our mechanics\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVerify Hope's published install torque against the current product documentation before applying final torque; Hope tends to specify a tighter band than the general Shimano-style 35–50 Nm range. In our experience, the tight tolerances that give Hope BBs their service life also mean a fleck of frame paint or shop grease translates to a measurably worse engagement than the same contamination on a looser-fitting cup. Wipe the cup threads and the frame shell with a clean rag before threading the cup home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the BB install \/ remove procedure and torque references: \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/tech-tips\/replace-or-clean-your-hollowtech-ii-bottom-bracket\"\u003eReplace or clean your bottom bracket →\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unior","offers":[{"title":"Hope","offer_id":44140855689260,"sku":"629359","price":51.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0012\/5786\/5260\/files\/1671.hp_629359_image_1024_1.jpg?v=1689672453","url":"https:\/\/uniorusa.com\/products\/aluminum-bottom-bracket-socket-hope","provider":"Unior USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}