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 This is a technical problem but not TR related. I am sure that there are some members who can help me.

I have the small vintage  children's bike that my son had when he was about 4 years old. I started a rebuild about 2009.  Recently I have been watching car SOS and it has encouraged me to go out to the garage and pull out the new stove enameled frame and continue with the rebuild. The wheels have new spokes and now need new tyres. How do I measure the size to make an order?

There is an axle passing through the frame, for the pedals. There are bearings on both sides. But the balls  are loose and run on the axle on each side. One side has a large screw in bearing support ( hub) with a lock nut. The other  side of the frame is a fixed hub.  I must insert the axle , very carefully ,  with the bearings resting in place on one end. Once the axle is in place I can place the other balls on the exposed end of the axle on the open side and then screw in the support with the lock nut? I was thinking that I could put them in place on the axle with grease and fit very carefully. But I am nervous that some balls may become displaced and I will not be able to see. Is there some way to hold all these loose ball bearings in place while I finish the fitting.

Sorry if this is not the right place for this sort of problem, but the forum has always given me an answer for many problems.

Thanks Richard & B

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Hi Richard,

does this help?...

How to Remove and Install Bottom Brackets - Cup & Cone - loose bearing replacement is about 9 minutes 30s in.

It’s a long time since I did one of them but IIRC, the second side cup also unscrewed. I used to hold the bearings in with grease! You might find the fixed side easier to do with the frame on its side and the end of the axle inserted from the outside.

HTH.

Peter

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This link may help with the tyre size Richard. The table includes child sizes. 

https://sheldonbrown.com/rim-sizing.html

I think it is unusual for the bottom-bracket bearings to be just loose. Usually they are held in a simple cage on that type of adjustable assembly. If yours are loose then grease is the only option really but normally you put them in the cup not on the shaft.

This is an adult bike but you can see in the video what I mean:

 

 

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Just managed to get a fast enough internet connection and have watched the video and this is the method shewn - sorry for duplication.

 

cheers

Peter W

 

pS do not remove unless it is knackered or you want to do a very complete respray 

Edited by BlueTR3A-5EKT
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This is really useful and points up that I need some special tools. Today I cleaned out the fixed side with a small paint brush. Some of the old grease was very hard ro remove.. Tomorrow I will be out there with some wire wool. I had planned more work on the bike but I changed a front spring on the TR. I have done it before but it took over four hours and one nut disappeared. I was keeping all parts in a magnetic dish and at the end the nut was not there or on the ground. I like doing the work but a bit faster is needed for next time.  If it is fine weather again, the other side may be tomorrow. 

I will have to start earlier so I can pack up before The Archers. My dog Bruno likes it when he finds me lying on the ground, but he keeps away from the hydraulic jack.

Thanks for the bike help. I will be back on it full time over the week end.

Richard & B

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              If you have just got loose ball bearings then even with sticky grease it becomes a bit tricky, the way I used to do it as a kid was to lay the frame on its side, fixed side down, then feed the crank in and hold it above the cup so that the required number of balls (my bike needed 9 each side) could be dropped down to sit in the cup, then push the crank down to secure the balls and hold the crank in position from below with a mole grip, turn the frame over so that the screwed cup is at the bottom, feed the cup onto the end of the crank and drop the other 9 balls into it, you can then gently raise the cup until the start of the frame thread and finally screw into position and set the pre-load  ...... now the next thing was taking apart a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub, that was fun, ball bearings flying everywhere!!

Cheers Rob

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Richard,

if the 2 races on the shaft and in the cups are not worn or pitted you can re-use them. There are different size balls (keep it decent), I think it is best to take it to a long-established bicycle shop, they may have the new parts for you. I have several balls still here, they come in different sizes. I always fitted with think sticky grease, the pushed in the shaft and rotated it a bit to settle the circle, and removed or added one ball if the balls were not bearing in the right place. Do not tighten too hard, just enough to remove most of the clearance, but it should not run heavy.

Enjoy!

Waldi

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