Bottom Bracket Selection Guide
Remove a Module?
To extract, or not to extract, that is the answer.
First, let me just say that I feel your pain. I hate special tools. I hate having to buy special tools just because some engineer didn't figure I'd ever have to, say, change a headlight bulb in my car---because how often do those burn out, really---and so he buried the access panel under a bunch of things that are behind other things that are held in by tamperproof T-27 torx-plus fasteners that are installed at all kinds of odd angles. Behind the battery.
Sorry for the car reference in a bike blog. It just comes to mind because I have a toolbox drawer dedicated to automotive specialty tools that I've used once. And so I truly do loathe uni-taskers almost as much as I love the products that invariably demand their use.
I don't blame you guys for wondering why our de-installation process needs to be so new and novel and specialized. To many it looks like yet another thing you have to buy in an industry that already loves to say, "Yes, but you'll need this too" all too often. I'm here to ease your mind. We pioneered this method for removing bottom brackets because, just as we did with the bottom bracket itself, we stood back and asked ourselves, "Why is it being done this way", and then, "Is the way it's currently being done suitable for a product like ours?"
The genesis of our BBInfinite module extraction process flowed quite naturally from the answers to these fundamental questions and right to the underpinning philosophy of our company: Simplify. Enhance. Perfect.
So, forget everything you know about pressfit bottom brackets as we hit all the important points concerning the BBInfinite module removal process.
1. It is very unlikely you will ever need to remove a BBInfinite module. You only need to remove a BB module if you want to change crank systems, fix an internal Di2/EPS wiring problem, or you're changing a frame set. Otherwise, a module stays put. If none of the above ever happens, that BBInfinite Module and that bike will be married for life.
2. The removal process is completely non-destructive. Using our process you can remove the bottom bracket and then turn right around and reinstall it. You can do it dozens of times. You can even move the BB module over to another bike that uses the same bb standard. No harm done. The bearings will be just as smooth as before you started the whole process. No damage, no fuss, no problem.
3. BBInfinite Modules aren't disposable. When the bike wheel bearings go bad, you change the bearings. The module, which constitutes the housing and ancillary components, stays put. You just change the bearings and soldier on. And we use standard bearing sizes, so servicing is a snap.
4. The ET-1 device isn't striking the module. It isn't a reciprocating device with a hammer at the end. Instead, it is feeding high-frequency vibrations down the die shaft into the die which then transfers the energy directly into the BBInfinite Module. This high-frequency oscillation breaks the physical (friction) and chemical (retaining compound) bonds. The frame dissipates any residual energy easily and the module walks right out.
5. It's easy and safe. It's easy because removing a BBInfinite bottom bracket module with the ET-1 takes a moment or two, and is carried out by one person. Your buddy can now stand there holding a beer and watching you work rather than steadying the frame for you while you wallop it with a hammer.
The bottom line is that we've all grown so accustomed to the throw-away, one-time-use, and often short-term-use pressfit bottom bracket that it's hard to think of a product that serves the same purpose being there, quietly dishing out superb performance year after year. But that is exactly what a BBInfinite bottom bracket module does: The same job; only better, faster, and longer. Oh, and more gorgeously.
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Also in BBInfinite exists to elevate the bottom bracket to the high-performance, low-maintenance, reliable component it is meant to be. Rid yourself of press fit bottom bracket creaks and pops. BBInfinite is silent performance.
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