Socket wrench for Wheels Manufacturing PF30-THD threaded bottom bracket

cults3d

Posting this even though I didn't get any very good photos of the actual thing. If you have a PF30 press fit bottom bracket in a carbon fiber bike frame, the odds are good that at some point the fit might get loose and you'll need to replace the bottom bracket. In many cases you can get by with Loctite 609 or 680 to fill the gap, but often the best solution is to go with a thread-together bottom bracket like the Wheels Manufacturing PF30-THD-BB which holds itself in place by threading together inside the smooth shell. The only real issue with this solution is you need a special wrench due to the larger outer diameter. Wheels Mfg makes a socket as well as a wrench but the design is simple enough that 3D printing can come to the rescue. My socket design uses a 1/2" drive which can handle the torque better than a 3/8" drive as we're dealing with plastic, and also sinks the socket into the bottom bracket so that the turning force is directed almost inline with the interface - longer sockets can be tough to use as they'll tend to rotate off as well as turning the bottom bracket. I also include a wrench as you'll need that to hold the opposite side.