Appreciation post: the Park Tool BBT-69.2 bottom bracket tool actually works

I was sure the old style with the separate pin spanner was better, but I had a stuck Shimano BB on a 90s Trek last week. The BBT-69.2 let me get a breaker bar on it straight, and it came free in one go after three days of trying the old way. The splines just held better than I thought they would. I've been wrong about a tool before, but this one saved a real headache. Has anyone else had a tool they doubted that turned out to be a keeper?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaelw263d ago

Yeah, that control thing is interesting. The old pin spanner felt more direct in your hands, like you could feel the metal flex. But that same flex is what lets it slip out under real force. The new spline tools are just a solid block of metal that can't twist away, so all your breaker bar force goes straight into the cup. It's less about feel and more about pure physics winning the fight.

the_angela3d ago

Didn't a lot of the old bike shop guys swear by the pin spanner for more control? I read that too, but modern spline tools seem to just transfer force better without slipping. Sometimes the new way is actually the right way.