[BelgianHammer]

Component Gurus, Need Ur Help: Diff between two Shimano BB-UN72, pic attached

Guys, can someone with 100% certianity tell me what Shimano specifically designed the two BB-UN72 BBs in the pic (as measured by digital calipers):

The BB-UN72 on left is 68x115mm

The BB-UN72 on right is 68x114mm

---What is that sleave that is permanently on the drive side of the 68x114mm, and it has LL113 stamped on it? Is that BB designed for an Ultegra triple?? And the other 68x115mm BB-UN72 with a longer/deeper spindle designed for Shimano Ultegra 600 double road cranks? The wife and I did have a mix of double and triple road bikes many years ago when I was taking parts off and saving them. I just can't remember now, and Google is driving me nuts trying to look for an explanation.

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[BelgianHammer]

BUMP

Is everyone here under the age of 30 or something? Come on, someone's got to remember (from experience) why two nearly exact same BB-UN72 brackets (1mm diff between the two), yet one of them has that collared sleeve on it on the drive-side. For cripes sake, it's not like sealed bottom brackets we're from the 1920s.

Anyone?? No one own bikes anymore with sealed BBs? Own triples and/or doubles?? 68 English threaded double and/or triples were the most common sealed BBs sold in the world by miles.

Thanks again for anyone taking the time to peak at their bikes.

 

[MisterMike]

The LL113 should mean it's a 113mm length. I don't think BB-UN72 denotes a group set though. Trolling eBay for them finds the 115 and 113 with product photos like yours but gives little clue about what exact cranks they belong to. But today may be your lucky day. I have a BB-UN72 115 in an old parts bin that goes with a Ultegra 600 FC-6400 double crank. So that's probably solving half your mystery.

And for the record I'm 51

 

[wim]

Not all that familiar with that modern cartridge stuff (both of my bikes have cup-and-cone BBs), but I'll give it a shot....

The sleeve kept an otherwise unsupported TL-UN72 Shimano installation and removal tool from canting and possibly breaking out of the splines. But because that sleeve prevented some non-Shimano tools from being used, it was eventually dropped from production.

Interesting old BBs. The "fixed" ends were also removable since they were pressed on the body.

 

[MisterMike]

Nice call on the sleeve wim. I was coming back to register a guess that it may have had to do with keeping the chain from dropping in there if there were particular cranks used. But that was a just going to be a guess

 

[BelgianHammer]

Haha, MisterMike! A fellow oldster. Thanks for checking. I thought the same as you abut the LL 113 thing. But darn be to all, I used two different digital calipers (and they've both been micked & spec to tolerance) and each one of them says that BB-UN72 is 114mm. Then I am searching deep in the craphole that is Google, and sure enough, there comes a reference from Shimano about their BB-UN72 68x114mm but then they say nothing else. Argh.

Also, you hit the gruppo on the head....I also just learned a a few mins ago, courtesy of barraging Shimano Europe in the U.K. with emails from last night till this morning, that both the BB-UN71 and BB-UN72 were the OEM-spec'd bottom brackets supplied for Shimano's---you got it---Ultegra 600 gruppo.

Thanks again, and bigger thanks for not making me feel so old (even though I am a wee bit older than you ;-) all these dran young whipper snappers who've only known STI and carbon frames, it's enough to make one drink more Belgian monk beer---well, more than normal, that is

 

[BelgianHammer]

Wim,

Your my HERO! I was confused, when you look at that pic I provided, why in heck the spindle depth is so short on the BB-UN72 that already had the LL 113 sleeve on it?! Seemed redundant. Anyhow, many thanks. Going to hit you up on your Rep count, but wait..... GOOD LORD, you are already maxed out at 10,633 posts with enough Reputation "Green" to let us retire in Monaco!! Another fellow oldster!!!!

To heck & back with all you young farts!!!

 

[wim]

Another fellow oldster!!!!

Yea, and at 72 now, slowly stepping out of the bicycle universe. But then again, things come around. I work a few hours a week in a bike shop and have become the go-to guy for repairs on those suddenly-fashionable Dutch and Dutch-style upright "urban" bikes.

 

[BelgianHammer]

Wim,

I'm so old now (no, wait, I am still a youngie in my 50s compared to your, uhmm, ahem, like-fine-wine-wisdom) that the youngin's over here, when I show up at group rides, call my beloved road bikes "the upright urbans". I've got to sit, due to a bad accident over a decade ago, with the handlebars 1" above seat level (I used to race/ride with a 15cm seat to handlebar drop). Still, when I hear the wiseacres cracking in French, I proceed to pound them mercilessly whenever I get the chance, provided they are not one of the uber-fasties sponsored by Teams (I can't beat around & mess with those boys anymore, those days are gone, lol)

 

[wim]

Still, when I hear the wiseacres cracking in French, I proceed to pound them mercilessly whenever I get the chance

Good for you. I used to do that. But about a year ago, it got so hard that the effort was too much for the bit of gloating. Happened from one week to the next. Partly old age, partly the fact that rec riders are getting faster and faster.

Not complaining, mind you. Perfectly happy cruising around now a few times a week by myself on a bike with no data collection device of any kind.