Suggestion for Luna BBSxx Wrench!

[PatrickGSR94]

Hey guys, after installing my BBS02 kit last week, then having the retaining nut come loose on me, and tightening it up again last night, I thought of an idea that would make that Luna wrench better. Make each end angled slightly (like a bend in the metal), so that when the wrench is on the nut, the wrench handle angles away from the bike. Sort of like how a double-end box wrench is angled on the ends.

I was trying to tighten the nut as much as possible last night, and I was having real difficulty getting the 4-notch end of the wrench onto the nut properly due to the clocking position of the notches, and my frame geometry, especially the chain stays. If the wrench angled out to clear the chain stays it would have been much easier to get the nut fully tightened on the first go-around.

[jed]

+1

I bent mine with my vice for this exact reason. (And then I stood on it tightening that first nut down.) It is definitely not strong enough for a lot of bending and standing though. I might be able to get one more big use out of it but it feels like it will break when you do what I did to it.

[funwithbikes]

Thanks for the tip!

I'll try to nudge the Luna mechanics towards using Luna tools in the shop :) I am a firm believer in eating your own dogfood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_your_own_dog_food

[Woody]

Would it be possible to use the 8 notch lockring like the one pictured on the bottom bracket and a Parks BBT-18 tool? Are the threads the same? Or how about grinding down four of the notches on the Parks tool?

[Solana Mark]

Another option (that could be in addition) would be to offset the "nubs" on the inside a few degrees. As it is, they are exactly lined up with the handle (and at 90 degrees - think 12, 3, 6, 9 O'clock). If they were at 1, 4, 7, 10 O'clock, then if you got to a point you couldn't turn any farther, you could flip it over and now they'd be at 11, 2, 5, and 8 Oclock. Like the way an open end wrench is angled (although still in the plane) so you can flip it over and get a different angle. As it is now, if you get to the a point you can't turn any more - and you don't have more than 90 degrees available (so you can clock the whole tool back 90) you're stuck. That happened to me on my frame. Perhaps angling the handle out of plane would get me around the chainstay, but I think this would help too - and it'd leave all the force "in plane" which might be better.

[PatrickGSR94]

Yeah that could work. My idea about angling the wrench (I did actually end up bending mine in the vise) helps it clear the chainstay, but as you said the force is not in line with the actual nut, which still makes it difficult.

[OptimusPrime]

Tightening the nut on any bike is trivial with the socket. I recommend discontinuing the wrench and lowering the price of the socket. Problem solved and customers happy with no redesign hassle!

[Mr. Bungle]

Would it be possible to use the 8 notch lockring like the one pictured on the bottom bracket and a Parks BBT-18 tool? Are the threads the same? Or how about grinding down four of the notches on the Parks tool?

It would work except that the tool needs to clear the spindle of the BBSXX BB cartridge. (the pedal axle) The Bafang Socket is HUGE and clears all of that. I put it on an 18" breaker bar and it worked so much better than the stamped steel "wrench". It also puts your handle a few inches clear of your bike frame.