questions on bottom bracket and crank

[brewerkz]

new to early bicycles, looking for bottom bracket, crank recommendations for this bike, both switching back to cottered design or staying with square drive.

The frame came with a Higgins badge. The bottom bracket width is 2.5".

 

[juvela]

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the cycle's headset appears to be from Brampton

the original chainset may have been from the same maker, alternately something like Williams

have you been able to learn date or model for the bicycle?


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[brewerkz]

possibly Higgins Ultralite - the label on the down tube was added after a bad silver spray paint.

 

[bulldog1935]

any chance you can pull the crank arms and let us see the bottom bracket better?
Not knowing what you have there, it may be necessary to determine if the shell threads have been altered.
The offset on the left side looks unhappy to me - there's never any reason to have left side offset.

A few new cartridge bottom brackets can match 26 tpi Brit thread cups.
There are also threadless bottom brackets that fit anywhere.
Any new BB would be a square taper.

A Peter Underwood article on the marque is always a good way to begin.
Then follow up on this page for example bikes

 

[brewerkz]

any chance you can pull the crank arms and let us see the bottom bracket better?
Not knowing what you have there, it may be necessary to determine if the shell threads have been altered.
The offset on the left side looks unhappy to me - there's never any reason to have left side offset.
View attachment 1163930
A few new cartridge bottom brackets can match 26 tpi Brit thread cups.
There are also threadless bottom brackets that fit anywhere.
Any new BB would be a square taper.

A Peter Underwood article on the marque is always a good way to begin.
Then follow up on this page for example bikes
View attachment 1163937

 

[bulldog1935]

so what BB came out of that shell?

Otherwise, have you tried chasing 26 tpi Brit BB cups on those threads?
There's always a chance somebody tried jamming 24 tpi ISO cups in there and we can't tell from photos.

If anybody in the US has a NOS bottom bracket that would fit the original threads, it would be Yellow Jersey. I would call them and tell them what you have.

 

[brewerkz]

so what BB came out of that shell?

a shimano OCTALINK BB-M952, 1.37x24.

photo appears like a sleeve - would this have been added

 

[bulldog1935]

That's a BSC bottom bracket.
Did the threads chase properly?
And yes, if the original threads were machined out and replaced with a sleeve, guess it could now be 24 tpi.

 

[brewerkz]

That's an ISO bottom bracket.
Did the threads chase properly?

If anybody in the US has a NOS bottom bracket that would fit the original 26 tpi threads, it would be Yellow Jersey. Might call them and tell them what you have.

yes, agree totally wrong BB installed. Could a threaded sleeve have been added since the threads dont run to the edge of the bracket. The threads did chase properly.

 

[bulldog1935]

that's it exactly if the threads chased properly.
Your options are now any BSC BB.

I still don't like the way that left side offset looked, but it could be a factor of a too-wide symmetric axle BB, taken up with a spacer to get correct chainline.
Can you get the width of you BB shell in MM?