Diamondback Axis Pro '92 build...in trouble already!!

I bought this cool Axis pro on here last week and it arrived today!

A bit of an assortment of parts, some nice, my intention is to strip and powdercoat the frame, new decals and build it up with a mix of XT and XTR. A winter project.

Ive never had a Diamondback but there's something about these that does it for me so im really excited..naturally an impatient person, I always seem to enjoy thinking about and planning a project more than carrying it out. I end up rushing and ruin it for myself!! I,m going to learn to enjoy the process more with this one.




As you can see, its a well ridden well loved bike thats been used for what it was intended. the last owner bought it as a frame and built it up.

I can see from the '92 catalogue that these would have come with full XTR groupset. I dont think my budget will run to that but a mix of period xt and xtr will be fine.

Anyway, stripping it down after a quick blast around in the icy rain today and DISASTER!..ive stripped the non drive bottom bracket cup splines trying to remove it.

the bb was really stuck and i had to get a scaffold pole over the spanner to get the other side out, at which point i should have left it overnight with some oil on the thread....anyway the non drive side moved a smidge and then the tool slipped a couple of times and then crunch, all the teeth are gone


Has anyone got ant advice on how to remove this now? The BB doesnt matter but have i buggered the frame up??

If you’ve removed the non drive side you can hammer the spindle through drive to non drive then carefully cut the stuck cup with a hacksaw in 2 or 3 places to the point that you’re nearly through the cup. It’s should peel out then.
The other option is caustic soda to eat the alloy cup but it’s really nasty stuff and will take the paint off and eat anything alloy or aluminium within a couple of yards.

I'd removed the drive side so I can't hammer through

The bb tool still grips it a little.... And I did get it to move already, a little! So I'm thinking of epoxying the tool into the cup and then using a crank bolt and washers to push it down really firmly into the cup so it bites it. Soaking through over night with wd40 from the other side (open because I got the drive side cup out) and that might just do it!

Otherwise, has anybody tried drilling it out with a hole saw? I'm guessing it might be a bit risky..

Yes bolt the bottom bracket tool in place using a crank bolt and washers. I always do this first on an unknown bottom bracket to stop the tool slipping. Your splines look pretty chewed up but it might be enough to get it out.

Won’t it hammer out from the non drive side?
I’ve tried drilling a really bad one out but the bits were catching and snapping. I tried grinding it too but ended up using caustic soda and it was so much easier.

I'd definitely try by bolting the tool in place before resorting to other methods. You've got nothing to lose. Soaking for as long as possible with a good penetrating fluid will certainly help.

Don't take offence at the question, but needs to be asked.

Were you turning the right way to remove, and not simply tightening it further in? If it moved a little then stopped like you say, you might have been turning the wrong way!

The best penetrating fluid I’ve found is ACF50, which also inhibits and breaks down corrosion. If you give the BB a soak from as many angles as possible, over the course of a few days, that might help.

Drilling a hole into the cup and then tapping with a hammer and punch in the right direction rarely fails.

Exactly! Tried this today, in fact I even epoxy'd the tool in to help it grip what was left of the teeth. I soaked it from the other side with WD40 for a couple of hours before giving it a go


unfortunately it didnt work! the teeth just mashed out completely.

I now think that the little bit of movement that i had yesterday was in fact the teeth starting to grind and not the cup starting to budge because this was seriously seized!