Wheels Manufacturing PRESS-4 Consumer Bottom Bracket Bearing Tool Handles [Rider Review]

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Having the proper tools at home can make a job go a lot quicker and with less painful. Having a good bottom bracket press tool makes the job much easier. Our friend Forrest shares his thoughts on the Wheels Manufacturing PRESS-4 Consumer Bottom Bracket Bearing Tool. Check it out!

Overview

Not sure if you’re ready to pull and press bearings on your own? Over the years, I’ve done a fair amount of work on bikes. However, for bearing work I have been going to a LBS. The last time I did that, it didn’t play out so well. They charged me more than the original quote and said it was because they didn’t have the right tools (a bearing extractor) and thus it took them longer. So this time I decided to start putting some money into the tools.

In this instance, I had a hub that needed a new bearing. When I added up the cost of the tools, again it was more than paying someone else to do it. There’s some risk involved as well. In this case, it was a used wheelset that I was willing to take a chance on.

Which bearing press and other tools?

Now there’s a choice on which tools to get. Do you cut corners and buy a cheap press, drifts and puller that has mixed reviews, or do you plunk down for the real deal? When you land on buying the higher quality tools, there’s still more choices. For example, Wheels Manufacturing has a couple levels of bearing presses. If you need drifts, do you buy the whole set and save some money in the long run, or do you buy individual drifts?


I went with the higher grade tools from Wheels Manufacturing, the PRESS-4 Consumer Bottom Bracket Bearing Tool. There’s nothing quite like breaking something or having an extra hard time because you decided to save a few bucks. I also decided to go with individual drifts. I looked at all the bearing sizes on my wheels and full suspension frame. Knowing that I don’t plan to buy a different bike for a couple years, it made more sense to start small. Also, Worldwide Cyclery’s pricing on drifts is pretty reasonable and include shipping, so I wasn’t going to lose a significant chunk of change in shipping costs.

I stuck with tools from Wheels Manufacturing. There is a higher end handle, but I chose to go with the simpler one.

The most disappointing aspect was how quickly I was done with the tools. Each tool worked flawlessly and efficiently. So much so, I wanted to use them some more but didn’t have any other bad bearings. The trickiest part was properly supporting the other side of the hub when I was trying to hammer out the bearing with the extractor. A couple of 2x4’s on the other side, against the floor, did the trick.

Final Thoughts

I have no regrets going with the lower end Wheels MFG handle. Everything fit together perfectly. Now I have ridden a few hundred miles on the new bearing and my work has held up well.