Will Morpheus Crankset fit in BB386EVO bottom bracket?

[dadoflam08]

Hi All
Considering a BH Ultralight frame but not really interested in a FSA crankset and would like to use my trusty Ax Morpheus crankset.

According to BH US by using press fit adaptors the BB386EVO is compatible with “…any standard 24 mm bottom bracket compatible crank”
“The only limitation is BB30″ [say BH] “BB30 bottom brackets won’t work”.

The Morpheus has a 30mm axle but is not BB30 - using standard screw-in cups for my BMC SLC01.

Does anyone know?

Thanks in advance

[NiFTY]

It should and ax's new frame is bb386evo too and they show it with a morpheus crank

[spytech]

i thought bb386evo is just a combo of bb86 and pf30 - bb86 width and pf30 type/size bearings.

[dadoflam08]

It should and ax's new frame is bb386evo too and they show it with a morpheus crank

So it does - fantastic! - Thankyou

[madcow]

It's not quite so simple. I haven't played with the morpheus crank in a year so unless something has changed no it won't fit. The Ax frame says it's bb386 but as far as I know it's not 386 but rather 386 compatible and that's an important difference. Actual 386 is as spytech mentioned a combination of pf30 and bb86. It's intended to have bearings pressed into cups which press into a frame. The Ax frame uses bearings pressfit directly into the frame. The difference in shell width and bearing location differ. With a bb386 the bearing is not flush with the outer edge of the cup it's recessed a mm or two on each side which means the bearing does not locate on the spindle correctly and the spider runs up against the lip of the 386 cup before the crank is preloaded properly.

This is true of the THM crank as well.

I have fitted a couple of Ax/Thm cranks to 386 but it's not easy. It involves removing material from the shell of the frame to narrow it, then machining some spacers to place behind the bearings to move them out so they sit flush with the edge of the cup.

[dadoflam08]

Thanks Jason
That's a bugger. Good news is that the LBS is a THM dealer and is presently building a BH which he is intending to fit a Clavicula to. At this time he is awaiting a BB fitting to allow this to happen although sounds like there may be a surprise coming - I will let him work it out on that frame before I commit
Thanks again

[bones]

Because of the design Bb86 does not have the creaking issues that plagues BB30. Some guy, PVD on a frame building forum has blogged about the inherent advantages of the BB86 system over BB30.

[dadoflam08]

Hi All
I put my question to Ax Lightness - here was the response:

The crank is compatible with the BB386evo standard. But you need the BB386 FSA cups. Than the crank fits. We have mounted a Morpheus crank whit the FSA Cups on a BB386evo standard frame.
The Vial frame have a BB386 standard to fit the bearings directly in the frame (the same bearings than the BB30 bearings). When you have mounted the Bearings in the Vial or the FSA cups in an 386evo Frame, you have the same standard for the crank.

I will watch the THM crank installation at the LBS and report back exactly what ends up happening

[thisisatest]

it sounds like the morpheus is not as picky about bearing location on the spindle compared to the clavicula...