Pretty sure 1/4" is correct. Somewhere I have a book on bicycle maintenance written In The Day. In regard to replacing BB bearings, it says, "You can almost get one more ball in - but don't"
Regards,
Jerry Moos
> From: David Snyder <dddd@pacbell.net>
\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] stronglight 49d crank bottom bracket bearing size?
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Sunday, December 13, 2009, 6:19 PM
\r?\n> That's very interesting.
\r?\n> I have heard of at least one reference to the use of 6mm
\r?\n> (.236") balls in Stronglight bb's, and if so that might
\r?\n> allow one add'l ball???
\r?\n>
\r?\n> How many of the 1/4" balls fit now? IIR there should be 11,
\r?\n> and I've taken apart a few factory builds.
\r?\n> Also, iir, The late Sheldon's site made note of a rolling
\r?\n> diameter (ball track diameter) discrepancy with respect to
\r?\n> using non-Stronglight cups or spindles with mating
\r?\n> Stronglight parts. This might explain clearance differences
\r?\n> regardless of ball size.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Anyone have details on this?
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Sorry, I don't have a loose Stronglight bb here to look
\r?\n> at.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> David Snyder
\r?\n> Auburn, CA usa
\r?\n>
\r?\n> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Benjamin I Cole" <ben@velomine.com>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR] stronglight 49d crank bottom bracket bearing
\r?\n> size?
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> > Are 1/4" bearings correct for the early 70s
\r?\n> stronglight 49d crank bottom brackets? With 1/4",
\r?\n> there is a gap but not enough for 1 more bearing. This seems
\r?\n> to be causing the bb to be noisy. Is this the nature
\r?\n> of these? Sorry, i don't work on much french. I
\r?\n> checked archives and sheldon but didn't see anything.