Cartridge BB replacement issue

[NWD]

I just replaced the adjustable bottom bracket on my 1991(?) Bianchi Advantage hybrid. I tried to overhaul the adjustable, but there was a point in the rotation where the axle would get harder to turn and it looked like the axle wasn't coming out of the bottom bracket dead straight. I found lots of little rounded pebbles in the BB when I removed it so I figured the cups had worn unevenly. I bought a new shimano cartridge BB from the bike shop but when I tried to install it the axle would get progressively harder to turn as I tightened the left side lockring. I took it into the shop thinking the BB threads/tube were bent somehow and that the BB needed to be tapped so that the axis was straight. The shop said they did this and installed the new BB but when I got the bike back, the axle still seems hard to turn, certainly harder to turn than when the BB is off the bike. The guys said that is just how new BBs are at first and that it would improve with more riding. Is this true? I didn't expect the tightness of the left side lockring to have any influence on the rotation of the axle. If it is true, will the rotation improve as is or is the lockring too tight? Thank you for any assistance.

[xerxes]

Take it back to the shop and tell them they're a bunch of dullards. A cartridge bottom bracket shouldn't be tighter when it's installed, the threads only hold the bottom bracket in the frame, they shouldn't effect the bearings and how tight they are at all.

Is this a proper bike shop or or somewhere like Halfrauds?

[dave_sd]

It's almost an art to get the lock ring just tight enough to remove play but still allow the spindle to turn freely. I'm slightly confused why you have a lockring on a cartridge bearing, my experience is they are on cup and cone BBs

[JonB]

It's not a lockring, it's just two cups that hold the BB in place like Xerxes said.

The only time I've found the OP's situation was when the BB itself was the wrong size for the frame (too bigger bb for the shell). Either that or they didn't re-chase the BB threads properly like you asked (and thus your BB is actually wonkey in the frame.

Any bike shop that can't measure and install a cartridge BB properly must be staffed by complete Apes!

[NWD]

Thank you for the advice. I called it a lockring because that's what they called it here:

http://bikeride.com/cartridge-bottom-bracket/

I took it back in today and the head guy acknowledged the misalignment of the cartridge body, blamed it on the cartridge and tried a different cartridge which seemed too stick out from the ends of the BB even though the box said 68mm (mine is 68) and the axle had some play. I left it there for the guy to try to solve the problem (trying other BBs?) since I'm already in deep with this place. Hopefully it doesn't get destroyed. I'm fairly convinced the BB/threads are indeed wonky as the original problem was a sticking point in the axle's rotation and now two new sealed cartridge BBs haven't fit right. If so, either the threads were redone improperly or not at all. I'll clarify the situation Monday. Thanks again!