Wozza2014

Hi.

I have an old Raleigh Chiltern which I love. Unfortunately it was on the kick stand on fell over onto its right hand side. Now when I pedal the right crack arm grazes the chain guard ever so slightly.

I am new to bikes and don't know the best way to proceed with it. The bike uses the old cotter pin to attach the cranks. Now I was wondering could I slightly move the right crank arm away from the frame by a few mm then tighten it back up?

Thanks.

FBinNY 

Generally cranks don't bend just from falling over, so the first step would be to see if the chainguard dislodged and moved out a bit on the mounts. If so, or even if not, see if it's possible to move the guard in before looking at the crank.

Also, see if the crank might have gotten pushed in on the spindle (the spindle sticks out instead of being flush). If so, you can (possibly) move it back out, but I'll pass on explaining how because it's a rare issue.

Lastly if the crank itself is bent, the easiest diagnostic calls for a bubble level. Put the pedal at 6 o'clock and adjust the bike so the pedal is level as confirmed by a bubble elvel placed along the axle. Without moving the bike, back pedal until the pedal is at noon, and see if the angle changed. It will with a bent crank, but won't if the crank is straight and the pedal axle is parallel with the spindle.

If you have some sensitivity, you can also feel the oscillation in pedals when either the pedal or crank are bent.

Bent steel cranks are very easily straightened with a pipe and some brute force. Remove the pedal, turn the crank to noon, and slip the pipe over the crank overlapping 2-3 inches. Bracing the bike against your hip, bend the arm out (it moves easily so don't get carrier away).

Coal Buster

Forget about moving the crank arm. It's really hard to remove and not the cause of the problem. The chain guard has moved or been bent when it fell over. Try bending it back in place or take it off and try straitening it out on the bench. With patience, you can do it.

Cool bike, btw.

mox

The crank arm could, in fact, be bent. After a bad fall on my first ten speed back in the '70's, the crank arm was bent enough that it was easily noticeable. Being a stupid kid, I never thought of using a pipe to straighten it. Instead, I used the "brace it on a rock and take a hammer to it" method of repair.

dwmckee

falling over on a kickstand likely does not generate enough force to bend a crank. If it did you could bend it by pedaling hard too. Check the chain guard as others have suggested.

Andrew R Stewart 

I disagree that the arm is hard to move. That presumes that the cotter is tight. Which any wrench who knows how to use a brass hammer knows to be a bad assumption. But I do agree with a low force tip over would bend a steel arm. I'd check the guard first but not avoid looking at the arm too. Andy.

Coal Buster

My experience with Raleigh cotters is that they're almost impossible to remove. I just did one two weeks ago and I had to use the vise method, but my experience is limited to the two Raleighs I own.

Forgot to add that the OP should use a straight edge to check for a bent crank arm.

Andrew R Stewart 

Any cotter pin can be REAL tight. When you resort to drilling one out you'll know what a tight one is BITD there was a lot of working with pins and a "system" of increasingly more extreme methods to deal with them. This is pretty much lost on current wrenches as they rarely see pins on adult bikes. (Kids' bikes usually don't have the same high pin deforming stresses on them). Andy.

fietsbob

I would feel a bent arm when i pedaled the bike. the spindle wont be level around the circle.
likewise a bent pedal spindle..

BTW, did you bend the chain-guard where it touched the crank arm.. ? I have to do that setting up new bikes..

Wozza2014

Hi.

Low and behold everything seems fine again with the bike. I took my bike out yesterday and shopping today and everything seemed hunky dory. All I did was push the chain guard slightly (but even then I don't think it really did anything because it wasn't loose). The crank arm is very very close to mud guard when I pedal. I think it has always been like this TBH.



This has taught me one thing though - that when my bike is out of action I dearly miss it. So I am going to give the bike an over due spring clean that will involve cleaning the chain, sprockets, external Sturmey Archer clean and lube, disassemble the calliper brakes and clean off the rust, new brake pads and total frame clean. Having never done any serious work on a bike before this will be quite a baptism of fire this coming weekend. God love Youtube and Google.

Thanks for you help everyone and wish me luck.

P.S. Here she is

achoo

Nice. But that saddle angle looks PAINFUL.

neondave

I have a '71 Raleigh Sports . The crank is very close to the chain guard, maybe an 1/8". I have messed with it a bit but no better.

Every thing is 'close' on my bike. Mud guard supports , etc. No problems, but if wheels were much out of true , it could be .


May be the norm for these machines ? I love the bike, works well . Be nice to move the crank arms 'out a bit'

FBinNY 

Close only counts in horseshoes. It's necessary that the crank clears the chainguard. Once it passes that test, the distance doesn't matter.

However, as the OP's case proves things move, so, if you hear a ting, ting when the right crank comes around. Push the chain guard back in and tighten it there.