REDMASTA

Has anyone tried this crankset from Sturmey Archer before?

Fct60bd:

Sturmey Archer | FCT60BD

Looks like it gives a 42mm chainline with a 103 bb. It is also 144bcd and sells for around $70. Worth a shot or skip?

Cute Boy Horse

I had one of these. It was a crank, it spun around when I pedalled. 10/10

50voltphantom

SA makes 3 speed fixed gear hubs? Never heard of such a thing.

REDMASTA

My current crank goes round and round as well ;-). I was hoping to solve my chain line issue which is currently 8mm off and grinding with the beefier 17t All City cog I put on (stock Fuji cog had thin pointy teeth).

Also hoping to solve the out of round chain ring. The chain doesn't fall off but would be nice to minimize the tight, loose chain I experience right now.

50voltphantom

I would just get a bottom bracket to solve your chainline problems, unless you're already running a 103 or something.

Cute Boy Horse

Yeah I'm just ??? why would you replace a crank for a chainline issue?

Scrodzilla

@REDMASTA - please post a pic of the crank setup you've got now.

REDMASTA

The crank is what came stock on the 2015 Fuji Track LE. Looks exactly like the 2016 model just black and silver: Fuji Bikes | ROAD | TRACK SERIES | TRACK

Curious what the spindle length of the BB might be. Looks to be a road crank which is why the chainline is so off. It wasn't really an issue until I put on the 17t All-City cog which is beefier with thicker teeth, now the chain grinds and makes a lot of noise.

Would also be nice to get a more round chain ring and stiffer crank. I like the All-City 612 crank as well but not sure about spending $140+ on a bike I got on sale for $300. If I could fix the chain line and grinding with a new bottom bracket that could hold me over for a while.

SquidPuppet

You have measured the front chain line and it's 50mm? Is the chain 1/8th inch for sure? How much spindle is visible coming out from the BB shell? How much farther toward the chain stay can the chain ring and crank arm end go before they make contact?

REDMASTA

Yes I measured as exact as I could with a tape measure using Sheldon's method, the front chain line was between 49-50mm. The rear chainline was at 42-43mm. I could remove the chain and get more exact measurements but the chain line is clearly off by at least 7mm.

I measured roughly 10mm clearance between the chain ring and the chain stay not worried about it hitting, even more between crank arm and chain stay (but that will vary depending on the crankset I use).

I probably have to just remove the crank and the bottom bracket and see what it is. Either way it can't stay this way. If I'm lucky I'll just buy a shorter spindle BB and hope that alleviates the problem. I don't understand why they sell them with a chain line this way off. Now I understand why the 16t stock cog teeth were so thin and pointy. I could just put that back on but want to use the 17t.

Edit: Wanted to add it looks to be a KMC Z410 chain, definitely 1/8".

Scrodzilla

That's exactly why I asked him to post a pic of his actual setup instead of just telling us what it is.

REDMASTA

I'll post some pictures when I get home from work.

Scrodzilla

I probably won't care by then.

SquidPuppet

Not to alarm you, but I think it might be time for a string test. Mass produced frames have (IMO) very lenient tolerances. It is possible that BOTH chain stays are a few mms to the right of center. It's not uncommon. It can easily be fixed using Sheldon's 2x4 technique. I've done it a few times and there's no drama or damage. Plus it's nice to know that your bike is "perfectly" aligned.

If your chain ring is only 10mm from the stay, moving it in ~8mms with a new BB will put it pretty damn close. Crank arms too.

Scroll down to "Checking Alignment (Symmetry)" to see how to measure the frame with a piece of string and a ruler. If it's not aligned well scroll up to "spreading the frame" to see how to tweak it back to straight.

Without having the bike in front of me, my gut suspicion is that you have two issues, improper alignment AND a BB spindle that's too long.

Bicycle Frame/Hub Spacing

Scrodzilla

This is the same Fuji he bought that has crooked dropouts, right? I guess it wasn't such a good deal after all...

REDMASTA

I'll post some pictures anyway in case you change your mind .

Yeah the frame not being straight was one of the first things I looked at. I didn't' break out the string but from what I can see looks good enough. Wheel is also straight and bike tracks fine. I'm sure it's possible the chain stays are not perfectly straight but that wouldn't change the fact the chain line is still off by about 7mm with the measurements I used. So correcting that will help either way. The bike is not unrideable, it is just quite a bit noiser now with the 17t All City cog because it fits more snug with the chain if that makes sense.

I appreciate you guys providing suggestions to find a solution cheaper than buying a whole new crank . I will take the crank off and see if changing to a bottom bracket with shorter spindle will help the chain line. Otherwise I may just take a gamble on the Sturmey-Archer and 103 BB since there isn't much feed back on this set up. I might also just go the safe route and spring for the All-City crank since I saved quite a bit on the bike itself.

REDMASTA

Lol yes, the drop outs aren't crooked one is about 5mm farther back. Wheel sits straight, bike tracks fine. Doesn't affect anything so I'm just riding it as suggested. Chain line is off but that is apparently not uncommon with bikes that come with inexpensive road cranks. I know my Fuji is not fancy like some of the bikes on here but I still like it. Once I clear up the chain line i'll be golden.

Added photo of the bike I had on my phone, because thread has a lack of photos:

SquidPuppet

A 103 BB is only gonna get you half way there. Just sayin'. If the stays are off that doesn't just affect chain line, it affects the angle that the chain is feeding onto and off of the cog, which will accentuate the noise.

If your drive train is making any noises the bike is unrideable. If you hit a crosswind at just the right angle the whole thing will blow up and you will die.

REDMASTA

Maybe the noise is for the better. People can hear me coming now on the trail, before I was like a ninja whooshing by them.

I may just put the 16t back on make my life easier, save the 17t for another build.

Scrodzilla

Your chain is probably just too tight.

REDMASTA

Ok got home measured the chain line again more exactly. It's 42mm in the rear, and 48mm up front. So only off by about 6mm. I pulled the crank off to measure the bottom bracket (photo below) and it looks to be a 110mm spindle.

Now I'm wondering if I should spend $20 and get a FSA 103 BB to move the chain line in 3.5mm, which should hopefully make for a smoother match with the All-City cog. Or now that I see it already has an FSA 110 BB installed (exactly what the All City crank needs ), should I suck it up and go for the All-City crank which should give an even closer to 42mm chain line while also being stiffer with a possibly more round chain ring. Decisions...