Well without being there to check the installation, I can't help much more. I'd double check again that the bearings spin smoothly prior to inserting the axle. I'd also have your bottom bracket shell checked to be sure both faces are perpendicular to the threaded section. Again, I installed my crank per the instructions and it spins perfectly. Either yours is defective or something is wrong with your installation. If you are confident that your frame is correctly machined, I'd suggest returning the crank for another rather than modifying what you have.