loose left crank arm??
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: arlington, mass
Posts: 55
Bikes: fondriest mdc, bianchi san jose, cannondale cad 4, lemond tourmalet set up fixed.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
loose left crank arm??
I have never had this happen before. Was riding last night and noticed a strange wobble in my pedal stroke. Took me a minute but when I looked down the left crank arm was rocking around in less than a perfect circle. It was loose from the axle.
I had no tools, so I hand tightened the crank arm bolt and soft pedaled home. Note to coaches-one legged pedal drills suck when you can't switch legs!
It is a steel Campy Centaur square taper and I have 2 questions,
1. If I don't have a torque wrench can I over tighten the bolt or can I just crank it tight and not worry?
2. How likely is it that I could have rounded out/striped/ fubar'd the crank arm from riding it loose for a few miles? I have been training and racing on this set up until the other night with no problems.
Thanks!
Roger
I had no tools, so I hand tightened the crank arm bolt and soft pedaled home. Note to coaches-one legged pedal drills suck when you can't switch legs!
It is a steel Campy Centaur square taper and I have 2 questions,
1. If I don't have a torque wrench can I over tighten the bolt or can I just crank it tight and not worry?
2. How likely is it that I could have rounded out/striped/ fubar'd the crank arm from riding it loose for a few miles? I have been training and racing on this set up until the other night with no problems.
Thanks!
Roger
#2
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 10
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
1. Highly unlikely assuming you're using the standard 8mm, you'd have to superman it
2. Very likely
There's nothing you can do except torque it up to spec real tight and hope it doesn't keep repeatedly coming loose. If it does, you're ****ed. Go look for a new crank. And next time use a torque wrench on the crank bolt if your hands are not familiar with the spec required.
2. Very likely
There's nothing you can do except torque it up to spec real tight and hope it doesn't keep repeatedly coming loose. If it does, you're ****ed. Go look for a new crank. And next time use a torque wrench on the crank bolt if your hands are not familiar with the spec required.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 1,437
Bikes: NOYB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I've saved damaged crankarms by beating the deformed aluminum around the square taper back into shape with a ball-peen hammer, but that's pretty sketchy. Doing that to a Campy crank might make me cry. Better than throwing it in the garbage though, I guess.
Last edited by Torchy McFlux; 05-02-08 at 10:00 PM.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Snowy midwest
Posts: 5,391
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
1. Highly unlikely assuming you're using the standard 8mm, you'd have to superman it
2. Very likely
There's nothing you can do except torque it up to spec real tight and hope it doesn't keep repeatedly coming loose. If it does, you're ****ed. Go look for a new crank. And next time use a torque wrench on the crank bolt if your hands are not familiar with the spec required.
2. Very likely
There's nothing you can do except torque it up to spec real tight and hope it doesn't keep repeatedly coming loose. If it does, you're ****ed. Go look for a new crank. And next time use a torque wrench on the crank bolt if your hands are not familiar with the spec required.
If your crank comes loose, you are best off not using it at all. There is no such thing as "soft pedaling". You probably did not damage the threads on the spindle or the bolt, but you almost surely compromised the aluminum crank. The crank has to fit onto the BB spindle (axle) EXACTLY. If there is any play due to you goring the crank hole, it will never fit right. If that is the case, you can get a new crank OR, you can be a tightwad and try to shim the crank hole with some aluminum foil. I've done it and it is tricky to get right. Eventually, you end up getting a new crank arm anyway.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Snowy midwest
Posts: 5,391
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Let's all take a sip from our beer cans and imagine that our beer is in cans made from a Campy crank!
#6
stay free.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Posts: 1,557
Bikes: EAI Bare Knuckle, 1980's Ross Signature 292s 12 speed
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If you got lucky you might be able to find a mismatched crank arm for sale used from a poor soul who did the same thing you did but on the other side...