For anybody with a GXP bottom bracket and 68mm shell, can you check how much gap you have showing on the driveside spindle? I went to install my GXP BB (which states is compatible with 68mm shells, and the instructions states no spacers are required which I find hard to believe) on my touring frame with a 68mm shell for use with Truvativ Elita triple. Only issue I had is I noted uneven crankarm to chainstay clearance on each side as well as a very large gap showing on the driveside spindle. These issues I am confident will be resolved with a 2.5mm spacer on the non-drive BB cup but I am confused since the sram/truvativ instructions indicate no spacers are required?

the gap is normal. nothing needs to be done

If you think it needs a washer, add one. Just make sure the left crankarm has enough purchase on the spindle.

I installed a spacer on each side of my bb shell. Otherwise, the spindle kept sliding towards the drive-side.

The non-DS cup is definitely going to get a spacer to even out the crank arms, I was just hoping to find some opinions (or better, facts) on what the normal gap is on the DS spindle. I understand some gap is normal and that the spindle is located with the crank bolt and a flange via the non-DS bearing.

putting a spacer on the DS does not move the crank. if you put one on the NDS then it does

edit nevermind can't read

The gap on my Rival double looks to be just under a mm.

My GXP came with two spacers - directions state that spacers are not required for 68mm, but required for the 73mm shells.

I think you have that statement backwards. How would 68mm shells not need spacers but 73mm shells would? Regardless, the OP is about an Elita triple which, being a road bike crankset, would not have the ability to mount in a 73mm shell and thus would not come with spacers.

He's right - the instructions indicate that the spacers are required for MTB cranks, not road cranks.

In my mind.. a BB that works between 68 and 73 you would need to space the cranks out further in 73 mode than you would 68.. erego spacers. Not enough coffee?

It's the BB shell width. If the crank spindle fits a 73mm shell, it needs five mm of spacers on the cups to fit a 68.

Yes, that is correct. Road BB shells are always 68mm though so a Truvativ Elita road triple would not need any spacers ever as its spindle length will only accommodate a 68mm shell. MTB BB shells can be either 68 or 73mm so the 68mm shells make do with spacers to allow crankset manufacturers to only have to produce one spindle length.

I did misspeak earlier when I commented that the Elita crank would not come with spacers. No Truvativ/SRAM GXP cranks come with spacers as far as I can tell. The spacers always come with the bottom bracket cups which are shared between road and MTB cranks (unlike Shimano who has different cups for road and MTB and includes the BB cups with MTB cranks).