Hi there,

I have a Panasonic dx-1000 and the left crank arm has been getting progressively more wobbly, I think the crank is broken. I was wondering what the best course of action would be (for the best price, I am a student). Could I replace the crank for cheap? In which case, which crank do I need? or is it just the crank arm or bearings or something? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you!!

James

Chances are, the square taper holding the left crank arm onto the bottom bracket spindle has been damaged from riding while loose. Remove the arm and inspect for damage; replace if damaged. A replacement arm should match taper spec (ISO or JIS) and arm length. Cosmetic match is optional.

If only one crank is loose, then it's most likely that it came loose on the spindle. It's possible to snug up the mounting bolt or nut. If you've been riding it loose, though, you may have damaged the tapers on the aluminum crank. In that case, the good news is that you can buy a left crankarm pretty cheap if you're not too picky.

If your city or university has a co-op, I recommend visiting them, because the tools can get quite expensive, though I've never regretted purchasing any tools.

Thanks everyone! yeah I did as you guys suggested and took the arm off, was almost totally rounded off. But the spindle is fine. Bought a new crank arm from decathlon for 9 euros and they changed the pedal over for me. Refitted the crank and it seems perfect (fingers crossed). Thanks for the advice!

I love a happy ending.