Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Crank keeps coming loose

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Crank keeps coming loose

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-09-13 | 12:33 AM
  #1  
pgjackson's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4,128
Likes: 119
From: Gulf Breeze, FL

Bikes: Rossetti Vertigo

Crank keeps coming loose

Been having a recurring problem lately. The bolts on the left crank arm keep coming lose. Should I use locktight? Suggestions?
pgjackson is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 05:07 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 31
Have you tightened it with a torque wrench? The non-drive side loosening up on SRAM cranksets seems to be pretty common if it's not tightened to the maximum of the range specified by SRAM. I had it happen on one of my Rival cranksets.
Pendergast is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 06:39 AM
  #3  
Borell's Avatar
[I,work]=0
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Same here, last week I had to ride last 20 km with a wobbling Rival crank.
Borell is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 07:15 AM
  #4  
Campag4life's Avatar
Voice of the Industry
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 12,572
Likes: 8
Likely undertorqued as mentioned. If you don't have a lot of experience wrenching...even if you do...I generally use a torque wrench on cranks...invest in a good 3/8" drive torque wrench. Doesn't have to be high end wrench like Snapon...Craftsman will suffice. Also good to own a set of socket allens....hex allen bits attached to socket which plug into a torque wrench. Sometimes torque target isn't achievable with L shaped allen due to lack of leverage...or owner doesn't know the torque target. Your post is unclear...you may mean the single center crank bolt...depends on the crank...but if you are refering to left crank arm dual pinch bolts aka Shimano...torque in thirds...set torque wrench 1/3, 2/3 and full torque spec and alternate bolts for uniform clamping. Torque specs are generally found on the web...most crank makers have service manual PDF's on line. I always use a dap of grease on the spline to prevent bonding. Inspite of lubrication, this actually helps clamping strength...grease is captured in micro-voids between male and female splines improving clamp strength.

Last edited by Campag4life; 02-09-13 at 07:22 AM.
Campag4life is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 07:22 AM
  #5  
Homebrew01's Avatar
Super Moderator
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 21,987
Likes: 1,169
From: Ffld Cnty Connecticut

Bikes: Old Steelies I made, Old Cannondales

Look closely for cracks or other problems. I had an old square taper that came loose. Realized the left arm had a crack that spread open as it was tightened.
__________________
Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.

FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
Homebrew01 is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 07:22 AM
  #6  
pdedes's Avatar
ka maté ka maté ka ora
 
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,423
Likes: 4
From: wessex

Bikes: breezer venturi - red novo bosberg - red, pedal force cg1 - red, neuvation f-100 - da, devinci phantom - xt, miele piste - miche/campy, bianchi reparto corse sbx, concorde squadra tsx - da, miele team issue sl - ultegra

Originally Posted by Campag4life
Likely undertorqued as mentioned. If you don't have a lot of experience wrenching...even if you do...I generally use a torque wrench on cranks...invest in a good 3/8" drive torque wrench. Doesn't have to be high end wrench like Snapon...Craftsman will suffice. Also good to own a set of socket allens....hex allens bits attached to socket which plug into a torque wrench. Sometimes torque target isn't achievable with L shaped allen. When it comes to dual pinch bolts...torque in thirds...set torque wrench 1/3, 2/3 and full torque spec and alternate bolts for uniform clamping. Torque specs are generally found on the web...most crank makers have service manual PDF's on line. I always use a dap of grease on the spline to prevent bonding. Inspite of lubrication, this actually helps clamping...grease is captured in micro-voids between male and female splines.
Also, lubrication of bolt threads can decrease the torque requirement from spec. Torque specs are usually for dry threads.
pdedes is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 07:34 AM
  #7  
Campag4life's Avatar
Voice of the Industry
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 12,572
Likes: 8
Originally Posted by pdedes
Also, lubrication of bolt threads can decrease the torque requirement from spec. Torque specs are usually for dry threads.
Actually, I didn't say anything about lubrication of bolt threads...just light coating of grease on the spline. I however always add a small degree of grease on bike threads including crank fasteners. And quite right, this does bias the torque spec..this debate in fact rages on many forums about this very dynamic...in particular, maginitude of influence.
I will tell you what I believe to be most problematic which it comes to adding grease or anti seize to cranks. Older square taper Campy cranks were 'extremely' sensitive to adding grease to the square taper. This would not only affect the center bolt torque spec, but how far the spider or non drive side arm would draw onto the spindle. To me, this was a fundamental weakness of square taper. Another volatile debate pertained to whether to add grease or not to the square taper...a matter of philosophy. Many who didn't, ended up with creaky cranks.

Last edited by Campag4life; 02-09-13 at 07:52 AM.
Campag4life is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 09:20 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
I use a dab of locktite thread locker in blue on stuff that could back off and make me fall typically.
Christobevii3 is offline  
Reply
Old 02-09-13 | 09:24 AM
  #9  
joe_5700's Avatar
CAT4
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,681
Likes: 0
From: Omaha, Nebraska

Bikes: 2009 Cervélo S1, 2009 Felt F75, 2010 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 5, 2011 Cannondale CAADx, 2011 Specialized Transition Elite

Use loctite blue. I recently had an FSA crank come apart on me during a ride. One of the crank arms just dropped...
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
t_lkr_blue.jpg (14.2 KB, 5 views)
joe_5700 is offline  
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
gutsofgold
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
34
07-09-14 12:14 PM
ovoleg
Road Cycling
2
06-03-13 08:00 AM
yummygooey
Bicycle Mechanics
8
07-27-11 10:52 AM
yummygooey
Bicycle Mechanics
4
02-02-11 10:39 AM
J B Bell
Bicycle Mechanics
46
02-23-10 02:37 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.