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Over the last 5 rides my saint offside crank has been working its way loose. Yesterday - it slipped off no matter how hard the bolts were done up. Prev forum threads suggest once this happens - game over - new chainset time.
Seams a waste really - enviro and otherwise. Any thoughts on a bodge like some flavour of Loctite (Bearing Retainer?) on the splines that will allow me to remove the crank with a hammer in the future?
Thanks
Worth a try.
The medium strength loctite can be broken free with heat.
loctite will not hold it IMO. Even if yo use one of the really strong ones. the splines are efffed, that allows the crank to rock and that causes it to work loose
I'm with TJ. You'd be looking at something like 638 Bearing Retainer and somehow trying to get as much as possible onto the splines, even then I couldn't see if working anyway, no harm in trying though. Next time don't ride them loose and you wont have to worry about the waste 😉
Is the Saint set up the same as the other Shimano ones? It may be worth trying new pinch screws. If you're overtightening them the threads may have stretched.
JB weld or something like that might work as its got enough inert material in it that will not compress
I've always wondered if it was possible to put some kind of expanding bung, maybe like what you put in carbon steerers, or even a star fangled nut type arrangement and tighten knackered HT2 cranks that way.
It'd be a right bodge but might give a bit of extra life to those that are knackered already.
I'd just try some 243 and see what happens, just clean the parts with IPA or the likes, apply it to the threads and see what happens, reality is that the bolt is working loose, allowing the splined arm to work loose, maybe put some grease or compound on the splines to dampen any vibrations.
Plumbers tape?
Ta - I'll start start with nicking some screws from other bike. Then progress onto the loctite/JB.
I wonder if removing the little plastic retainer will help squeeze things as well.
Obviously cranks coming off during a nice bit of bumpy is not ideal for my teeth....
Will report back in days to come.
I've got the same problem with my SLX cranks, now even with the pinch bolts done up as tight as I dare there's play on the splines.
There's a little plastic shim in the pinch gap of the non drive side crank, looks like it's too stop the arm being tightened excessively and cracking. Anyone removed this to get a bit more clamping force on the splines and lived to tell the tale?
I eventually found a torque wrench was a small investment compared to the cost of destroying parts by doing bolts up hard.
No - the 'shim' is a retainer that's supposed to stop you losing the crank I think.
I've had success with this issue by replacing the pre-tensioner bolt with an ally aftermarket part. I was sceptical that it would work, but it did for a mate, and then subsequently did for me too. My theory goes that the ally prevents the shaft deforming too much, helping it retain it's shape, when you apply a bit more force than might otherwise be optimal to the pinch bolts.
Whatever the reality of it - my cranks haven't fallen off since using it, and I've replaced the BB once since then, too.
Oh - slx here too.
Staring at it now - if I was on a desert island then a threaded bar with big washers and a lock nut setup would do it......
I'm going to glue the end of my fatbike's drive side crank back on... What could possibly go wrong? 😆