Repair guides › Drivetrain
Remove, install and remove play from 3-piece cranks
Two crank arms that bolt onto a separate splined spindle. Much stronger than one-piece cranks. Each arm slides on a 48-spline (or similar) 19 or 22 mm spindle and is held by a pinch bolt and/or an end bolt. Spacers set side play. The sprocket mounts on a spline drive or a bolt.
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Tools
- Ball-end hex key set (1.5–10 mm): Park Tool HXS-1.2 Professional L-Shaped Hex Set ($$)
- 1/4" click torque wrench (about 2–17 Nm) + bits: Pro Bike Tool 1/4 inch drive click torque wrench set (2.2–16.9 Nm) ($$)
- Bike grease: Park Tool PPL-1 PolyLube 1000 ($)
- 3/8" click torque wrench 10–60 Nm: Pro Bike Tool 3/8 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench Set 10-60 Nm ($$$)
- Soft mallet + star-nut setter: Rubber mallet + star nut setting tool ($$)
Compare Good, Better and Best for each tool
Steps
- Loosen the pinch bolts (if any), then the 8 mm end bolts.
- Slide the non-drive arm off; tap the spindle out from the non-drive side with a soft mallet.
- Grease the spindle splines and BB bearing surfaces.
- Reinstall with spacers so there is no side play but the cranks still spin freely.
- Arms 180° apart; tighten end bolts, then pinch bolts.
Torque
| Fastener | Torque |
|---|---|
| Crank end bolt (8 mm) | 35–50 Nm |
| Pinch bolts | 10–12 Nm |
Signs it needs doing
- Side-to-side play (needs spacers or tighter bolts)
- Creak or click under pedaling
- Arm loosens after landings