Cheap cranks died, need your help

[nagasaki45]

Hi hi hi,

Need your help again.

Yesterday I installed new pedals on my commuter. Removing one of the old pedals showed surprising amount of resistance, but I wasn't too worried about that. The new pedals got grease on them and went on quite easily. Today, after ~10km of riding, the pedal on the problematic crank arm got loose. It stripped the thread completely. I guess I cross-threaded the cranks on previous installation, or maybe it just died? Very cheap cranks I must say.

Anyway, time for new cranks I suppose. Wanted to ask for your opinion: Should I look for new ones that fit my existing BB? Should double check, but I think it's 68mm threaded octalink. Otherwise, I think maybe to try and pick up a standard and stick with it for all my future purchases. This is mainly for not buying too many tools. If so, hollowtech? Or maybe I should just pick whatever is available 2nd hand? Speaking of which, if you have some cheap-ish cranks laying around please PM me.

Also, I didn't check the threading on the pedal yet, but was wondering if visual inspection is enough to tell if the threading is OK. Last thing I want is to get a new crankset and ruin it with a broken pedal. Or maybe should I just bin it? It's a DMR V6, so not very expensive. I'm under the impression that it's made of a much tougher metal compared to the crank arm, so hopefully the threading on it is still intact.

So many questions...

Thanks a lot!
Tom

[whitestone]

Hollowtech 2 will fit in the shell so that gives you plenty of options. The big problem at the moment is actually finding anything. The BB itself should be straightforward, don't bother with anything fancy an £11 Deore will be fine. Cranks might be another matter. HT2 is 24mm spindle so anything with that will do. Don't use Sram GPX as that spindle is tapered(!), plus it's a crap system.

Today I needed, as in pressure on the pedals could send me over the bars sort of need , a new outer chainring for the road bike. That would be £130, a Shimano 105 chainset is only £150 but looking at minimum of three months before the importer gets hold of them. Someone posting on another forum (not STW) works in a bike factory in Shenzen and they've added another shift to keep up with demand so it's fair to assume that a lot of Shimano's production will be heading there.

[fatbikephil]

Pedal threads can be helicoiled. The pedal itself will be fine as its chromo.
Worth putting a wanted ad in the classifieds as lots of us have old but functional stuff lying around

[jameso]

I'd be inclined to fit a set of square tapers to a commuter. Sugino RD2s from Spa Cycles for ex. Cheap, perfectly good enough quality, loads of options, BBs generally last a number of years.
Basic Shimano HT2s are junk imo, and they're better than many similar options. Rarely get over 9 months from one and hate the throwaway nature of them. Ok on a bike if you really need the axle strength or stiffness but for me that's not what I need on a commuter or long distance road bike etc.

Today I needed, as in pressure on the pedals could send me over the bars sort of need , a new outer chainring for the road bike. That would be £130, a Shimano 105 chainset is only £150 but looking at minimum of three months before the importer gets hold of them. Someone posting on another forum (not STW) works in a bike factory in Shenzen and they've added another shift to keep up with demand so it's fair to assume that a lot of Shimano's production will be heading there.

I have a 105 11s 36-52 almost unused that I need to clear soon if that's what you're after. It's the offset bolt pattern version.

[whitestone]

I'd be inclined to fit a set of square tapers to a commuter. Sugino RD2s from Spa Cycles for ex. Cheap, perfectly good enough quality, loads of options, BBs generally last a number of years.
Basic Shimano HT2s are junk imo, and they're better than many similar options. Rarely get over 9 months from one and hate the throwaway nature of them. Ok on a bike if you really need the axle strength or stiffness but for me that's not what I need on a commuter or long distance road bike etc.

Today I needed, as in pressure on the pedals could send me over the bars sort of need , a new outer chainring for the road bike. That would be £130, a Shimano 105 chainset is only £150 but looking at minimum of three months before the importer gets hold of them. Someone posting on another forum (not STW) works in a bike factory in Shenzen and they've added another shift to keep up with demand so it's fair to assume that a lot of Shimano's production will be heading there.

I have a 105 11s 36-52 almost unused that I need to clear soon if that's what you're after. It's the offset bolt pattern version.

Thanks for the offer James but in the end I went for the two chainrings (not the Shimano one but a compatible one) but also needed a new chain and cassette 36-52 is a bit high for my legs these days - I rarely get more than halfway up the cassette when in the 50T

[Shewie]

I'd be inclined to fit a set of square tapers to a commuter. Sugino RD2s from Spa Cycles for ex. Cheap, perfectly good enough quality, loads of options, BBs generally last a number of years.
Basic Shimano HT2s are junk imo, and they're better than many similar options. Rarely get over 9 months from one and hate the throwaway nature of them. Ok on a bike if you really need the axle strength or stiffness but for me that's not what I need on a commuter or long distance road bike etc.

Today I needed, as in pressure on the pedals could send me over the bars sort of need , a new outer chainring for the road bike. That would be £130, a Shimano 105 chainset is only £150 but looking at minimum of three months before the importer gets hold of them. Someone posting on another forum (not STW) works in a bike factory in Shenzen and they've added another shift to keep up with demand so it's fair to assume that a lot of Shimano's production will be heading there.

I have a 105 11s 36-52 almost unused that I need to clear soon if that's what you're after. It's the offset bolt pattern version.

Thanks for the offer James but in the end I went for the two chainrings (not the Shimano one but a compatible one) but also needed a new chain and cassette 36-52 is a bit high for my legs these days - I rarely get more than halfway up the cassette when in the 50T

I think I noticed some 105 chainsets in the CR sale today, might be wrong though

[nagasaki45]

Hollowtech 2 will fit in the shell so that gives you plenty of options. The big problem at the moment is actually finding anything. The BB itself should be straightforward, don't bother with anything fancy an £11 Deore will be fine. Cranks might be another matter. HT2 is 24mm spindle so anything with that will do. Don't use Sram GPX as that spindle is tapered(!), plus it's a crap system.

That's good to know and pretty much what I had in mind. Thought about getting something 2nd hand anyway. Will put a wanted add soon.

Pedal threads can be helicoiled. The pedal itself will be fine as its chromo.

Helicoiled? Watched a video and youtube and it looks way too complicated for saving a really cheap cranks that I thought about swapping anyway. Good to hear that the pedal is probably OK. Will have a closer look when I take it off.

I'd be inclined to fit a set of square tapers to a commuter. Sugino RD2s from Spa Cycles for ex. Cheap, perfectly good enough quality, loads of options, BBs generally last a number of years.
Basic Shimano HT2s are junk imo, and they're better than many similar options. Rarely get over 9 months from one and hate the throwaway nature of them. Ok on a bike if you really need the axle strength or stiffness but for me that's not what I need on a commuter or long distance road bike etc.

That's quite surprising. No cynicism here, I'm actually surprised. Was convinced hollowtech 2 is much more robust than the cheaper offerings. To tell the truth, I've never had a problem with a bottom bracket before, and most of my experience is with square tapered. Anyway, this leaves me more confused than I started. Would like to hear some more opinions about this option.

Thanks all again!
Tom

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've only ever replaced 2 square taper BB as they've usually outlasted the rest of the bike.

[jameso]

Was convinced hollowtech 2 is much more robust than the cheaper offerings.

ime not even a King Ceramic BB comes anywhere near outlasting a Shimano square taper.
HT2s benefit is the crank to axle interface is tougher but the BBs are a mixed bag. Some get years from a Deore HT2 BB but tbh I'd question the actual mileage they're doing or the conditions they ride in. I've had them worn loose in 3-4 months of regular off-road use in winter and my mileage isn't that high. Always the more exposed NDS that dies first as the basic issue with most of them is poor sealing. To be fair to HT2 the cranks are great and new M8000 XT BBs do last longer than the older designs. I hear good things about Hope BBs too.
Most square taper cranks can be killed off by drops to flat and that sort of use but for wheels on the ground pedalling they're great. The cranks don't tend to be quite as stiff overall but I'm not convinced that's a negative on every bike / use. I go from a HT2 on my SS (that I have to haul on at times) to a square taper on my steel road bike and both feel fine.

[jameso]

Thanks for the offer James but in the end I went for the two chainrings (not the Shimano one but a compatible one) but also needed a new chain and cassette 36-52 is a bit high for my legs these days - I rarely get more than halfway up the cassette when in the 50T

Same here, hence almost unused : )

[whitestone]

I've only ever replaced 2 square taper BB as they've usually outlasted the rest of the bike.

That can be part of the problem - by the time you think about replacing them they might as well have been installed with the torque wrench set to NNNNNNNGGGGHHH!

I hear good things about Hope BBs too.

The Hope BB bearings on my Solaris last well over 10,000km through all sorts of conditions (including BB200s!) I say Hope, I think the bearings themselves are from IGN.

[fatbikephil]

https://spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109p3531/S ... oad-Cranks
These are really good. Spa do various options with chainrings too.
They do cheap square taper BB's elsewhere on the site but a UN55 is your best bet.

[nagasaki45]

Thanks for the help everybody! Checked again and it looks like my current cranks are actually square tapered, so replacing them is even easier than I originally thought. Just ordered the SpaCycles RD-2 double cranks and a RaceFace 40T ring. Looks like it's going to be a really nice upgrade from my wobbly cranks. Will report how it feels when it's ready.