This is the second set of cranks where the hardcoating on the shaft has become pitted and started to flake away. Now on each turn of the cranks there is a knocking sound. Anybody else suffer from this and whats the alternatives?

I’ve used XT and (currently) LX HTII cranks and never had a problem. Ok they get shiney where your ankle hits them, but otherwise superb bits of kit.

Tuvative, XTR, XT, Deore and Ultegra all been great for me.

what

what coating on the axle?

what

– lol, I did ask 🙂

The first set were LX and on my Orange Sub 5 followed by an Orange 5 (07-08 model) and the bearings lasted no better than cheese, so I upgraded to a Hope BB. When those cranks gave up a got a used set of Hones for nowt and they where great until recently – over a years use.

Stoner – you won’t realise that there is a coating until it starts to pitt. It then looks like a thin layer of silver foil coming off. Possibly it is some sort of heat treatment or harding process done during manufacture.

Sounds like your bearings have picked/partially siezed up & the shaft is spinning in the bearing inner race.

That came off years ago on my LX – it hasn’t affected the performance at all. It’s not on the bearing surface, and the bearings still grip the axle fine. Are you sure the knocking’s not just the bearings? Unfortunately, this seems to be more of an issue with HTII.

A huge engineering step back in my opinion. But it’s a step which will mean customers will keep going back for spares’n’upgrades. I’ve gone back to Octalink,cartridge stuff. Tis marvellous stuff where the seals work and the load is directly over the BB threads and you don’t have to worry about all this ‘facing’ bollocks.

The bearings feel ok by hand, but given they are over a year old possibly it’s time to change em.

Good point well made Hoops. Octalink is as good as we all need, shame they didnt just build on that.

Oh i forgot, we are all mugs and will buy anything that is “20% stiffer” or “15% faster” 🙄

Octalink wasnt bad

ISIS was poo

Square taper just snaped/bent at the first sign of a drop, roadies and jeycore only.

I’m still on my first shimano HT11 BB (original XT cranks) 🙂 although i’ve only ridden it for a year in total probably and its been re-greased every 3 months.

Will replace it with king when the $ exchange rate and shiamno bearings fall a bit.

A huge engineering step back in my opinion. But it’s a step which will mean customers will keep going back for spares’n’upgrades. I’ve gone back to Octalink,cartridge stuff. Tis marvellous stuff where the seals work and the load is directly over the BB threads and you don’t have to worry about all this ‘facing’ bollocks.

I’ve used HT2 on all my bikes for the past 5 years – never a problem beyond what I got with square taper, never ‘faced’ a shell either. Funny how some people can be so het up on things….

My Hone cranks flaked and died after a few Peaks rides and managed the flattened the ally threads (yes it was fitted properly). The RaceFace cups had a more sensible length cup and lasted slightly longer. 6months later and a reem’n’sleave I reverted back to octalink. Not touched and not had a problem since. I saw an Octalink crankset and BB on Merlin for £30 so snapped it up. Christ knows when I’ll need it but it was too good to let go.
Zokes – tiz funny how some peoples HT11 seem to last forever. Maybe it’s shimano quality control issue….?

If you flattedned the threads it sounds like you didnt chase your threads… Fitted correctly obviously!!!

90% of HT2 problems are caused in the fitting IMHO

3 sets of HT2’s on different bikes & no problems.
And no facing or chasing.

Unfortunately, this seems to be more of an issue with HTII.

so they’re really good except for the “going round and round” bit ?

pml at “chase your threads” classic! sorry probably should have mentioned it was a brand new frame. Has anyone read the HT11 small print to check for ‘chase’ and ‘face’ tolerances? I must have overlooked them.

No issues at all with XT HTII, recent bearing cups changed but that was after a fair amount of use in all sorts of crap..

That’s a new one. Are the bearings seized?

so they’re really good except for the “going round and round” bit ?

Well, all mine go round and round lots, and in 4 years’ regular riding on my oldest bike, it’s only on its second BB – the rest are still on their first despite wet welsh winters…

The stuff that “looks like a thin layer of silver foil” came off the axle on my Hone cranks after the one of the bearings seized.
I replaced the bearing and they still work OK.

ahh, so it only on the steel axels?

The CroMo axle can corode (the pitting). My oldest XT ones have a tiny spot of pitting. Keep the axle smeered in grease to prevent the corrosion. Water seeps in between the plastic top hat and the axle (capilary effect). That’s what causes the pitting. The Coating is probably just nickel, acting as a corrosion inhibitor.

No real issues with HT2 myself, BB’s seem to last about a year on my MTB and a bit longer on my road bike. At £15 for the most basic shimano BB from my LBS it’s not costing me enough to worry about it all. Never had any frames faced and just bang them on and tighten them up a bit, I ride plenty and in all conditions, perhaps I’m just lucky or maybe I need to be fretting a bit more. Having been through ST/ ISIS/ octalink, I do get a bit tired of the constant changing of standards, but what you going to do. You can still get all the previous systems, so you pay your money you take your choice, I can’t see much point crying about it.

mines the old style XT, i was sure it was alloy?

Axel looks unmarked.