Howdy all,

Got me some BMX cranks and BB with a 48T splined axle and more washers and spacers than a washer and spacer supplier's warehouse.

I was wondering if anyone had any tips on getting it right. There seems to be a fair amount of trial and error involved, but I'm sure some peeps on here have come through it with all their hair.

One area of particular 'interest': how does one go about removing the cranks once they're on the axle…? I've NO doubt that I'll need to put them on and off a good number of times before it's right but it's not like pulling off a 'regular' MTB crank arm.

Thanks for your time!

Lol at the washers and spacers thing.

I took one look at the random collection of metalwork in the box of my freshly purchased 3 peice cranks before taking them straight back to the shop complete with bike to get them to fit it.

The look of dread on the mechanics face when he saw what I'd brought in stays with me to this day.

RE removal, I know some have self-extracting bolts which make things easier (unless the thread strips when you come to remove them for the first time in 6 years – which mine did)

If you can take a pic of what bits you have lay out in a line I can probably tell you what goes where! Hard to explain without being able to refer to each specific part!

It depends what cranks they are. If they are profiles or similar then a tool like this for installing and removing cranks

When removing crank arms you are not pulling crank arm off you just know the axle out of the crank. Use lots of copper slip as well.

jack – I know how you/he feels!

The cranks in question are these ones. (They were mentioned in a thread about cranks as being ULTRA-cheap as it appears CRC have made a typo – oops! :P)

They dinna come with any manual and the one available on the FSA website is not as comprehensive as one might wish.

Can't do pics at the moment, but they do indeed come with a tool for pressing the cranks onto the axle.

I'm just wondering where and which way round the 'top-hat' washer goes? (I'm gambling that if you know this sort of crank you'll know what I'm on about…)

Limy – still not sure how the cranks might come off… The tool doesn't look like it will pull them off. Are you saying that basically you just drift (hammer the sheit) them off?

There may be up to 3 'top hat' washers, 2 generally for either side of the BB, the first piece to go each side, they go the thinner part inwards towards the bearings. The other may be to keep the chainring centered on different sized axles, this goes with the thinner side snugging into the hole on the chainring from the back of the ring.

Hope this helps!

Click here for a link to a manual.

Bloody hell! Just checked your link, think I may order a set of the £30quid ones and just put my 32t ring on…

Having checked the link, they looks bargainiscious. Good purchase 🙂

Incidentally I love the user review that describes them as

Strong like a rail