Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • RaceFace crank spline wear
  • tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Evolve xc cranks about 2 years old, now running on a Hope BB. It is not BB movement, it exhibits itself as in & out movement, ie with the driveside crank vertical, it moves 3 or 4mm in towards, and out from the seat tube. It actually changes gear by itself sometimes.
    Makes me wary of buying another set.

    Anyone else suffered it, or am I just unlucky?

    DaveyBoyWonder
    Free Member

    I think my Deus cranks were made from plasticine. That exhibited itself in non-drive side wobble – splines on the arm had worn so bad there was a mm clearance between them and the axle.

    RopeyReignRider
    Free Member

    My raceface evolve's did exactly the same after 2 years too.

    I think that if you notice a slight wobble as soon as it appears you can tighten them and save them.

    However, if like me you ignore it for a few rides it gets worse and worse and eventually the splines round / break off…

    I think the more recent ones are supposed to be lot tougher..

    bloodyshins
    Free Member

    The exact same thing happened to my evolve XCs after about two and a half years. I couldn,t see any visible spline wear in the axle but they just wouldn't stay tight for more than half a mile. Must have been wear on the crank spline itself. I was working in a bike shop at the time and it seemed to be a pretty common thing on 2005ish Raceface cranks. Once the wobble starts I'm afraid there's not much you can do about it, down hill all the way from that point. You'll either have to see if you can find a new right hand crank (not gonna happen) or splurge for a new chain set that's not made from brie.

    j-claw
    Free Member

    05-07 Evolve cranks were prone to premature wear on the splines. The X-Type interface did not work well on the softer aluminium used on these cranks.

    All new XC cranks (Deus, Evolve, Ride 08 onwards) use a much better EXI interface that is easier to install & much more solid.

    The Atlas cranks still use the X-Type interface, but they are made from much harder aluminium, so spline wear isn't an issue.

    sam-r
    Free Member

    Race Face: is there anything they can design? Loctite 271 is your answer to non-wobbly RF cranks, worked a treat on mine & at £4 worth a punt before a new crankset

    Gary_C
    Full Member

    I Had the same on mine.Tightening down the bolt on the drive side had no effect,as the bolt bottomed out before the crank was tight on the splined axle.
    So,I packed a washer under the head of the bolt,so as the bolt wouldn't bottom out when tightened up,i.e.it pulled the driveside crank that little bit further onto the axle,enough to get it tight.

    Must add it was only a temporary fix until I could afford another (non RaceFace)crankset.

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Gary_C, have been using a similar, if not slightly more GRRRRRR solution to the bolt bottoming out.
    Rather than a washer, I've been shortening the spindle, only by a few thou' at a time, with an angle grinder! Gives a bit more end load onto the crank and shoves it hard onto the end of the splines. The face of the bolt then stops the wobble too.
    Seems to work for a few weeks at a time, then another treatment with the grinder. Have to get creative with the spacers though, or it just clamps the BB solid!

    Glad it's not just me with the problem, just good 'ol RaceFace!

    sam-r
    Free Member

    um, the RF design pre-loads the x-type bearings via the driveside screw/bolt – if you pack out the bolt or shorten the crank axle, you will be putting extra force through the BB bearings – your shiny, expensive Hope bearings that is. I guess if they spin smoothly, all is well.

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    That's the tricky bit sam, I keep having to slim down the shims to avoid excessive pre-load. Lots of faff, but it's keeping it alive so far!
    Rob

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Death is now imminent, but last night found a bargaintastic replacement (non-RF of course!)
    SLX triple chainset without BB (got Hope one fitted anyway) for £65 from Ribble 😛

    Happy bunny.

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    Same here, my Evolve cranks died after 18 months and RaceFace's warranty dept didn't want to know.

    The whole debacle has ensured that I never buy another RaceFace product again.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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