I’ve got Race Face Atlas cranks on a Hope external BB. (Also a Stinger, but that doesn’t seem to be interfering.) They’ve been on for 3yrs and have been great until the last few months when the cranks started to wobble. Tightening up the crank bolt stops the wobble but makes the BB too stiff to spin freely. For a while I lived with a poor compromise, a slight wobble and a stiff crank that would only spin about a half-turn after a good push. Frankly, it was exhausting!

I assumed the bearings were done, so fitted some new Hope ones. However, it didn’t help, the situation is practically the same. Any ideas, is it too much lateral pressure on the bearings?

I compared it to the online installation instructions, the spacers etc are the same. The only difference is a thick 1mm washer on the crank bolt itself.

On the Atlas cranks you have the various washers that go on the axle of the crank. Have you tried removing one if these then re tightening them and see if that makes a difference.

When you removed the bb to do the bearings did you ensure it was tight when re fitted?

It sounds to me as though something has happened to extend the width of the bb. Or something has been done to reduce the width of the axle of the cranks to cause the binding.

Your thoughts make sense. The funny thing is that I can’t remember changing any of the spacers etc in the last few years to cause a problem, but I’ll play around with them. When I replaced the bearings, I even took a photo of the spacers to make sure I refitted them in the same order.

The 1mm washer on the crank bolt might be doing it, but its tight on the bolt. I can’t even unscrew it so I assumed it was on there intentionally.

On mine I have from non drive side to drive side an orange washer, a number of 1mm washers then the bb I think I then have 1 1mm washer and the drive side crank arm. The crank arm bolt with the 8mm head has a larger washer built in.

I had the same problem, it was the spline interface that was worn from coming or running it loose.

Bolt

Bolt – did that mean you had to replace the cranks?

If the spline is worn would it help removing one of the axle spacers?

The non-drive side has no spacers, BB cup is directly on the frame.

Drive side has Stinger (maybe 3mm width), then a 2.5mm spacer, then BB cup. I need the 2.5mm spacer so that the granny ring bolts don’t rub on the stinger plate.

I’ll test it without the Stinger to see if that fixes it, then maybe try a thinner spacer.

Thanks.