Just trying to fit a set of new (to me) xtr cranks.

They seem to be wider than my old xt set. Fitting to my Soul and didn’t need spacers on the BB before. I guess I just have to take off the BB and add the 2 extra spacers (one on at the moment) but surprised that the same make of cranks would due different widths… am I missing a seal or something? I have maxed out the spacer nut on the crank and still a gap of about 4mm

Also just managed to snap the little allen bolt that nips up the spacer nut. ;( Any ideas on where to replace tiny little allen bolts (have a feeling it must have been broken already as I hardly tightened it at all….

Thanks

Z.

They should be the exact same spacing as your XT. Have you got the preloady collar thing wound back to the crank arm? Old Souls were 68mm but newer ones are 73mm I think so no help there.

I broke the wee bolt on one of mine, I just left it, doesn’t seem to miss it.

Which version of xtr? Are we talking m970? I think we are. Check the crank bolt is fully tight. It can take some serious heft to get that bottomed out.

Also, check the little metal washer hasn’t got caught on the axle as you’ve started to tighten and carved up the axle/crank/bolt as I put some superhuman strength into turning the bolt…. 😳

If you’ve put them on, and now need to take them off as you’ve cocked something up – do you have the puller tool? If not, you need that.

Mine (970’s) are the same as my XT’s and all the other Shimano HT2 cranks we’ve got, got six bikes between us with various HT2 cranks and they’re all the same..
68mm shell = 2ds 1non ds
73mm shell = 1ds only
I’d be investigating further if I were you…

If you’ve put them on, and now need to take them off as you’ve cocked something up – do you have the puller tool? If not, you need that

Or a hammer and no mechanical sympathy…

Yes its m970. Ok will get gnarly with the allen key!

do make sure you have the splines lined up properly too…

Yes its on! I just had to be a bit tougher. Adjusting nut seems to stay in place without its little allen key so that seems ok. My next question was about to be if I needed the removal tool, or if a hammer would do…… 😉

Thanks guys

You need the tool, there was one on the classifieds a day or two ago..

You need the tool.

Though I suspect you could hammer them off, if you didn’t want to re-use the cranks and anything else that got damaged in the process (you’d need to brace the frame and put the force through it)

The pre-load adjuster will loosen as you ride – I’d keep an eye on it.

I have a new little allen bolt as I lost mine a while ago so bought a couple of spares.
Email in profile you can have it for the price of PNP

I’ve got the tool if you need one – not had an M970 chain set for about 5 years!

The torque for the bolt is 50nm which translates into “about as much as you want to try to apply, with a really big allen key” One of the bigger torques you’ll ever find on a pushbike so it’s easy to under-do it.

Njee and shredder you both have mail!

Thanks

Z

970s are a bugger if you’re not careful. When installing/removing proceed with much care and caution.

I bent the little Allen bolt, got the removal tool stuck and replaced the alloy crank bolt as it rounded off due to the extreme force required to remove LH crank(didn’t trust it to work a 2nd time).

68mm shell = 2ds 1non ds
73mm shell = 1ds only

I’d have thought your problem (although it seems to now be fixed) is not having any spacers on the BB when using the original crankset. As per the previous poster you should always have at least on spacer on the BB.

Unless you have a 73mm shell and an e-type bottom bracket or chain guide.

Dunno why, but my 970’s needed an odd number of spacers too, one each side on a 73mm shell.

Tried it multiple times, measured the frame (within tolerance), even went and put them in another frame (they went together fine), but the preload collar wouldn’t tighten and just spun off the end of the thread.

Maybe they are made a few mm wider than normal cranks? If the frame had been 73.something they’d have been fine.

Unless you have a 73mm shell and an e-type bottom bracket or chain guide.

True, I should have worded it as needing at least one thing in between the frame and BB for all set ups 😀

Assuming no E-type front mech or BB mounted chain guide then the XT chainset working without spacers is a bit weird before even having XTR problems