Tried installing my new Hope BB last night on my Kona Kula with a 68mm BB shell, so I used the 3 spacers as the Hope leaflet (and the web) explains.
2 on the drive side and one on the non drive side.
It all looks good but my query is when fitting my XT cranks. I slide the main drive side axle assembly through and fit the non drive side crank arm and nip it up with the end cap after a tap with a mallet to get it through all the way.
However there is about 2.5 mm of spline still showing on the (non drive side) crank arm, even when the crank arm is all the way up to the BB bearing.
The crank faces are butted up to the BB and the bearings rotate when the cranks do, so everything looks butted up on both sides.
All I am thinking is -
1. Is it normal for some spline to be showing in the crank arm and
2. If I removed the 2.5 mm spacer from the non drive side, this would allow 2.5mm more axle through - allowing the crank arm to move onto the axle further.
What function does the non drive side spacer provide? Is it to allow clearance for the crank arm to the frame?
Any help gratefully recd. Andy
Both arms should be snug up against the bearings, with no visible splints. Have you flipped the safety tab up on the non-drive side first so that the crank can slide all the way on?
Hang on, ignore that, think I'm with you now. You mean you can see splines inside the non-drive arm without the pre-load cap fitted. Perfectly normal, both my bikes have been fine like that for a couple of years.
"splints" bloody phone!
If you were to slide the arm on further the safety tab would no longer align with the small hole in the axle. If the tab seats in the hole ok, that means the crank is in the correct position: handy bit of reassurance.
Cheers, yeah the tab fits no probs.
Thanks for the reassurance.