So I had my HT II cranks off today, and on the non-drive side there was a very small, broken piece of black plastic in the slot at the BB end of the crank. There was also a tiny metal pin that looks like it was meant to be part of whatever the little plastic sliver was part of.
What's this for, and should I be worried that it's borked?
The little black spacer thing? The one that pivots on one of the pinch bolts and clips onto the other one?Put the little black spacer thing back in, it's useful, and here's why:
The black spacer is not a spacer at all, but a guide. You might notice that it's got a little metal point sticking out of it. That metal point should fit into the hole on the axle when the LH crank arm is on in the correct position and, impotantly, ONLY when the LH crank arm is in the correct position. If the black spacer can't pivot into place easily (after you've done up the preload cap and before torqueing the pinch bolts) then something is wrong somewhere.
So not [i]absolutely[/i] necessary, but useful.
It ain't broken.
I know this one! I had the same trouble, sort of. Mine was missing from the box - I posted on here and some nice man from Madison said it was a double-extra security thing that wasn't really needed, and wasn't on the older ones anyway.
So, it's unlikely you will die. I think it acts as an extra retainer in the event of the tensioner cap and crankarm bolts both coming undone.
Of course, none of that may be exactly true.
yeah dont worry, i took mine off to save weight.... 😆
It ain't broken.
I reckon it is- it's in two mangled looking pieces.
Anyway, after posting I looked on Shimano's site (which I probably should've done first) and I guess you lot are talking about part #4 on here:
Looks nothing like that but I suppose that's where it's come from. But it all seems to have gone back together OK so no problems it sounds like.