Shimano Recalled cranks

[benb]

Mine checked out. (6800)

But when they got inspected the LBS must have removed the rings and then didn't torque the chainrings back down correctly. I didn't watch them but have eye-rolled them multiple times when they've said they have so much experience they can skip it.

So of course my chainrings are now coming loose and making noise. I somehow lost my adapter to fit my T30 bit onto my torque wrench, so I just tightened them by hand this morning, found at least two that moved.

But they came loose again in a 1 hour ride today already and started making noise again.

I just ordered stuff so I can torque them correctly. Shouldn't have had to do this though, they have never come loose the last 8 seasons before the inspection.

[AngryScientist]

Many chainring bolts come with a threadlocker on them, and if you take them apart, it's best practice to re-apply threadlocker. I use blue loctite on all CR bolts these days.

LBS foul up.

[benb]

Sounds like a good idea. I will check the shimano docs to see what they are supposed to have on them as well.

As usual I have no time for this.

[peanutgallery]

If you've ever cleaned your crank with anything other than dawn or unicorn tears...you've compromised the epoxy holding the right crank arm together. Sweat? Ever ridden in the rain and just hung it up? It's done. The replacement crank is different enough that I would not ride one of the compromised ones

No shop should be "inspecting" these things and putting them back on a customer's bike. Take that thing back in a have them send it in as a "fail". It'll be replaced by shimano with no questions asked

If a shop can't install the chainrings correctly, how good are they at detecting epoxy that's crapping out?

[old fat man]

Originally Posted by benb

Sounds like a good idea. I will check the shimano docs to see what they are supposed to have on them as well.

As usual I have no time for this.

Which is why you went to the "eye roll" lbs. They let you down but it seems you're no better equipped to do the job yourself.

I'm curious, did you pay for the inspection or did the lbs complete a no-cost inspection for which Shimano will not be paying them either? While poor workmanship is never good, you often get what you pay for...

[Nomadmax]

"Hand tightened" loose chainring bolts without a tool and went for a ride? "Hello kettle, this is the pot."

[benb]

Sounds like a bunch of you were in the dark on this situation.

If you wanted a warranty crank you had to get it inspected at an authorized/trained location.

[unterhausen]

I don't know why I watched it, but someone recently posted a youtube video about a crank that broke after it had been inspected the first time. So he was taking it back.

[fmradio516]

this reminds me, ive always wanted to ask but always forget to...

is it just me or do all chainring bolt tools suck? I havent found one that actually gets a good grip on the back of the chainring bolts. Mostly when trying to loosen stubborn bolts.

Im not talking about modern ones with hex on both sides but the older ones with the small flat slot on the rear.

Anyone find a tool they like?

[bicycletricycle]

Torque wrench for chainring bolts? The shop is correct on that one, not needed

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

Torque wrench for chainring bolts? The shop is correct on that one, not needed

Agreed. With the exception of some fru-fru carbon parts, an experienced bike mechanic should not need a torque wrench for any part of a bicycle IMO.

I've been working on bikes forever and have never used one.

[benb]

Yah breaking now seems like a possibility.

As for the bolts. my T30 tools seem to grip these very positively, no complaints on the shimano hardware. But they are kind of hard to access, worse than tightening pedals. The problem with mine is they are 1/4" drive and all the 1/4" drive tools I have are too small and the torque wrenches are 3/8" drive. I had an adapter but lost it.

14-16Nm to me is in that range where it's a little hard to get it tight enough with small tools but yet still in the range you can break stuff if you reef on it or use a bigger tool. Since the only symptom here is clicking noise unless you ignore it for hundreds of miles just judiciously tightening it seemed the way to go until the 3/8" tools show up.

[Talrand]

Originally Posted by fmradio516

this reminds me, ive always wanted to ask but always forget to...

is it just me or do all chainring bolt tools suck? I havent found one that actually gets a good grip on the back of the chainring bolts. Mostly when trying to loosen stubborn bolts.

Im not talking about modern ones with hex on both sides but the older ones with the small flat slot on the rear.

Anyone find a tool they like?

No luck here. I've used a 'normal' tool with a hole drilled through the handle attached to where the small ring was mounted on a 3x crankset to remove some stuck bolts once. After that I've used threadlocker on the outside of the part that you're trying to grab with the useless wrench and antiseize on the actual threads. Seems to have worked the one time I needed to take it apart. Now my solution is to use a more recent design that does not use the 2 part bolt... (couldn't find the 2x hex bolt ones, out of stock in all the stores I've checked :/).

[bicycletricycle]

Correct, Torque wrenches on bicycles are for weird fragile parts.

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Agreed. With the exception of some fru-fru carbon parts, an experienced bike mechanic should not need a torque wrench for any part of a bicycle IMO.

I've been working on bikes forever and have never used one.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Agreed. With the exception of some fru-fru carbon parts, an experienced bike mechanic should not need a torque wrench for any part of a bicycle IMO.

I've been working on bikes forever and have never used one.

Cranks are subject to high magnitude fully reversed loading, so all crank bolts need to be tightened to the appropriate torque, and that is best done with a torque wrench. This includes square taper, Octa-link, Isis, HollowTech II, GXP, BB30/BB86, Dub, etc. A home mechanic might be able to get away with not using a torque wrench (at least some of the time), but any professional mechanic worth their salt will use a torque wrench.