OpenTube

How To Install Square Taper Bicycle Crank Bike Blogger

BikeBlogger

71,054 views

To install a square taper crank you first want to make sure the bottom bracket spindle and crank mounting holes are clean.

The crank should be two pieces. one piece with the spider attached to it, and another piece that is just a crank arm.

Start with the crank piece with the spider attached to it. Grease the threads.

On the right side (drive side), wiggle the crank arm onto the bottom bracket spindle. Screw in the crank bolt to the right (clockwise). Tighten finger tight at first being careful not to damage the threads, and then tighten to the manufacturer's torque spec, not too loose but not too tight.

Install the dust cap if the crank has one. Grease the threads, and screw it in the crank.

Next, the left side crank is just a crank arm with nothing attached to it. Grease the threads.

On the left side (non drive side), wiggle the crank arm onto the bottom bracket spindle. Screw in the crank bolt to the right (clockwise). Tighten finger tight at first being careful not to damage the threads, and then tighten to the manufacturer's torque spec, not too loose but not too tight.

The crank arms must point 180 degrees opposite of each other.

Install the dust cap if the crank has one. Grease the threads, and screw it in the crank.

Video - How To Remove Square Taper Crank Bottom Bracket Removal Noise Bike Blogger
How To Remove Square Taper Crank And Botto...

Video - How To Install Square Taper Bottom Bracket Cartridge Bike Blogger
How To Install Square Taper Bottom Bracket...

Video - Motobecane Fixie Cafe CF Product Review Commute Bike Blogger
Motobecane Fixie Cafe CF Product Review Co...

Link to torque specifications for various bicycle components
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-h...

Torque conversion factors
in-lb = ft-lb. × 12
in-lb = Nm × 8.851
in-lb = kgf-cm × 0.87

Thanks for watching! And please subscribe!
http://www.bikeblogger.com

19 Comments

@Chino_kochino 11 years ago

You're right if you want to prolong the life of your torque wrench zero it out at the end of use... Another tip is get it as close to torque spec as possible and finish it off with the torque wrench. It's for torquing not initial tightening. Glad you found the noise :)

@bobby3704 6 years ago (edited)

brother that's some slow motion wrenchin ... slow motion ship reck
honestly that was some good work

@msatchmo 5 years ago

Thank you for the vid. Helped me replace my stripped crank arm on my Giant Roam 3 (stripped out after only 100 miles)

@mementomotoph 5 years ago

Thank you from 2021! :)

@SkibidiSigmaAura1 1 year ago

I just spent a good hour removing a crank set, those where on so tight without grease, probably never been taken off since 1998. Grease please!

@johnsnuuu4506 10 years ago

great videos. really helped me a lot. thanks mate!

@338386 5 years ago

Do you have a link to those socket adaptors? I keep on stripping my 1/8' set that came with my small torque wrench.

@CharbelChabo 4 years ago

hello thank for the video i have mtb with 12s and single shift as u have 38T 40 nM or 45 nM ?? square crank what is the different ?? help me plz because some say 45 nM will be better

@FabricateFrog 1 year ago

can't get mine off with an 8mm allen. gonna need to buy a torque wrench or something it won't even budge lol

@oldguybob3359 10 years ago

Most of the manuals I've read cautioned not to get grease on the taper itself. This can allow the arm to be pulled too far up the taper and can even ruin the arm by spreading the taper. I usually wipe the spindle taper down with a rag with just enough WD40 to make sure it's clean, then torque it to spec. After that I grease threads on the crank bolt.

@oldguybob3359 10 years ago

I need to correct my post. I clean the tapers (spindle and crank arm with the rag as mentioned below. I do the same for the crank bolt. The threads on the bolt should not be greased as that will make your torque setting inaccurate. It will over torque the bolt.

@jjsmitty77 11 years ago

what the flub, last time I did that I fell off my dinosaur. Just kidding, wish I watched this before I converted my 85 schwinn sierra "MTB" to a fixed gear.

@outcast566 8 years ago (edited)

I actually did goof up installed my cranks backwards. Did not even consider the proper orientation lol.

@theboss-vr1jj 10 years ago

i just payed over sixty pounds in halfords to have my right side peddel repaired as the treads had gone and tree months later the threads had gone again and peddal came off again. is there anything i can do the threads myself to get the peddal back in the right arm