How to Install Bike Cranks

Installing cranks is easy, but you may want to have a torque wrench to make sure you do it right - cranks are expensive.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Make sure all parts are clean and dry.
2. Put the crankarm onto the bottom bracket spindle.
3. Grease the crank bolt and thread it into the spindle.
4. Tighten the crank bolt to roughly 40 foot pounds, or whatever is recommended by the crankarm manufacturer. If you don't have a torque wrench, tighten the bolt until it is quite tight, but don't go nuts - cranks are made out of aluminum.
5. Check your front derailleur adjustment.

Tips & Warnings

• There is a lot of controversy among bike mechanics about whether to grease the bottom bracket spindle before installing the cranks. Though most mechanics don't - believing that grease makes it too easy to torque the cranks too far onto the spindle - one crank arm manufacturer has gone on record saying that bottom brackets SHOULD be greased. So what should you do? Whatever you want.
• If you hear creaking coming from your cranks, it could be many things - your cranks, bottom bracket, pedals, frame, or even you something as remote as your quick release skewers. If you are unable to isolate the problem, bring your bike to a bike shop.