Merida and FSA Cranks

[TNT1]

 

You guys got a Zamboni?

 

which self respecting ice ring doesnt? whats the alternative? get on your hands and knees and do it? no thanks

 

You have never been to the east rand, have you?

 

[turtlek]

nope no zamboni we got an olympia the cheaper version from australia!!!

[scotty]

Get hold of the FSA agents ' date=' they replaced my carbon cranks without hesitation. They have really picked up their game . One more reason for supporting local Suppliers[/quote']

 

Must have picked their game up a lot then, i had to contact FSA's head office in europe after being given the run around by the local agent.

[turtlek]

scotty do not speak to nick speak to either Roger or Stewart directly nick is just the accounts guy that answers the phone most of the time i can help you with rogers number if you wantturtlek2009-01-14 05:14:05

[scotty]

Thanks turtlek but i'm sorted now. I think the guys name was Nick, they moved from Jhb to Pta and he said all the stuff was still boxed, LBS tried and gave up, 3 weeks later i only got the part.

[Groot Lem]

so can someone send those numbers to Dick perhaps. My local LBS said that dick needs to use a steel and not aluminum bolt to fasten the crank.

 

[turtlek]

groot lem i wil lsend them via pm

 

 

 

and scotty yes that sounds like the story of thier life they change locations quicker than i can change my underwear

[Dicky DQ]

Turtlek' date=' you make my head spin. Hollowtech is a Shimano trade name for hollow cranks. Hollow BB axles are just, well, hollow BB axles.

 

But I get what you say.

 

OK, now that I know what the problem is, here's the answer. It's a rubbish design and suffers from the same problems as the Shimano Octalink (search for it, I've written quite a bit about the faults in that design). The crank should be a tight press-fit and it isn't, which means it has lash. Lash is like backlash when you get rear-ended in your car. Imagine the same movement in the splines. Visualise the splines on the crank being made from rubber and you now standing on the cranks, off the saddle. You'll see that the crank moves in relation to the BB axle.  If you are standing with your left leg facing forwards and your right leg rearwards (goofy), then the movement of the crank on the axle will cause the bolt to loosen. If you can't visualise this, then imagine the bolt head being stuck to the crank and the crank moving on the axle. Now imagine that bolt head having a ratchet in there and with two or three hard bumps whilst you stand on the cranks, the bolt has loosened enough to give the splines open lash and bang, your crank is ruined.

 

I've seen this on Octalink, Truvative and you have now reported it on FSA as well. It is a poor design abandoned by Shimano and never adopted by Campagnolo for very good reason.

 

On the Truvativ design the bolt can bottom out, preventing you from tightening it enough. I haven't examined the FSA but do it yourself. See if the bolt can go in deep enough to make the fit tight in the first place.

 

A new crank should have a very tight press fit and you should not be able to just press it into position by hand. That's the sign of a ruined crank or manufacturer's fault.

 

Either way, keep on asking the manufacturer to replace it until they become tired or bancrupt and then adopt a decent design. I suspect they don't want to pay licese fees to Shimano or Campagnologo and haven't come up with their own method of fixture yet.

 

 

[/quote']

 

Jb I agree the FSA Suffers the same K@k design as the Truvative. Only diff is that the FSA does not "Bottem Out" but the wear on the spline does still cause the same effect of loosening the nut.

[Groot Lem]

JUST MAKE SURE THE *** IS SORTED BEFORE ATTAKWAS ON SATURDAY, ok enough shouting now.

[Dicky DQ]

I Love you to Liefie. I need an excuse if you drop me.

 

It will be sorted....