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Race Face headache: Stronger extractor cap available?

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SacredYeti

Monkey
Sep 12, 2011
156
0
San Diego, CA
Hey, last few rides i've noticed play in my right hand crank arm and each time it's been the extractor cap. I've half way stripped out the hex on the cap but it appears to at least be on tight.

The 8mm for the actual bolt wasn't loose and didn't move at all when i tightened for a check. The crank is a Race Face Deus XC X-type crank.

So three questions:

(1) Does anyone make a cap that's stronger than the Race Face unit?

(2) Why the **** does this thing keep coming loose when the direction of pedal rotation is the same to tighten the cap?

(3) Anyone got a beer?
 
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SacredYeti

Monkey
Sep 12, 2011
156
0
San Diego, CA
Was just thinking that but now I have a bigger issue. That cap isn't what keeps the arm on the crank, the inner bolt is, so when the cap is off the crank should still not move. The other bolt is dead ass tight as can can.

I have a stripped crank, whoo hoo.
 
JohnnyH

JohnnyH

Chimp
Sep 1, 2011
10
0
The Deus cranks do seem to develop play after a few years of use (I got about four good seasons out of mine). The guys at Race Face said that it was common for this to happen to the older cranks with the ISIS interface after a while. The newer stuff, apparently, uses a different spline connection and they are said to last longer. I ended up replacing my Deus with a set of Turbine crank arms, since they are available for a good price as arms only and my rings were relatively new. Sorry to hear about your cranks, and I hope you enjoy your beer...
 
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SacredYeti

Monkey
Sep 12, 2011
156
0
San Diego, CA
Yeah, I think you're right on the dot JH. I pulled the 8mm hex out of the crank and the splines, everything looks fine. But for some reason when I tighten the bolt down it still has play.

From a visual inspection, it appears as if the crank splines extend about 1mm+/ past where the crank arm sits in the splines, so that when I tighten the 8mm hex the bolt sits against the spline shaft as opposed to holding the crank arm down.

Are there special spline-cut washers I can snag up or is my drive toast?
 
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davep

Turbo Monkey
Jan 7, 2005
3,276
0
seattle
I was going to say that the cap has nothing to do with the arm moving WRT the spindle when I first read this yesterday (seem like you figured that out).

I have owned 5 sets of RF splined cranks (2X atlas and 3X diabolus) all but the last pair of each did exactly what yours did (sold the new warranty sets).


For me it was not the age per-se but the # of instal cycles. Each of the 3 failed sets lasted 2 or three cycles with the first involving a couple shim/preload adjustments.


Bolts never came loose, splines were properly greased, bolts were correctly torqued. Instal simply wears the interface.

Luckily RF was great with taking care of the problems...
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,816
24,393
media blackout
isis cranks were known to have wear issues in the spine interface, regardless of manufacturer. i used to have an entire box of hussefelts thad splines that were shot. one of the reasons the isis standard was abandoned.
 
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oldfart

Turbo Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
1,206
24
North Van
SacredYeti said:
Yeah, I think you're right on the dot JH. I pulled the 8mm hex out of the crank and the splines, everything looks fine. But for some reason when I tighten the bolt down it still has play.

From a visual inspection, it appears as if the crank splines extend about 1mm+/ past where the crank arm sits in the splines, so that when I tighten the 8mm hex the bolt sits against the spline shaft as opposed to holding the crank arm down.

Are there special spline-cut washers I can snag up or is my drive toast?
Click to expand...
Sorry bro that crank is done. Even with a washer in there I think the inside face of the crank arm might bottom on the end of the splines anyway. Tightening it with a washer might push it on further and force it to split. Old square tapered cranks did that too from time to time.

Personally I think Shimano make the best cranks. I avoid any two piece though because they are prone to creaking in time. I looked at getting a set of XX earlier this year but the XTR I thought were a better buy.
 
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S.n.a.k.e.

Monkey
Mar 12, 2003
524
0
N. Tonawanda, NY
I burned through 3 sets of Race Face X-type cranks. There is a small plastic ring (shim) at the bottom of the splines on the drive side crank that seems to break after a certain number of install cycles (as davep stated).
This is compounded by the fact that the retaining cap loosens up and allows the crank to rock on the splines a bit and contribute to the destruction of that little plastic ring.
When this set follows its brethren, it will be Saints or XTR for me.
 
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SacredYeti

Monkey
Sep 12, 2011
156
0
San Diego, CA
S.n.a.k.e. said:
I burned through 3 sets of Race Face X-type cranks. There is a small plastic ring (shim) at the bottom of the splines on the drive side crank that seems to break after a certain number of install cycles (as davep stated).
This is compounded by the fact that the retaining cap loosens up and allows the crank to rock on the splines a bit and contribute to the destruction of that little plastic ring.
When this set follows its brethren, it will be Saints or XTR for me.
Click to expand...
Gave it a second look, that nifty little plactic piece you speak of doesn't even exist any more. But I got some Truativs otw :thumb:
 
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