Easily remove and install Shimano and SRAM cranksets

Aug 06, 2023

Difficulty

Medium

Give your bike a nice transmission and pedalling upgrade with our step-by-step guide to removing old cranks and fitting new ones

PhD Chemist turned cycling enthusiast, bringing the lab coat to GCN Does Science

SRAM is a components manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. The company mainly produces drivetrains, for a wide variety of disciplines, alongside many other components. SRAM’s has acquired other brands within the industry such as Zipp, RockShox and Quarq.

There are lots of different cranks on the market but Ollie focuses on two of the most popular in this video: The Shimano Hollowtech Crankset and SRAM's GXP

If you don't know what kind of crankset you have our partners at Park Tool have a great video to help you identify your crank type. Some are more tricky than others...

Shimano do have their own custom tools any white-label version does just as good a job if you want to save on the OEM premium.

How to Steps

Check the retaining ring is firmly attached

Remove the non-drive side crank

Rest the chain on the bottom bracket shell and remove the chainset

Clean and grease the spindle

Reattach the crankset

Torque the bolt correctly and refit the chain

Tools Needed

Step 1

Check the retaining ring is firmly attached

SRAM cranks are a two-part system, with a self-extracting crank bolt. It instead uses an internal bolt that holds the non-drive side crank arm onto the spindle and an outer retaining ring. Both are Allen key fittings.

Start by ensuring that the outer retaining ring is firmly attached by tightening it with a 10mm Allen key. This ensures that when you start turning, the self-extracting bolt has a solid connection with the ring.

Step 2

Remove the non-drive side crank

Insert the 8mm Allen key through the centre of the retaining ring and undo it by turning it anti-clockwise until the cranks come off. Initially, it'll take a lot of force to break the seal, so use the crank arm and Allen key together to increase your leverage.

Before you remove the crank, make sure you note the placement of any washers or spacers.

Step 3

Rest the chain on the bottom bracket shell and remove the chainset

Click down the gears so your chain is on the inner chainring, then take the chain off and rest it on the bottom bracket shell. As you remove the chainset and crank arm, take note of the position and order of any washers or spacers that might be behind them. You might be able to pull it out by hand, but if not, gently tap the spindle through with your nylon hammer.

Step 4

Clean and grease the spindle

Before you install the crank spindle, clean it and apply grease to the spindle. You don't need to smother it in grease, but make sure the part that sits on the bearing is lubricated.

Step 5

Reattach the crankset

To reassemble, grease the spindle and bolt threads. Insert the spindle through the bottom bracket, ensuring to correctly refit any spacers or washers. Replace the non-drive side arm, making sure it's 180 degrees from the drive side, and tighten the 8mm bolt into the spindle.

Step 6

Torque the bolt correctly and refit the chain

Check the cranks or look online for the correct torque rating and then finish things off with the torque wrench. Finally, ensure the outer retaining ring is secure, then fit the chain back in place.

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