Profile cranks - A bit worn?

[jstring]

Here's an odd question.  And quite hard to describe too.

I'm dabbling in building up a new school bike so that I don't have to thrash my beloved old bikes too often but I have been trying to do it on the cheap by buying second hand.

I bought some Profile SS cranks for a cheap enough price and have cleaned them up nicely.  However, when I place the cranks on the axle, the axle protrudes all the way through the socket in the crank arm (I mean it goes right through and protrudes into the area where the washer and bolt should seat) meaning that when the bolts are tightened they simply butt up to the end of the axle without pulling the crank on to the splines.  This leaves the cranks slightly loose on the axle.

Either the axle has worn (or is the wrong one - I am seriously suspecting this) or the socket on the crank arm has mysteriously expanded (they look fine and the splines are as crisp as the day that they were made).  Its not much and I am tempted to grind approx 1mm off each end of the axle but this is my first set of profiles and I am wary of performing major surgery without taking advice.

I am assuming that by grinding a couple of mm off and by subsequently  playing with the spacers the situation can be saved or am I wasting my time and I should just buy a new axle?  Has this ever happened to anyone else?

[MartyC]

Sounds like you need to put some axle washers/spacers on there...

Your BB set up should look like this before you install it ...



Alans, Billys or Cyclesport should be able to supply them, but if the washers/spacers aren't the problem and the splines are not engaging leaving the crank loose on the axle with play up and down as well as side to side movement then I'd say wrong size axle maybe a 19mm when you need a 20mm one  .

[jstring]

Do you think it is possible that I have been given a 22mm axle?  I say this because I have just done some digging and found that many companies make 22mm axles but the profile ss cranks run on a 22.2mm axle.  Is this correct?  I take many things I find on the web with a pinch of salt.

I'll have to get a micrometer or something but is it possible?  Do other crank manufactures make 22m 48 spline axles that look just like a profile axle (or at least similar enough to confuse an idiot like me)?

MartyC.  Thanks for the reply but I am not sure that the washers would help.  At least not unless they are available with an internal hole that is bigger than the axle diameter.  You see,  I need something to transfer the bolt force on to the crank arm.  At least I think I do

[MartyC]

Sounds like the wrong axle has been supplied with it  .  Deffo a 22mm axle required for them so maybe you have got a 20mm axle with them  .