Have a look at my bottom (bracket)

[Thxcuz]

I'm looking to replace my crankset with either a triple or a MTB crankset. I need some lower gears to help me up these crazy hills.
I'm guessing its a shimano since the other drivetrain parts are shimano. I would date it late 70's early 80's. What size do you recon it is? Can I easily drop in a crankset, adjust the front derailer and go or do I need a new bb?

Thanks folks!

 

[Walker]

That's a cottered crankset. Is not compatible with anything contemporary. You will need to replace the bottom bracket assembly with a newer square taper unit, isis, other....

 

[thatismytruck]

Subscribed.

I wanna know what or if an adapter is available for this. I want to update my old Raleigh.

 

[Thxcuz]

I guess it's off to the LBS to have their wrench look at it and let me know what will fit in there.
I'm hoping its not some weird size. Shimano is pretty much the standard isn't it?

 

[Thxcuz]

I guess my answer is within this forum
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index ... 16855.html

From the man himself, a year before he left us.

 

[meatwad1]

I would have the lbs figure out what spindle length you need for the bb because you could run into trouble of the inner chainring being too close to the chainstays. Also it is likely that you will have to find a different front derailer.

 

[Thxcuz]

It's never easy, is it. Maybe I'll make it a 5 speed for now.

 

[OneHorsePower]

most Bike shop still have some of those "cutter pin" crank arms in the backstore, if you want to go economic , you should have no problem finding a "used" one to fit on yours

 

[expjawa]

I wouldn't think that there should be any issue with replacing that with a more modern square-taper bottom bracket. They should thread right into the existing shell - assuming it isn't an oddball French, Italian, etc thread. If its Shimano, then I wouldn't expect that to be the case. The Japanese usually followed the ISO/British standard. Just figure out what length crank you need - old one should be a good indicator - and what length the BB shell is. The trickiest part may be in removing the cotter bolts. Sheldon says (said) that you can wail on them with a hammer, but I cringe at whacking a bike with a hammer. A cotter press is the way to go, an LBS that's been around a while should have the tools.

As a side note for thatismytruck - your vintage Raleigh is its own brand of oddball. Raleigh used a different threading then the standard 1-3/8 - 24 that most British bikes used (including every other brand produced by Raleigh). Theirs is, IIRC, 26 TPI instead of 24, even though the diameter is the same. As far as I'm aware, the only options for replacing Raleigh BB is to either use the expanding adaptable unit that Velo Orange sells, or a Phil Wood BB with the option 26 TPI threaded retaining rings. Obviously, the later option isn't cheap, but it's the only option of the two that's directly bolt in.

 

[thatismytruck]

As a side note for thatismytruck - your vintage Raleigh is its own brand of oddball. Raleigh used a different threading then the standard 1-3/8 - 24 that most British bikes used (including every other brand produced by Raleigh). Theirs is, IIRC, 26 TPI instead of 24, even though the diameter is the same. As far as I'm aware, the only options for replacing Raleigh BB is to either use the expanding adaptable unit that Velo Orange sells, or a Phil Wood BB with the option 26 TPI threaded retaining rings. Obviously, the later option isn't cheap, but it's the only option of the two that's directly bolt in.

Wow thanks!! I will research those. My Raleigh is a '78 give or take, Is that the odd ball thread on it probably? (sorry to thread jack)

 

[streetpirate]

I wouldn't think that there should be any issue with replacing that with a more modern square-taper bottom bracket. They should thread right into the existing shell - assuming it isn't an oddball French, Italian, etc thread. If its Shimano, then I wouldn't expect that to be the case. The Japanese usually followed the ISO/British standard. Just figure out what length crank you need - old one should be a good indicator - and what length the BB shell is. The trickiest part may be in removing the cotter bolts. Sheldon says (said) that you can wail on them with a hammer, but I cringe at whacking a bike with a hammer. A cotter press is the way to go, an LBS that's been around a while should have the tools.

As a side note for thatismytruck - your vintage Raleigh is its own brand of oddball. Raleigh used a different threading then the standard 1-3/8 - 24 that most British bikes used (including every other brand produced by Raleigh). Theirs is, IIRC, 26 TPI instead of 24, even though the diameter is the same. As far as I'm aware, the only options for replacing Raleigh BB is to either use the expanding adaptable unit that Velo Orange sells, or a Phil Wood BB with the option 26 TPI threaded retaining rings. Obviously, the later option isn't cheap, but it's the only option of the two that's directly bolt in.

Ive done this twice reusing the original cups and bearings and a square taper axle. I live near a co-op that has a rubbermaid bucket full of axles so finding one the right size was easy, but a bike shop should be able to hook you up, bring in the cottered axle and have them get you a square taper axle and some cranks to match

 

[expjawa]

As a side note for thatismytruck - your vintage Raleigh is its own brand of oddball. Raleigh used a different threading then the standard 1-3/8 - 24 that most British bikes used (including every other brand produced by Raleigh). Theirs is, IIRC, 26 TPI instead of 24, even though the diameter is the same. As far as I'm aware, the only options for replacing Raleigh BB is to either use the expanding adaptable unit that Velo Orange sells, or a Phil Wood BB with the option 26 TPI threaded retaining rings. Obviously, the later option isn't cheap, but it's the only option of the two that's directly bolt in.

Wow thanks!! I will research those. My Raleigh is a '78 give or take, Is that the odd ball thread on it probably? (sorry to thread jack)

If it has cottered cranks, it definately has the 26 TPI thread. However, it may or may not if its new enough to not have the cotters. Of course, if it doesn't have cotters, then it already has a square taper crank shaft. Not a sealed bearing style one, but still would have square tapers. So, I'm guessing that if you're asking about it, you have cotters. By the mid-70s, Raleigh was moving away from cottered cranks, but they did it on the higher end bikes first, then it trickled down to the less expensive models. I know that the Grand Prix finally got cotterless cranks in '77, but most of the high end models had done so by '73 or '74.