# How to: Sram Red 22 crankset and which bottom bracket to use?



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

A friend of mine currently has a Shimano DA 9000 crankset, so spindle is 24mm diameter. His current BB is Shimano 36x24 threaded.

Now he wants me to help him install a Sram Red 22 crankset. I've never worked with Sram before, but after removing the Shimano crankset and popping in the Red 22 crankset, things don't seem to fit quite like I had hoped. After screwing in the 8mm hex nut on the non-driveside crankarm, there is still a big gap (about 4mm) between the crankarm and the cup of the bb.

So a cursory search on google says that a Sram GXP threaded bottom bracket is needed to make the Red 22 crankset work. Is this right? I want verify before telling him go buy the GXP bb.
Would something like this bb work:
Sram GXP Team Bottom Bracket



Below is the 4mm gap I was talking about. Seems odd that there is such a big gap though


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

SRAM GXP spindle is 24mm diameter drive side and 22mm NDS. Shimano doesn't taper IIRC.


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## scott967 (Apr 26, 2012)

SRAM 24 mm axle (GXP) locates on the NDS inside inner race which is 22 mm diameter (the spindle has a step in it). You need the correct NDS bearing/spacer. Basic idea is that the crankset is "locked" to the NDS bearing, so as long as the NDS bearing is properly positioned in the shell, the crank will provide correct chainline. What happens in your picture is with the Shimano BB in there, nothing stops the cranks from moving to the left (NDS) until the DS crank actually hits the bearing seal on that side which is wrong.

scott s.
.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

scott967 said:


> SRAM 24 mm axle (GXP) locates on the NDS inside inner race which is 22 mm diameter (the spindle has a step in it). You need the correct NDS bearing/spacer. Basic idea is that the crankset is "locked" to the NDS bearing, so as long as the NDS bearing is properly positioned in the shell, the crank will provide correct chainline. What happens in your picture is with the Shimano BB in there, nothing stops the cranks from moving to the left (NDS) until the DS crank actually hits the bearing seal on that side which is wrong.
> 
> scott s.
> .


Thanks for the explanation. So will the Sram GXP bb that I linked above work?


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

woodys737 said:


> SRAM GXP spindle is 24mm diameter drive side and 22mm NDS. Shimano doesn't taper IIRC.


yep.

BTW, the NDS crankarm has an 8mm hex nut and a 10mm hex nut. I know turning the 8mm nut will lock in crankarm. But what's the 10mm nut for? Many of the youtube videos on Sram crankset don't mention this 10mm nut because their cranks don't have it. Maybe my buddy's crank is a newer iteration?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Yes, you need a British thread GXP bb. The 10mm nut holds the 8mm crank bolt in and gives it something to push against to remove the crank arm.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Thanks guys! appreciate it.

BTW, Cxwrench, the reason why my buddy is switching to Sram REd 22 crank is because he's currently using Etap with a Shimano DA 9000 crankset, and apparently, the shifting from small to big ring is not smooth, i.e, the chain doesn't want to jump into the big ring if you even put a little pressure on the pedals. Chain will shift fine on the stand without pedal pressure though. He's taken this to at least one LBS to have them try to fix it, and he saying now problem seems to be even worse. So he's decided to buy the Sram Red crank to see if it'll play nicer with Etap. Have you seen this issue with Etap & Shimano crank?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

aclinjury said:


> Thanks guys! appreciate it.
> 
> BTW, Cxwrench, the reason why my buddy is switching to Sram REd 22 crank is because he's currently using Etap with a Shimano DA 9000 crankset, and apparently, the shifting from small to big ring is not smooth, i.e, the chain doesn't want to jump into the big ring if you even put a little pressure on the pedals. Chain will shift fine on the stand without pedal pressure though. He's taken this to at least one LBS to have them try to fix it, and he saying now problem seems to be even worse. So he's decided to buy the Sram Red crank to see if it'll play nicer with Etap. Have you seen this issue with Etap & Shimano crank?


I'm trying to remember if I've done a bike w/ D/A cranks and Etap...can't remember. I'd think it would work fine but I just don't remember actually doing it.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

cxwrench said:


> I'm trying to remember if I've done a bike w/ D/A cranks and Etap...can't remember. I'd think it would work fine but I just don't remember actually doing it.


Would using the threaded GXP bb make the final Q-factor wider? I'm thinking yes (since the 2 cups will have to be large enough to fill the 4mm gap in my photo). But maybe the Red22 crankarms will have a bend (inward) in them so that the final effective Q-factor is similar to a Shimano bb & Shimano crank combo? My buddy is asking me this question since he's concerned about possible wider Q-factor.

BTW, I've told him to take his bike to another LBS to have those guys have a look to see if they can make Etap work seamlessly with the Shimano crank. But, he did say that his bro in law did have a similar issue with Etap and Shimano crank (shifting wasn't smooth) but then the bro decided to go Di2 as a solution. But we'll see how the next LBS will do.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

aclinjury said:


> Would using the threaded GXP bb make the final Q-factor wider? I'm thinking yes (since the 2 cups will have to be large enough to fill the 4mm gap in my photo). But maybe the Red22 crankarms will have a bend (inward) in them so that the final effective Q-factor is similar to a Shimano bb & Shimano crank combo? My buddy is asking me this question since he's concerned about possible wider Q-factor.
> 
> BTW, I've told him to take his bike to another LBS to have those guys have a look to see if they can make Etap work seamlessly with the Shimano crank. But, he did say that his bro in law did have a similar issue with Etap and Shimano crank (shifting wasn't smooth) but then the bro decided to go Di2 as a solution. But we'll see how the next LBS will do.


The 'Q' for that crank is set. If you could use the SRAM crank w/ a Shimano bb the 'q' would be the same because of the way the NDS crank arm stops against the step on the axle there is no adjustability. Just because the cups are different widths doesn't necessarily mean the 'q' is different, that's taken care of w/ the offset of the crank arms.


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

aclinjury said:


> BTW, I've told him to take his bike to another LBS to have those guys have a look to see *if they can make Etap work seamlessly with the Shimano crank.* But, he did say that his bro in law did have a similar issue with Etap and Shimano crank (shifting wasn't smooth) but then the bro decided to go Di2 as a solution. But we'll see how the next LBS will do.


Not that this helps, but a friend runs shimano cranks with eTap. Our LBS made it work no problem. I don't have anything to add other than I sensed it was not anything too challenging for them...otoh these mechanics are the shizzle.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

woodys737 said:


> Not that this helps, but a friend runs shimano cranks with eTap. Our LBS made it work no problem. I don't have anything to add other than I sensed it was not anything too challenging for them...otoh these mechanics are the shizzle.


Doesn't seem to me like there would be a problem unless the spacing between the rings is different which I didn't think was the case.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

the bike will shift fine on the stand, it'll shift "ok" if he light pedals. But under less than ideal condition where he's pedaling hard and shift from small to big ring, this is when the chain will not want to shift into the big ring unless he lighten up on the pedal pressure.


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## karlg (Nov 29, 2006)

aclinjury said:


> A friend of mine currently has a Shimano DA 9000 crankset, so spindle is 24mm diameter. His current BB is Shimano 36x24 threaded.
> /acee9ab093a8b1ab54c47287bf8d4563.jpg[/IMG]


His current shimano bb is italian not BSA. Make sure he orders the correct SRAM BB. Karl


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

karlg said:


> His current shimano bb is italian not BSA. Make sure he orders the correct SRAM BB. Karl


Good catch! My bad on the previous post, it's been a while since I screwed in a threaded bb.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

karlg said:


> His current shimano bb is italian not BSA. Make sure he orders the correct SRAM BB. Karl


oh fudge! told him to ordered english. oops!!


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

aclinjury said:


> oh fudge! told him to ordered english. oops!!


Sorry about that acl, I told you British...it is indeed Italian. So sorry!


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

cxwrench said:


> Sorry about that acl, I told you British...it is indeed Italian. So sorry!


no biggie, told him to return it and get italian. He's cool with it.


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