Race Face Cinch system- how much play should it take out?

You don't need to worry about putting too much stress on the plastic pre loader itself, it's the pinch bolt you need to be very careful with. They strip easy. Just take it extra easy with that pinch bolt and you're good. There are metal aftermarket options too but they only address the pinch bolt issue, not the stress you're concerned with. Another thing about cinch cranks, the DM ring interface is prone to creaking so if down the road you hear what sounds like BB creaking it might be your ring. Grease shuts them up.

slimat99 said:

the DM ring interface is...

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What's a DM ring?

I've got RF cranks on both of my bikes and had the same issue with one of them. I was concerned that I had the pre-loader adjusted out to almost the end of the threads so I put the spacer in for peace of mind. If you're concerned about the chintzy plastic piece, Cane Creek makes an alloy pre-loader that is much sturdier although it is a bit pricey for what it is ($29.00 when I bought mine). Otherwise the plastic one works fine, but as a previous poster warned don't overtighten the pinch bolt.

Cleared2land said:

What's a DM ring?

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Direct mount chain ring attachment ring. I think I am greased enough there. I suppose I will just keep my eye on it and play with the spacers if needs be. I am cinched tight for the moment but have not trail tested anything yet.

What fly4140 said

my RF Ride crankset is creaking up a storm, I'll have to give that a check

slimat99 said:

Another thing about cinch cranks, the DM ring interface is prone to creaking so if down the road you hear what sounds like BB creaking it might be your ring. Grease shuts them up.

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Should I grease the entire DM ring and reinstall or is there a better method?

Thanks.

If there is room for the spacer, then it should be in there.

When you tighten everything down, you need to ensure you get proper torque on that 8mm or 10mm bolt(forget which size it is). The arm should bottom out hard then you take the slight play out with the plastic piece.

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Pisgah said:

Should I grease the entire DM ring and reinstall or is there a better method?

Thanks.

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Extra grease on the teeth! If you've got noise and you don't feel like pulling the cranks and ring you can use some spray lubricant to keep it quiet. Sometimes creaking is from the lock ring being loose and not from a lack of grease. Spray lubricant will quiet the noise but if the lock ring is loose lubrication might help it loosen more. Best thing to do is pull the cranks, grease the DM interface and torque everything down. I'm lazy so I hose down the interface with a penetrating lubricant to see if I can make it until I need to pull the cranks for a reason other than noise.

Shark said:

If there is room for the spacer, then it should be in there.

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Thanks. I guess I will experiment with it on the non-drive side as there is about that spacer worth of play before cinching. Crank bolts are definitely torqued to spec. I got a proper wrench prior to this crank purchase as not torqueing enough killed my last set.

I'd throw the pre-loader in the trash and use shims to take out the play.

bcriverjunky said:

I'd throw the pre-loader in the trash and use shims to take out the play.

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I've used the metal and plastic version. No issues with either. But following the install directions exactly is important.

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I'd take it apart and install the correct shim, keep the pre-load ring for sure. It would only take about 10 minutes.

MTB Spacer Kit 30mm ID x 0.5mm Crank Spindle Spacer, Bag of 10

bcriverjunky said:

I'd throw the pre-loader in the trash and use shims to take out the play.

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The preload ring is absolutely required to be installed. You put as many spacers as necessary on the spindle to take up the extra room until the preloader takes up minimal extra space. If you throw it in the trash, then your spacers mate up with threads on the inside of the NDS crank arm and there's nothing solid for the spacers to press against to ensure that proper preload is held.

I've had a couple CINCH cranksets since they've been released. even had an early one with an alu preload ring. The plastic preload ring on my current crank works just as well. It does a critical job, but it's not something that involves a lot of load. So don't ham-fist it and you'll be fine.

Didn't realize the arm is machined out for the preloader. Carry on

#instructions


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Thanks all, I just threw the 1mm on the non drive side. I am way more comfortable with where the preloader sits now. Its nice and tight. I am having some trouble shifting from 3-4th, but not a big deal.