Crank Cotters
4 grades available
$1.25-$3 each

Cotters ship free with Cotter Presses

Shipped seperately; $5 S&H for the 1st pair
$0.20 for each additional cotter
Click here for ordering, payment and shipping info

The quality of cotters available to most bike shops from the major suppliers is pretty sad. (See Grade D below) So, I am always on the lookout for any high quality ones that might still be out there.


Grade A - $3.00 Each (and worth every penny)
9.5mm English - In stock  (New production)
Grey marketed in through Holland because the German makers don't want to deal with USA paperwork.
9.0mm French - In stock  (Old stock won on French Ebay)

These cotters are fully machined from 3/8" (9.5mm) or 9.0mm steel. Even the nuts are turned on a lathe. Both ends are domed to prevent mushrooming when they are installed or removed. The threaded stems are larger, 7mm and the washers are thicker and harder.

The ramps of the 9.5s would require filing to fit most Raleigh cranks. Very old school.  But very much worth the bother IMHO.  I recommend a large, flat, "smooth" file.

When you compare the moment of inertia for the actual root diameters of rolled 6mm and 7mm threads, you see that the larger threads have twice* the resistance to bending.  This is irrelevant in use, but potentially a big deal when trying to remove one that is really stuck.   If you aren't comfortable filing cotters, I'm out of 9.5mm Grade Bs but still have plenty of Grade Cs.   Quite a few people have bought some of each.

* "Twice the resistance"  is assuming the same quality steel.  The Grade As are made in Germany and the others in China or Taiwan, so you can draw your own conclusions about the validity of that assumption.


Grade B - $2.50 Each
9.5mmEnglish - Temporarily out of  stock
8.8 mm (Sort of French)  In Stock

Ramps are smoothly machined. Both ends are domed to prevent mushrooming when they are installed or removed. The threaded stems are 6mm.

Grade C - $2.00 Each
9.5mmEnglish - In stock
9.0mm French - Out of stock

Ramps are machined. Fat end is domed to prevent mushrooming when they are installed. The threaded stems are 6mm.

Grade D - $1.25 Each
9.5mm English - In stock
9.0mm French - In stock

These are what most importers are bringing in today. The newest cotters are just pinched off a piece of rod, rolled and mashed into a usable shape. Since the bevel is just stomped into place, there is a bulge at the sides. So, they have to use undersized, 9.2mm rod so the bulge won't keep them from fitting into a 9.5mm hole.
However at $1.50 each they are good enough for your brother-in-law's bike.
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