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How do you tell the difference between a cast or steel crank?

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Could be difficult if all you have to look at is one crank but if you have two and one has a rougher appearance to the non-machined surfaces than the other, it is probably cast. The forged crank should have a smoother appearance on the non-machined surfaces. There is a spark test that is often used also but it involves grinding and you probably shouldn't do any unnecessary grinding on a crank and sparks can be difficult to read unless you have some metalurgy background. Hope this is helpful. Yeah, and what repad said!!