NOMAD Mkii II

[Dave B]

After 8 yrs of heavy use i have managed to wear out the thread connecting my crank, drive side, to the pedal. Can any one recommend a solid  crank replacement for my Nomad mark II.Thanks

[PH]

I'm not sure what crank you have so can't really recommend, but if you've been happy with it, there's a lot to be said for replacing like with like, not least that you'll have some spares. 

[Dave B]

Good point. Fortunately I had already had a replacement in stock this crank was only £18 and so I was back on the bike on the same day. Just concerned at that price point the alloy won't 't be the strongest!  Is steel a better choice?

[PH]

For a crank?  No, most of them are aluminium, though there's good aluminium and bad.  Crank failures are pretty uncommon, when they do go they usually crack and then creak, or become lose,  they don't usually fail catastrophically, though I'm sure there's exceptions.

[Dave B]

Thanks again. Concerned that my £18 replacement  will fail when I am on tour. Reading up on the quality differences between forged and cast aluminium cranks. Will contact SJS and invest in a quality forged  replacement and keep the £18 bargain as a backup. Cheers

[PH]

I think Thorn fit the ubiquitous Deore to most of their current builds, I's sticking with square taper, I have two bikes with the Stronglight/Sugino XD2 which is a ridiculously cheap forged crank, or Thorn's own which I have on my folder
  https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chainsets/thorn-triple-chainset-black-443222t-175mm/

[WorldTourer]

I think Thorn fit the ubiquitous Deore to most of their current builds

Are Deore square taper cranksets actually still available? I thought that Shimano switched to Hollowtech in the Deore range a decade ago already, and you cannot find the older square taper Deore cranks any more except on the used market.

When I did a custom build on a Thorn Nomad frame in 2016, SJS recommended that I install the Thorn-brand cranks, and I have seen those same Thorn cranks on all the Nomads that I have encountered in the wild.

[PH]

I think Thorn fit the ubiquitous Deore to most of their current builds

Are Deore square taper cranksets actually still available?

?? they're not, though I'm sure I didn't write that they were.
The OP was asking a question about a replacement for their crank, something impossible to answer without knowing what that was.
A quick glance at the Thorn range looks like they use Deore cranks on the standard build for derailleur bikes and their own on the Rohloff models, it could be that I've just seen more of the former recently.