Oakley Sunglasses Reviews

Oakley Crankshaft Sunglasses Review: Large and In Charge

Released in 2014, the Oakley Crankshaft follows in the footsteps of the Gascan and the Fuel Cell as an everyday lifestyle frame. And at first glance, you’d almost mistake the Crankshaft sunglasses for the Oakley Fuel Cell. But there are some big differences!

Read more in our complete Oakley Crankshaft review plus our comparison of all 3 frames!

Oakley Crankshaft Highlights

  • Full-rimmed lifestyle design with a lightweight O Matter frame
  • Three-point fit provides precise optical alignment on your face
  • High Definition Optics (HDO) for superior clarity lenses with no distortion
  • Plutonite lenses that provide 100% UV protection against UVA, UVB and UVC rays plus harmful blue light up to 400nm
  • Great frame for medium and large faces thanks to it’s larger size
Oakley Crankhaft Sunglasses
Oakley Crankshaft Sunglasses share a similar design to the Fuel Cell and Gascan – Photo: Oakley

Oakley Crankshaft Sunglasses Review

Frame and Design

The Crankshaft frame is made of O Matter material, making it durable, strong, and flexible. It has a rectangular lens shape and a big wrap similar to the Fuel Cell. Oakley even advertises the Crankshaft as a fusion of the Gascan and the Fuel Cell. And that’s exactly what it is!

The frame features simple ear stems with a step-taper back from a wide front. The stem also features a classic Oakley logo which can be replaced with other color options.

Similar to other performance lifestyle frames, the Oakley Crankshaft doesn’t have Unobtainium ear socks or nose pads. These rubber pieces prevent your sunglasses from falling off your face. But are more common on sports pairs like the Radar or Flak 2.0.

Overall we like the Crankshaft design but it struggles to define itself away from its siblings (the Gascan and Fuel Cell).

Keep reading as we review the Crankshaft lenses, plus if these sunglasses are worth it.

Oakley Crankshaft Polished Clear Frame
Oakley Crankshaft Polished Clear Frame – Photo: eBay

Lenses

The Crankshaft features patented Oakley Plutonite lenses that provide impact resistance and UV protection. These lenses are a similar shape and size to the Fuel Cell providing a simple rectangular design.

Most of the colorways released featured standard and Polarized lenses. And only one Crankshaft ever featured contrast-enhancing Prizm Daily lenses.

Interestingly, the prescription Crankshaft on the Oakley site is available with standard, HDPolarized, Prizm, or Prizm Polarized lenses in lots of colors.

You can also find Crankshaft Prizm lenses through the Oakley Standard Issue program.

Oakley Crankshaft Lenses
Oakley Crankshaft Lenses were produced in Polarized and Prizm options – Photo: Oakley

Original Colorways

Currently, Oakley only offers the Crankshaft in matte black and black ink. But the frame has been produced in plenty of other colorways over the years. We’ve included a complete listing of the original colorways below for reference:

Colorway (Frame / Lens)Cost
Black Ink / Jade Iridium$130
Black and Silver History Text / Chrome Iridium Polarized$180
Brown Smoke / Tungsten Iridium Polarized$180
Covert Matte Black / Grey$120
Factory Pilot / Black Iridium$700
Machinist Matte Black / Chrome Iridium$140
Matte Black / Black Iridium Polarized$180
Matte Black / Dark Bronze$120
Matte Black / Grey$120
Matte Black / Prizm Daily Polarized$180
Matte Black / War Grey$120
Matte Carbon Camo / Black Iridium$160
Matte Clear / Violet Iridium Polarized$180
Troy Lee Polished Black / Black Iridium$130
Polished Black / Black Iridium$150
Polished Clear / Ice Iridium$130
Polished White / Grey$120
Sand / Grey$120
Shadow Camo / Fire Iridium$130
Tie-Dye / Black Iridium$700

Crankshaft vs. Gascan vs. Fuel Cell

As we’ve mentioned before the Fuel Cell, Gascan and Crankshaft look pretty similar but they do have one distinct difference. First, let’s talk about how they’re similar.

All three have a rectangular wrap shape and O Matter frames but the Crankshaft is advertised as a fusion of the Gascan and Fuel Cell.

Aside from generally minor differences in areas like stem design, size is the real difference between these three frames. The Gascan and Fuel Cell are well suited for those who want a medium or large frame. And the Crankshaft is the largest of the 3 frames which is perfect for big heads.

Check out the table below where we compare all 3 frames:

GascanFuel CellCrankshaft
Frame Width127mm127mm139mm
Lens Height35.6mm40.5mm37.3mm
Lens Width60mm60mm60.3mm
Earstems Length128mm130mm132mm
Bridge15mm19mm19mm
Lens OptionsPrizm, Prizm Polarized, HDPolarized, StandardPrizm, Prizm PolarizedStandard, HDPolarized

Are Crankshaft Replacement Lenses Available?

Yes, you can buy Crankshaft replacement lenses directly from Oakley’s website (Product Link). However, colors are limited. If you’re looking for additional colorways or to save, there are still options.

You can find replacement lenses from a variety of aftermarket suppliers for 50% less than Oakley lenses. Be sure to check out our complete guide to Oakley replacement lenses!

Oakley Crankshaft Earstems
The Oakley Crankshaft features distinctly designed Earstems – Photo: Oakley

Where to Buy Oakley Crankshaft Sunglasses?

Currently, you can find limited Crankshaft colorways on the Oakley website (Product Link). However, they’ve gone out of stock several times recently. And every sign points that the Crankshaft may be on its way to being discontinued.

One option is buying Crankshaft sunglasses through the Oakley Standard Issue program (Product Link). But you’ll have to meet the program requirements to order. You can read more about qualifying in our Oakley SI guide.

Because of the Crankshaft’s limited availability from Oakley, we’d recommend looking at aftermarket sites. You can often find discounted, rare, and discontinued colorways on aftermarket sites like our Oakley Forum Exchange areas or eBay.

Oakley Crankshaft Polarized Sunglasses
Oakley Crankshaft Polarized Sunglasses are available through aftermarket sites – Photo: Oakley

Final Thoughts – Are They Worth It?

The Oakley Crankshaft is a little bit of an enigma. A mix of two previous styles made for the masses. But because of this, it never really found its place in the market. And as a result, the Crankshaft was never as popular as the Fuel Cell or Gascan.

Nowadays with the limited Crankshaft colorways, we’d recommend going with the Gascan or Fuel Cell. Unless you love the Crankshaft design elements, you’ll find more colorways available in the other frames.

Still Have A Question?

Are you a fan of the Crankshaft? Or have a question about this frame? Join the largest online Oakley community and let us know in the thread below.

Created this site because of the lack of a place for the Oakley Community to talk. Feel free to Message me any time with feedback for the site, tips o...
First off have any of you Employees touched these yet? I am curious if the lens are a little bit shorter than Fuel cell? They look like they are . My hope is that they look in between Fuel Cell and Gascan as far as lenses and fit close to a Fuel Cell.
What are these ?
 
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Those are so sick. This is the first time in quite a while I've been excited about a new Oakley release.
 
Oops I see these are the crank SHAFT not case..my mistake I guess the case does not live...
 
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Dear Oakley,

If I looked at these quickly while walking by a shop, I would have seen a Gascan. Or a Gascan S. Or a Fuel Cell. Whatever conclusion I would have reached, it certainly wouldn't have made me stop. Please take a risk on a new design.

Sincerely,

Bored-with-iterative-design Guy
 
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