Crank arm removal

Who's a stupid boy then ! Yes I cross threaded my crank arm puller and stripped the thread on my
aluminium arm. Anyone got any slick ways, other brute force to remove it?

 

Been there, done that too!

You could try cutting a piece of wood (because it's soft-ish) into a thin ended wedge and tapping
that between the arm and the BB shell - but CAREFULLY - may just force the arm of the axle.

The other trick the guy in the LBS told me was to pour boiling water over the crank arm (obviously
at the axle end!) and then gently tap the arm away from the axle with a soft faced hammer (or with a
wooden block). The theory is that the alloy will expand with the heat at a greater rate than the
steel axle and allow the two to part company.

Hope that helps - the hot water worked for me, although it did take several doses in quick
succession

RG

"Paul Bromley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Who's a stupid boy then ! Yes I cross threaded my crank arm puller and stripped the thread on my
> aluminium arm. Anyone got any slick ways, other brute force to remove it?

 

Depends if you want the crank in one piece... presumably you dont as a crank with no threading is a
bit useless...

You could saw through the back (if you looked at it from the pedal end) down to the BB spindle and
then madly smash it it will probably fall off, and youll find the Al fairly easy to cut

--

-Alex

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http://alexpg.ath.cx:3353/cycling.php http://www.westerleycycling.org.uk
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just put the bolt back in(don't tighten it) the ride around standing/jumping on the pedals right
foot forward right foot back repeat until it comes loose don't think this will work if your bike is
F/S it will fall off sooner or later if you are in a hurry and have good timing you could try laying
the bike on it side, get two hammers and hit either side of the crank AT THE SAME TIME (this works
on round tapers, l think it does on SQ ones as well) but don't do this unless you aren't to worried
about the BB coz if you get your timing wrong you aren't going to do it any good at all

 

On Sat, 19 Apr 2003 19:37:17 +0100, "Paul Bromley" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Anyone got any slick ways, other brute force to remove it?

Just use a leg puller, or take it to a bike shop / garage that has one. A reasonably careful
mechanic and a multi-leg puller will get it off without damage. Drive side is easier, but you can do
either with care.

Then just put it back afterwards. Unless you take your cranks off every week (why ?) it'll last
until next time you need to fool with the BB.

 

In article <[email protected]>, "Paul Bromley"
<[email protected]> writes:

>Who's a stupid boy then ! Yes I cross threaded my crank arm puller and stripped the thread on my
>aluminium arm. Anyone got any slick ways, other brute force to remove it?

A harmonic balancer puller and a plate made to go behind the crank and engage the bolts of the
puller works well. The plate has to have a slot cut in it to slip over the axle, otherwise it's
pretty simple.

Tom Gibb <[email protected]

 

"Paul Bromley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Who's a stupid boy then ! Yes I cross threaded my crank arm puller and stripped the thread on my
> aluminium arm. Anyone got any slick ways, other brute force to remove it?

See a competent LBS. They will have a piloted tap to clear a half-stripped crank and a Var #932 to
pull a thoroughly reamed one

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Who's a stupid boy then ! Yes I cross threaded my crank arm puller and stripped the thread on my
> aluminium arm. Anyone got any slick ways, other brute force to remove it?

Is it an expensive crank? Worth a bit of a hassle?

You can re-tap the threads to a larger puller size, using a piloted bottoming tap. The pilot shaft
threads into the BB spindle and guides the tap while it reams and rethreads the crank.

The one I have cuts 23mm threads, the size on the little-used side of a traditional Park puller.
Stein now makes one that cuts larger threads, 24mm if I remember right.

You'd need to call a lot of shops to find one with a tap, I fear, but it might be worth it for a
good crank.

--
[email protected] is Joshua Putnam <http://www.phred.org/~josh/> Books for Bicycle Mechanics and
Tinkerers: <http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/bikebooks.html