Methods of attaching Pedal to Shaft.

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Grumble

Member
Some one said that I was a one post wonder, no probem there my list of grumbles is unending. Here's one for a stater.
I remember a wonderful world of steel cranks and cotter pins. Now we have the rubbish system of universal alloy cranks 'squeezed' on to steel shafts. What happens is that after a number of years ( assuming like me you don't discard your bike every year ) if you are a REAL cyclist out in all weathers the alloy corrodes on to the steel shaft ( alternately the bike ia secondhand and the nerd who has owned it previously as overtightened the clampling nut. ) When you come to extract the crank for maintenance and inspection the forces invoved are too great and the alloy thread for the extracting tool strips off - Great! If only there were three suitably placed flanges on the crank end then a three legged puller could be used. But of course that's too much to ask for.
 
I have never suffered this problem and I would not describe myself as a skilled mechanic.

I too started cycling in the days of cotters. I messed up countless crank assemblies by goofing up cotter pins.

I have never had a problem with cotterless cranks.

You may prefer to ask your LBS for help next time.
 

Night Train

Maker of Things
I have applied tension to the extraction tool and then hit the end of it with a soft face mallet to shock the shaft out of the crank. Sometimes works.

Heat is good, as is the hacksaw.
 
Application of COPPERSLIP on the shaft before torquing will usually mean never a problem.
A quality LBS will do this on assembly, however, they often come attached.
COPPERSLIP s a critical part of my maintenance kit.
 

guitarpete247

Just about surviving
Location
Leicestershire
I put new pedals on both my bikes a couple of years ago. They had both had the existing pedals on for over 20 years and had been put on with copaslip grease and both sets came off as if they had been put on yesterday. Crank arms I take off, usually, once a year to grease the bottom bracket bearings. Though after getting my road bike back from my dad's (it had been in his basement for 10 years and not used) I did a spot of greasing and took the cranks off. Again copper grease had been applied and the cranks came off real easy.

A neighbour showed me his bike. The left crank had been allowed to come loose and he had never tightened them. The square hole was getting round and would no longer tighten so I offered him an old left crank arm. Try as hard as I could, even with vice, I could not remove his pedal. I only had about 10 mins on it, as he was going out on the bike, so I gave up. He seemed happy to leave it clonking every pedal turn.

It might just be me, but I could not live with that level of poor bike maintenance.
 
Top Bottom