Any tips for removing a recalcitrant crank arm?

[unclebuck]

I have a square taper XT crankarm that won't budge. It's getting worrying as I will need to remove it a some point for a service. Tried to pull it off in the usual way but I managed to strip the thread

I've been soaking WD40 into it and riding on it without the retaining bolt in for several months in now the hope it will eventually come loose, but so far no luck. It is still stuck fast :cry:

Does anyone have any top tips for getting them off? Don't want to damage the paint as it is a Klein frame so the application of heat is not an option.

Any ideas or techniques would be gratefully received.

Rob

 

[marc two tone]

i don't have any soak- in- this -and- that, then set fire to it methods but...

if you can afford to loose the arm, cut it off, quick and dependable if nothing else.

what i did...get a good new blade in your full size hacksaw and cut a chunk off as close to bb spindle as possible. this doesn't take long. grab arm at pedal end and jig it about and...((crack)) it's off!

of course i cut off m500 sort of stuff so, if yours is XT and freshly logo'd then i'd wait for another soluition

back then i should have taken more stage by stage pics, this is all i have now. brutal but effective.

 

[cce]

a crank arm with no threads is basically scrap. Might as well cut it tbh.

 

[Piperdave]

Wrap a towel tour it and pour on very hot water. Should make it expand, then hit from the back using a strong piece of wood as a drift....

 

[foz]

undo the bolt and ride the bike around until it falls off...

 

[unclebuck]

undo the bolt and ride the bike around until it falls off...

Yep - I've been doing that for a few months now. Covered several hundred off road miles and it hasn't budged.

The boiling water idea is worth a try I think. The problem with the hacksaw method is that it is the drive side so there s a lot more metal to go through plus there is no way to get the small chain ring out of the way so that would need to be cut off first. Being an oversize frameset it is also really difficult to get to the retaining bolts to loosen it off - it would all get very messy I think.

It's M737 so not massively rare. Just like these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-Deore ... 20cc16fe28

My theory is that if it can be persuaded to come off I can reassemble with plenty of copper slip then not over-tighten it like they so often are. Then I can use the 'ride it round with the bolt out' method to get it off in future.

Does that make sense?

Rob

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Go for a ride with Ededwards. Mine haven't stayed done up since. Slacken but don't remove the bolt. Go for a ride with plenty of short, sharp climbs. It may well just come off. Prepare to walk home though.

 

[sylus]

The problem with the hacksaw method is that it is the drive side so there s a lot more metal to go through plus there is no way to get the small chain ring out of the way so that would need to be cut off first.

Have you got a dremmell with a cutting disc? they are small enough to be precise without damaging anything else just don't forget to put a very thick cloth or something to stop hot swarf going onto that lovely paint

 

[unclebuck]

Go for a ride with Ededwards. Mine haven't stayed done up since. Slacken but don't remove the bolt. Go for a ride with plenty of short, sharp climbs. It may well just come off. Prepare to walk home though.

That's what I've been waiting for. As I say been waiting for that to happen for a few months but so far no luck :cry:

 

[unclebuck]

The problem with the hacksaw method is that it is the drive side so there s a lot more metal to go through plus there is no way to get the small chain ring out of the way so that would need to be cut off first.

Have you got a dremmell with a cutting disc? they are small enough to be precise without damaging anything else just don't forget to put a very thick cloth or something to stop hot swarf going onto that lovely paint

No I don't own one. Got a 5" angle grinder though The thought of attacking a Klein with that though is a bit, well... it just don't seem right :shock: