removing cranks, no puller

duncan said:

*What's the best way to remove stubborn cranks if you don't have a
puller? *

Best: buy or borrow a puller and then use it. Pullers are typically
available at the LBS -or- take it to LBS and have them pull it off.

2nd best(?): use a bearing/pulley puller.

3rd best(?): pry/wedge it off with a large screw driver or small pry
bar. work slowly shifting from side to side of crank (so as to work it
off fairly straight). I do _not_ recommend this option.

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duaner - -

duaner.
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Get a puller. It will be a lot cheaper in the long term. The crank/hub
interface is the weakest bit of the uni as is worth looking after.

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duncan said:

*What's the best way to remove stubborn cranks if you don't have a
puller? *

Carefully hacksaw through the crank where it wraps around the taper. If
you don't nick the taper you can install another set of cranks with no
problem. 🙂

Seriously, get a puller. They don't cost very much and they'll keep
your cranks in good shape for the next install.

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cyberbellum - Level 1.0 rider!

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put your wheel on a work bench, place a chisel or punch throught the
spokes to the back of the crank to be removed and one biggish tap with a
mallett

(or you could just buy a puller/extractor and be equipmewnt and
component friendly, i havent damaged anything YET, but i doubt its a
very good method to use)

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Thanks for the replies. I do need a puller, it's just my nearest LBS
would be across 5,000 miles of ocean. We do have a hardare store here
though; I will look for a bearing puller.

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duncan - The only unicyclist on the island
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If you have an auto shop, you might want to try there. be sure to bring
the cycle in with you and ask them what they would suggest. They might
know something we don't.

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daino149 - How's it going, Texas?

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duncan said:

*Thanks for the replies. I do need a puller, it's just my nearest LBS
would be across 5,000 miles of ocean. *

Ah, right. Time to be serious.

I had to use a bearing puller once to remove a crank. It had somehow
fused itself to the spindle, and the mechanic before me had stripped out
the threads the puller screws into. As I recall it was a real [censored]
because the three arms of the bearing remover wouldn't grasp the crank
properly.

If the bearing puller (plan B) doesn't work then you can try plan C.
It worked for me with that rusted-on crank.

1) Take the wheel off the rim.

2) Find a way to support the wheel horizontally by only the crank. Cut
a U-shaped slot in a piece of angle iron and fit it around the spindle
and between the bearings and the crank. Lock the iron into a vice or
something so it is solid. This is going to be the anvil. Thick plywood
might work, too. Improvise.

3) Spend an hour chilling the hub and spindle. Pack it in ice, or throw
it in the freeze locker of a local restaurant or something. Getting it
good and cold contracts all the metal.

4) Quickly place the spindle onto the "Anvil". Quickly heat the crank
gently with a torch. If it's aluminum just warm it with the hot air
just past the flame. If it's steel you can hit it directly with the hot
part of the flame. Did I mention you should work quickly? You want
that spindle to still be ice cold when you attempt the next step.

5) If the wheel doesn't fall out on it's own then place a coin in the
hole over the crank spindle to act as a washer, set a big screwdriver or
drift punch on top of that and whack sharply with a hammer to drive the
spindle out. Don't be too gentle - you've only got a few seconds until
the spindle heats up and expands. The wheel should fall free.

6) Catch the wheel. (Easiest done if you put something soft under it
beforhand. 🙂 )

If that doesn't work then you could try it again from the beginning, or
find a way to whack it off with a chisel from the other side (see above
post), or grind/saw/vice-grip-chew it off (see other above post).

Good luck,

Tim

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Buy a puller if it is at all possible!

carjug, Who has been there, done that, and bought a puller after he
messed up a Coker wheel!

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carjug
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If you are anywhere near an auto parts store, buy a battery cable
puller. They are designed to be used to pull the cable end loose from
the battery post and are relatively inexpensive. The best part is that
they fit perfectly over the crank.

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Krashin'Kenny - Crash Tested

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If you can not find a puller try taking the nuts off and riding it
around. Be carefull not to ride it once they get loose.

--
muddycycle - Nonchalance

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you can have my crank puller, now that i'm selling my uni which needed
it... well, the cranks used to fall off so technically it didn't need
it. i was going to give it to sam but looks like you need it more. pm me
if you want it. i'll send it to you for free.

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Remove the nut and ride. Stop as soon as you feel play in the crank.

This is not a good method of course, but might work if other methods
fail.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
be sure to remove the saddle and simply sit on the seat post. this is far more comfortable - tennisgh22 on the comfort of Savage unis