SPD alan bolt for shoes rounded

Mark Alexander

I have been trying to replace the cleats of my Northwave shoes and two bolts are rounded off and I cant get them off. They are one on each shoe. Is there anything I can do to get them off?

Monty Dog

Try forcing a Torx bit into the recess - the splines may engage more readily. Otherwise you can drill them out. Check the inside of the shoe - you can often access the metal cleat mounting plate form the inside to replace it.

craker

Angle grinder will have the heads of them bolts in seconds. You'll need new cleats and you might damage the tread on your shoes. But seconds I tell you

Mark Alexander

I could cut throught the cleat with a chain saw. At least my feet will be well ventilated!!

thanks

sheffsimon

mr_si wrote:

Angle grinder will have the heads of them bolts in seconds. You'll need new cleats and you might damage the tread on your shoes. But seconds I tell you

+1 for grinder - grinder fix many bicycle problems.

beverick

Mark Alexander wrote:

I have been trying to replace the cleats of my Northwave shoes and two bolts are rounded off and I cant get them off. They are one on each shoe. Is there anything I can do to get them off?

I assume they're the BAU allen bolt type and not cross/phillips head?

If so it seems unusual for them to be rounded totally - full of mud/stones/chewing gum/dog cr@p yes, but not rounded?

I managed to get some cleats of a pair of old shoes last year by cleaning as much of the junk out of the bolt hole as I could and being quite gentle with the allen key.

You may also consider using a new allen key. The edges may have a better profile than the old one and may just give you enough grip to remove the bolt.

An alternative to drilling the head of the bolt (but messy and less reliable) is to cut a slot in the top of it with a hacksaw (mind the sole of the shoe of course!) and then use a conventional screw driver to remove it. This will also damage the cleat of course so you won't be able to reuse it or add it to the spares bin!

Bob

Mark Alexander

They are allen key style, the key was new and I was heavy handed. :oops: They'd been on so long that they were fuzed to the sole.

Wappygixer

Mark Alexander wrote:

They are allen key style, the key was new and I was heavy handed. :oops: They'd been on so long that they were fuzed to the sole.

The main reason to remember to grease the bolts before you fit them.......

ian_s

Mark Alexander wrote:

They are allen key style, the key was new and I was heavy handed. :oops: They'd been on so long that they were fuzed to the sole.

It may be worth cleaning out the hex sockets of the screws - be absolutely pedantic - use a pin to get ALL the cr@p out, then try again with the (correct size) allen key. It may be you just got the key in to the top of the screw and rounded it off. It would be unuusal to round off a hex socket if the key was fully inserted.

Its worth spraying with a penetrating spray too (I use Plusgas for auto applications and its the dogs b.'s).

Failing all that I would hold the shoe securely and drill the head of the screw off.

satanas

Use penetrating oil, let it soak in, *then* drill the head off. Sawing a screwdriver slot may work, but drilling will definitely work!