Removing stuck pedals

mark8191
mark8191 Posts: 78
edited July 2020 in Workshop
Swapped my left side crank for a power meter today but can't remove the pedal from the old crank no matter how hard I try. Any tips on how to do so or am I best just taking it to a bike shop?

Cheers
«13

Comments

  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    edited July 2020
    Don't want to state the obvious but just in case you are not aware left cranks are right hand thread so pedals unscrew in the opposite (clockwise) direction.

    A spray of WD40 may work, if not applying some heat will help to remove.
  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,516
    Spray plenty of WD40 into the joint, if you leave the bike on it’s side and spray and leave overnight that should do the trick. Or it did for me.

    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu
  • pilot_pete
    pilot_pete Posts: 2,120
    reaperactual said:

    Don't want to state the obvious but just in case you are not aware left cranks are right hand thread so pedals unscrew in the opposite (clockwise) direction.

    A spray of WD40 may work, if not applying some heat will help to remove.

    This would seem the most likely problem, especially if the other one came off without too much effort!

    PP
  • mark8191
    mark8191 Posts: 78
    reaperactual said:

    Don't want to state the obvious but just in case you are not aware left cranks are right hand thread so pedals unscrew in the opposite (clockwise) direction.

    A spray of WD40 may work, if not applying some heat will help to remove.

    So if I'm using an allen key to remove the pedal, Id point the long end to the back of the bike and pull up or push down?
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    Push down
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    And you may be better off with a spanner rather than a hex key if you have really tightened it.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    Bit of heat might help too if the other suggestions don't work. Try and keep the heat off the pedal axle.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    bondurant said:

    And you may be better off with a spanner rather than a hex key if you have really tightened it.

    Some pedals don't have flats for pedal spanners.

    But you don't need to use a lot of force to put a pedal on.

    If the crank is off the bike then it's probably harder to get leverage.

    I use CLARa.

    Clockwise Left
    Anticlockwise Right
    Andthentheresaletterleftover.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,833
    edited July 2020
    Best technique IMO is this: point the crank forward, parallel to the ground. Put the spanner/allen key in so that it continues on that line, I.e pointing forward towards the front of the bike making a straight line with the crank.

    Holding the end of the allen key/spanner that is nearest the front of the bike, put your foot on the end of the crank where the pedal is and push down.

    Works every time and zero risk of skinning your knuckles on the chain ring.
  • me-109
    me-109 Posts: 1,915
    reaperactual said:

    Don't want to state the obvious but just in case you are not aware left cranks are right hand thread so pedals unscrew in the opposite (clockwise) direction.

    Sorry, but to differ. L/H pedals are left-hand threads - turn anti-clockwise to tighten.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    me-109 said:

    reaperactual said:

    Don't want to state the obvious but just in case you are not aware left cranks are right hand thread so pedals unscrew in the opposite (clockwise) direction.

    Sorry, but to differ. L/H pedals are left-hand threads - turn anti-clockwise to tighten.
    Aren't you both wrong (unscrew clockwise being the same as tighten anti-clockwise) and the left hand (non drive side) unscrews anti clockwise ?
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    edited July 2020
    me-109 said:

    reaperactual said:

    Don't want to state the obvious but just in case you are not aware left cranks are right hand thread so pedals unscrew in the opposite (clockwise) direction.

    Sorry, but to differ. L/H pedals are left-hand threads - turn anti-clockwise to tighten.
    Righty, tighty, lefty, loosey (standard, left hand thread) but the opposite on a right hand thread.

    Right hand thread on a left (non drive side) crank arm and left pedal spindle....then again even I'm getting confused and starting to doubt everything I know to be right (true,factual) on a very simple concept.🤔🤣😂
  • me-109
    me-109 Posts: 1,915
    Righty-tighty is correct for a right-hand thread.
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,982
    edited July 2020
    Crank either side at the 12 oclock vertical position, Spanner or allen key at 90 degrees to the crank pointing towards the back.... press down to undo
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    Standard threads are right hand (I.e. right (clockwise) to tighten). Left pedals are left-hand threads (I.e. left (anti-clockwise) to tighten. Obviously loosening is the opposite.

    As mrb123 says, the best method is point the hex-key forward and pull up (or place it on a brick and push the crank down with your foot), then there’s no ambiguity!
  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    me-109 said:

    Righty-tighty is correct for a right-hand thread.

    Righty tighty is correct for left hand thread.
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    edited July 2020
    reaperactual said:

    me-109 said:

    Righty-tighty is correct for a right-hand thread.

    Righty tighty is correct for left hand thread.

    No it isn’t! A standard thread is “right handed”, and is tightened to the right, clockwise.

    What can be confusing with pedals is that it appears that with a spanner you’re unscrewing per the usual rules, but with a hex-key you’re reversed because you are unscrewing from the “inside” (I.e. you’re screwing away from yourself to loosen, usually you’re screwing towards yourself to loosen).

    As previously stated, to avoid confusion ignore the acronyms, terminology, and rules and just stick the hex-key or spanner in line with the crank and pull upwards.
  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    edited July 2020
    Righty tighty is correct for left hand, standard, everyday screws nuts and bolts.

    Right hand thread is for bb's (except Italian threaded) and left pedals and crank arms.
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    Hey OP...just in case you are more confused than ever by #threadgate, I found you a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnb97gQxxc
  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    edited July 2020
    The OP I'm sure has had enough sense to not bother reading any of this #threadgate! 🤣
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    reaperactual said:

    Righty tighty is correct for left hand, standard, everyday screws nuts and bolts.

    Right hand thread is for bb's (except Italian threaded) and left pedals and crank arms.


    NO IT IS NOT!!!!

    Normal everyday threads are RIGHT HANDED (hence righty-tightly) following the right-hand-rule which is to do with mathematical vectors and rotational moments. If standard righty-tightly were true for left hand threads then our laws of maths and physics would be wrong!

    Unusually some threads are left-handed for particular applications (including gas fittings, industrial water valves, and applications where rotational forces dictate that a standard right hand thread will unscrew) and these are generally marked with two notches on the nut crest.
  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    Yes it is.
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    reaperactual said:

    Yes it is.

    First google hit for screw handedness starts “Most fasteners are right handed...”

    Check google (and science). Most screws are right handed - FACT.



  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    For more information, including the right-hand-rule (which apparently applies to many things including the rotation of the earth!), check Wiki which states half way down the page “ By common convention, right-handedness is the default handedness for screw threads”


  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185

  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    I do find people under estimate the excitement of guessing nowadays with the internet on tap.
  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    focuszing723 said:

    I do find people under estimate the excitement of guessing nowadays with the internet on tap.

    When turning my bike upside down to fine tune shifting I end up guessing which way to turn the barrel adjuster and no amount of googling helps with that. 👍😂
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,486
    I do hope nobody is reading this thread expecting some insight.
    Some have it very wrong but I am not entering the argument. Look elsewhere.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    reaperactual said:

    focuszing723 said:

    I do find people under estimate the excitement of guessing nowadays with the internet on tap.

    When turning my bike upside down to fine tune shifting I end up guessing which way to turn the barrel adjuster and no amount of googling helps with that. 👍😂
    But if you look you can see which way it's moving ?
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    Of course since the world is flat there is no actual rotation, instead the sun moves linearly above us, therefore the right-hand-rule is nonsense. I’ve read that on the ‘net.

Categories