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The Street => The Bike Shop => Topic started by: Prodigal Son on September 30, 2016, 08:50:26 PM

Title: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Prodigal Son on September 30, 2016, 08:50:26 PM: I just got new cranks. I have premium pedals in my old cranks which only have an Allen broach, no wrench flats. Making an obtuse triangle doesn't work as well as it does with a pedal wrench to stomp on and break the pedals loose. I sprayed some wd40 in the pedal bosses hoping to loosen them. What other technique might I employ to maintain my sedentary lifestyle?
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: LeonLikesToRock on October 01, 2016, 02:27:06 AM: tried using something to extend the reach on the allen key like the ring end of a spanner or an old seatpost?
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: (jeff) on October 01, 2016, 03:49:27 AM: Use a hammer. I've beaten wrenches with a rubber mallet a few times to loosen stuck bolts.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Prodigal Son on October 01, 2016, 02:28:03 PM: Yea, I extended the leverage on it. The Allen wrench was already long and I had an extra peg near by I was using for the sake of that 6mm width straining against my palm. Still nothing.

Sorta hard to hit an Allen and direct the force entirely perpendicular to the threads.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: paranoidmexican on October 01, 2016, 02:55:48 PM: Try using an allen key on a socket wrench
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: badlight on October 01, 2016, 02:57:42 PM: Get new cranks.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Louis on October 01, 2016, 03:05:32 PM: Quote from: paranoidmexican on October 01, 2016, 02:55:48 PM
Try using an allen key on a socket wrench

1234

(http://www.consolidatedtools.com/WebRoot/GroupNBT/Shops/s3zpvuf584b3/4F0D/B8DF/8603/7B22/3770/0A0C/05E8/642C/KOK3010M-62SE11.JPG)
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Prodigal Son on October 01, 2016, 10:12:41 PM: Quote from: badlight on October 01, 2016, 02:57:42 PM
Get new cranks.

Haha I got new cranks, I want my premium pedals back from the old motherfuckers! In the interim, I've got Rubens on.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: metalbmxer on October 02, 2016, 09:56:44 AM: You sure you're turning it the right way? Years ago this happened to me only to realize I was turning the reverse threaded Left side pedal the WRONG way!
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Prodigal Son on October 02, 2016, 11:45:45 AM: I made sure by placing it next to my new cranks with pedals in and observing the rotation.

Also, seems like there is too much play for the 6mm.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: JFax on October 03, 2016, 03:26:54 AM: As a last resort you could try and switch your crank arms over and ride the pedals backwards (switch over the pedal bodies too) for a while, might loosen up after a few sessions.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: dude... on October 04, 2016, 07:24:25 AM: allen key broaches in pedals are pretty shit. usually you cant get the leverage to shift a seized pedal without rounding something out. only really useful for tightening your pedal if it comes loose when out riding (cos noone ever carries a 15mm spanner and you cant get an adjustable spanner/shifter onto the flats on most pedals (except jcpcs cos theyre the best...and a few other pedals)).

only having a 6mm allen key broach on the axles is a pedal design fail
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Narcoleptic Insomniac on October 04, 2016, 01:12:01 PM: Pedals don't need to be done that tight anyway. Just use some blue loctite on the threads and tighten it a reasonable amount with the 6mm allen. Should be good after that.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: getzfafive on October 13, 2016, 12:36:33 PM: Another old trick is to throw the crank arm in the freezer for a hour. Cold makes metal contract, which sometimes can assist loosening a tight bolt.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Prodigal Son on October 13, 2016, 02:39:50 PM: I wish the market for bmx could sustain using torx. My Volvo has them all over the place and I love em.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: ediotism on October 21, 2016, 01:24:32 AM: i've recently read about people heating up the contact area and dripping candle wax onto it - the idea is that the heat would suck the wax into the threads hence help lubricating it.

i haven't read extensively about it, and i haven't seen it work myself. it seems an inferior option vs. soaking in WD-40 overnight.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: paranoidmexican on October 21, 2016, 06:14:08 AM: Spit on it
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: Narcoleptic Insomniac on October 21, 2016, 08:54:39 PM: Last week my car got a flat tire. I went replace the wheel with the spare tire but apparently the lugs had been tightened by the Hulk. After a bottle of WD40 and a few hours I was finally able to loosen the lugs and change the tire. I guess my point is try WD40. I wasn't expecting it to work but it got the job done.
Title: Re: Too much effort to get my pedals off
Post by: got bike? on November 16, 2016, 07:43:14 PM: I used both allen key and flat wrench if possible. worked all few times i tried. be careful with hands.