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kikkoman · Jun 8, 2006, 04:54 PM

bought some new pedals for my MTB and i'm having a really tough time removing the old ones. they seem to fused to the cranks. doesn't help that the cranks move around when wrestling with pedals. i know they make a special wrench for this kind of thing but i don't want to buy just to use it once. any help?

screamingFit · Jun 8, 2006, 05:20 PM

I feel your pain.

My only advice, it'd be easier to just buy a new bike. Or, take it to a shop.

Teronzhul · Jun 8, 2006, 05:48 PM

One turns backwards. Remember that. Look at the threads, I can't remember which.

slugslugslug · Jun 8, 2006, 05:57 PM

Spray some Liquid Wrench or WD-40 into the threads. If you have a rubber or plastic mallet and a way to hold the bike steady, hit the end of the crank a few times after the aforementioned stuff has a chance to soak in.

And the left pedal is threaded in reverse, that is, you turn it clockwise to loosen it.

Also, there are two things that are special about pedal wrenches. One is that their "jaws" tend to be a little thinner than a normal wrench's, because there often isn't a lot of room to fit between the pedal cage and the crank arm. Some regular wrenches, if too thick, can't properly grip the pedal flats. If yours is okay in that respect, the other thing about pedal wrenches is that they're long, for extra leverage. So if you have a piece of pipe lying around that fits over the handle of your wrench, you can make the lever longer.

Other than that, the shop that you bought the new ones from might do it cheap or free, especially if they recognize you, or let you use their pedal wrench.

d4nth3m4n · Jun 8, 2006, 07:01 PM

like slugslugslug said, the left one is left threaded.

if you hold the wrench on the spindle and turn the cranks in the drive direction, the pedals come off.

kikkoman · Jun 8, 2006, 07:44 PM

so basically i need to buy a pedal wrench to remove the old pedals. also the new pedals do not have wrench flats, only a thingy for an allen wrench at the end of the spindle. maybe i'll just take it to the shop. i've not ridden this thing in a couple years. the fornt derailer seems out of whack.

euchomai · Jun 8, 2006, 10:43 PM

I only buy bikes from a proper shop because they will do that kind of stuff for free usually. They do adjustments and generally keep the thing running well. Just take it there, no need for you to get scuffed knuckles over it.

Eug Wanker · Jun 8, 2006, 10:57 PM

Borrow a pedal wrench. With one it takes 2 minutes. Without one it takes forever.

JoshuaZ · Jun 8, 2006, 11:28 PM

I tried about a month ago, then I went back to the bike shop and paid an old Japanese man $15 to do it for me.

They may look old, but they're tough as nails.

typoon · Jun 9, 2006, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by kikkoman

bought some new pedals for my MTB and i'm having a really tough time removing the old ones. they seem to fused to the cranks. doesn't help that the cranks move around when wrestling with pedals. i know they make a special wrench for this kind of thing but i don't want to buy just to use it once. any help?

You could take it to a bike store and let them do it. Or you could borrow a pedal wrench and use a little PB blaster to get the old pedals off.

rozwado1 · Jun 9, 2006, 12:38 PM

Don't use WD40 - it's a cleaner, not a lubricant.

Go get a pedal wrench. You may be able to borrow one from the bike shop, or see if you can buy a used one off of them.

tooki · Jun 9, 2006, 12:46 PM

WD-40 most certainly is a lubricant.

From the WD-40 website:

THE FIVE BASIC FUNCTIONS
CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape, stickers, and excess bonding material.
DISPLACES MOISTURE: Because WD-40 displaces moisture, it quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate moisture-induced short circuits.
PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds and frees stuck, frozen or rusted metal parts.
LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are widely dispersed and hold firmly to all moving parts.
PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with corrosion-resistant ingredients to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements.

I use WD-40 to clean my bike chain. It seems to work pretty well to clean it, and i've had no rust problems.

tooki

Eug Wanker · Jun 9, 2006, 01:33 PM

WD40 is a solvent, with some lubrication ingredients. However, if you use WD40 alone in certain conditions, you can wreck your drivetrain.

I personally use it to clean certain parts, and then relube with a better lubricant.

Monique · Jun 9, 2006, 02:19 PM

Why are men think that they can build anything or fix anything? Women's response bring it to an expert.

Lateralus · Jun 9, 2006, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Monique

Why are men think that they can build anything or fix anything?

Because we're the ones that build everything in the first place.

d4nth3m4n · Jun 9, 2006, 02:43 PM

here we go...

slugslugslug · Jun 9, 2006, 03:05 PM

Anyway, I wasn't talking about using WD-40 as a lubricant, but as a solvent to break up stuff that may be helping get your pedals stuck. Speaking of lubricants though, that reminds me, when you install the new pedals, grease the threads so this doesn't happen again. Use grease (like white lithium grease, which runs ~$2 a tub at hardware or auto parts stores), not oil, just a thin layer smeared on the threads.

If you haven't ridden it in a couple years, you may as well go to the shop and get tune up, though. Either that or buy a bike repair book, bookmark http://www.sheldonbrown.com , and make learning to tune it up your summer project.