Crank removal help??

[burjzyntski]

The first time around I didn't have to put the cranks on this unicycle because it came with them already on, but now that I have to replace one I can't seem to get the old ones off. I use old loosely, the uni is about two weeks old. The cranks and pedals need to be replaced because, in my anticipation, I didn't notice that the right pedal was threaded differently from the left one...oops. About 4 days later I realized that something was feeling funny and tried removing the right pedal, which I discovered had become stripped. I emailed Torker and explained what happened, they sent out the replacement cranks and pedals (free of cost), and now it's up to me to put it together right this time.

But the cranks don't want to come off . I have been pulling on them by hand because I don't want to loosen them with a hammer/some other sharp force and risk damaging the hub (which is square tapered).

Any suggestions?

Would some sort of grease or WD40 help at all? I don't want to do anything to harm this new uni, and most (if not all) of you are more experienced than me.

[ColDawG]

Hey, Torker did the same for me, although I didn't think I threaded the pedals wrong, but for me it took many emails from my dad convincing them to send replacements, partly because i didn't get mine from an "authorized dealer"

Anyways
yOu can either: get a park tool crank puller ($20), or use a crobar to pry it off, i've used a crowbar on a friend's united trials and it worked fine
on my other friends schwinn, only a crank puller would work

first, you have to pry the dust cap out (w/ something sharp), and then undo the nut w/ a 14mm socket

[burjzyntski]

I already have the dust cap and 14mm nut off, but the cranks seem to be very firmly in place...

Would putting on some lube help? What else would do the same job as a 'crank puller' ?

[One on one]

You really should use a crank puller. Any other method risks doing damage to your uni. Seeing that you've been given a reprieve from Torker, you should either buy yourself a crank puller or take it to a local bike shop tomorrow and see if they can remove the cranks for you.

[roadkill]

ColDawG Wrote: yOu can either: get a park tool crank puller ($20), or use a crobar to pry it off, i've used a crowbar on a friend's united trials and it worked fine.

Use a crank puller, using anything else will only risk more damage to your torker.
An alternative, as One on one stated, take it to your local bike shop, they may do it for free.

[johnfoss]

If you intend to be a serious unicyclist, and do repairs relatively frequently, invest in the crank puller, which you can probably get at your local shop. They can probably even show you how to use it.

There is a cheap way, however, to get your cranks off without tools. Ride it around. Idling is usually enough to loosen them up. If not, do some light hopping, first with one pedal in front and then with the other. Make sure you don't continue riding after the cranks are loose, as this will cause unwanted wear.

[HistoricalGoof]

Dang...the threading in my Torker cranks got screwed up and I just ordered new ones from my LBS. I'm getting REALLY FRUSTRATED now as it's been about a week and a half since they ordered the things and I haven't ridden since then (I'm honestly feeling a noticeable change in my demeanor since my uni broke...I've been irritable, depressed and angry)! I should have called Torker. Maybe I still should...get an extra pair of cranks.

[nbrazzi]

I posted almost this same topic when I was getting started a few years ago. I thought that the nut was the only thing holding the cranks on the axle. You've got to understand that the nut is tightened very tightly - to the point where the crank is pushed hard onto the square taper of the axle. So, its not the nut that holds the crank on, nor is it the tightness of the crank around the axle, but its both of those things re-inforcing each other.

This is why often if you take off the nut, the crank is still very tight on the axle. This is also why if the nut gets loose, eventually the crank will loosen, too. So its like Foss is saying. Take off the nut and eventually the crank may work itself loose. You can speed up the process by hopping around or idling with the nut off. But this is really not the right thing to do, and it can damage your equipment.

Anyway, at the time I really didn't want to order a crank puller because I get very impatient. (I have the new cranks here, why can't I just get this done now!?). But in retrospect, I feel kind of dumb. Getting the crank puller is just the right thing to do, I've used it a million times since, and my equipment is in much better shape because of it.

I've been there, man. Forget about creative alternate methods. You should really just get the tool.

http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=420

[john_childs]

Originally posted by nbrazzi
I've been there, man. Forget about creative alternate methods. You should really just get the tool.

http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=420

The Park CWP crank puller is better for unicycle use.

The problem with the CCP style crank puller is that the handle is longer than most unicycle cranks. In order to turn the handle through the full 360 degrees to be able to operate the tool you will need to remove the pedal from the crank. That is not always very convenient.

The CWP style crank puller doesn't have that problem because it doesn't have an attached handle. However, you do need to have a crescent wrench or some other wrench on hand to be able to tighten the tool and operate the tool. You can leave the pedal on the crank.