Just got my Torker, unsure about cranks

Unicycles and Equipment
1

I think they may both be right cranks. On the inside, they both have the text

topforged170 I-6 R

and no other use of the letters R and L. I could screw in the right pedal into one and the left pedal doesn’t screw into the other, and the two cranks are rotationally symmetrical (as opposed to the presumed mirror image symmetry I expected, although I’m unsure if this would be the case for correct cranks).

I just want to check and see if I’m making a really, really dumb mistake, before I call customer service and make a fool of myself.

2

If they are both right cranks, the right pedal will easily screw into either one of them. That is the only test you haven’t done.

3

Of course, that test should have been obvious. I got lazy and didn’t want to unscrew the right pedal :open_mouth:

It does go into both. Uggghh. I knew it would have been too easy.

4

Second question: Is there a “front” or “back” of the wheel? Or are front and back determined by which side the R and L cranks are on?

5

The position of the cranks is what should determine front and back for a unicycle wheel. Unicycles move so slowly that the rotation direction indicated on the tire can be ignored.

6

Thanks for your help.

7

Tread pattern irrelevant? sometimes…

Yes, could be ignored but I’ve also had number tires with more arrow based center tread that noticeably rolled better on pavement with mouted backwards. I know weird…

8

It would be a great time to learn to ride with one foot. :slight_smile:

Scott

9

That’d be a good idea if I weren’t left-footed!

Shop manager said he’d call the manufacturer and have them send me a new crank. And I don’t have to return the old one. Hooray free spare!

10

Now this is embarrassing. I can’t seem to get either of the cranks off. I have the tool, but I can’t even get the preliminary nut off. I can’t tell if I’m trying to turn it the wrong direction (I tried both ways, neither budged) or if it’s just on really really tight and I’m a scrawny weakling.

11

Crank nuts/bolts are threaded normally (lefty-loosey). Make sure your wrench is a good fit. Try to avoid 12-sided sockets if you can; it sucks to round off a crank nut/bolt (some axles use nuts, others have bolts). When you re-assemble things, put a little grease on the threads, then wipe it almost completely off.

12

Okay wow this is turning out to be quite an adventure. Thanks to John, I had the confidence to get the nut off of the crank, but then when I tried to use the tool to remove it, it stripped it. I can’t even thread it back in anymore.

Suggestions?

13

When using a crank puller, make sure it’s threaded in all the way or you’ll strip the crank threads - as you discovered. Good thing this is the ‘extra’ right crank!

At this point you’ll either need a different kind of puller, perhaps a generic gear puller or some percussive persuasion! If you do choose to smack it loose, tap as close to the hub as possible and in the direction you need the crank to move. Obviously you don’t want to cause any damage to the hub or the mating surfaces.

Good Luck!

14

They actually sent me a pair of cranks as replacement, so I now have three right cranks and one left. Of course, only two of the right cranks are functional and I’m using one, so I only have one true spare, which doesn’t match the replacement set they gave me.

I got the second right crank off without any problems (aside me collapsing on the floor out of breath after), so now it’s just a matter of getting the stripped one off and I’m finally free to ride.

15

I read that I should ride around gently until the crank arm loosens, and get it off from there. Does this sound viable?

And: New problem. The bearing caps don’t reach all the way around the… circle rotating things. Which would be fine, but the screws that came with it are too short to reach all the way through. I can’t get both sides screwed on at the same time. So… Do I need longer screws, or bigger bearing caps?