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A good mechanic makes everything look so easy!

So glad I found your video. I was so beside myself. I bought a Cannondale SR400 back in the early 90's and wanted to repack my bottom bracket. Crank arm side had stripped threads. I had tried everything and was stuck dead in the water. I thought I was going to have to cut it off and then I found your video. I initially bought a 2 arm puller. That didn't work and I finally found a 3 arm puller. I again tried and not listening to you kept my bike in the stand tried three times and it kept slipping off. Finally I laid it down like you explain in the video and first try brought me success. Very little damage to crank so I will be able to keep my original Shimano equipment It's only a 400.00 bike but the sentimental value is priceless. Thank you Sooooooooooooooooooooo much.

I'm guessing I'm not the only sheepish home bike repairer watching this...

Beautiful, that's exactly what happened on my bike. What started it was on my bike the right crank is angled out away from the sprocket. That prevented me from threading the removal tool in fully and caused me to rip out threads in the crank instead of pulling the crank off. When it came to the gear puller I also needed a c-clamp to keep the jaws from slipping out due to the shape of crank\sprocket assy. It took a few hours, f bombs, and trips to auto zone but my first and probably last bottom bracket replacement was a success.

If I have a bike problem, you pretty much have an answer. It is greatly appreciated

Tried this with a three armed puller like you have, but that was a long time ago. I thought my problem was the mismatch of 3 arms to 5 armed spider, but maybe it was the little socket trick that was missing. Still have the bike in storage, so maybe I'll give it another shot. Getting it stripped taught me in the future to tighten my crank puller tool down snugly before tightening the removal bolt. You da man.

The first guy to actually show me what the proper tool looks like! Thanks a million.

What a life saver thanks. After many years this video still helped someone.

You are a lifesaver RJ! I made a rookie mistake and did not seat puller tool fully and stripped threads. Off to HF I go...thanks again

Used the autoparts puller method on a striped crank, worked a treat. 4" puller, being all i could find on an old as hell Campy crank. Thanks.

Here I was about to fork over some benjamins to a shop because my dumb*ss stripped the threads trying to remove the crank from my bike. Luckily I found your video, ordered myself the gear puller from amazon and now am subscribed to your channel too. Thanks a bunch for the helpful video!

You're really good RJ, subscribed! Keep the vids coming! Well done. :)

Thanks, have just removed a stripped crank with your method. Works great!

Your videos are awesome! You're like the dad I never had lol

Wish I would have known this before. Had to use a hacksaw on 2 bikes this summer. Good to know I won't have to do that again. Thanks!

Kudos for promoting the use of pullers. Every cycling enthusiast ought to have one - it should be bought at the same time as the bike. I didn't know about the existence of chasers for crank arms. Thanks for the info, it's a great tool. Now I have to remember to get one.

You are saving many lives with your videos. Thank you!

Very useful RJ. Well I had this issue a few times and my coworker suggested a pulley remover just like yours. So I brought one second hand, attempted a crank removal without socket. Fail! Know I now how to succeed at this task, if only I hadn't sold that spider pulley device. Suppose I'll find another. Cheers.

Great video- worth noting you should always oil the threads on your pullers- makes the forcing screw easier to turn and they last longer/don't wear out.

Great use of a Harbor Fright puller. You can mod the tool without risking big bucks. I gonna try a HF puller on my next stuck crank. THANKS!

Thanks @RJTheBikeGuy I was able to get mine off using a 3inch gear puller I got on Amazon for 20$ after the normal crank arm puller tool just stripped the threads and couldn't do it.

That’s pretty cool tutorial and I hope it will work with my case. With the puller tool I unfortunately stripped the thread on my crank even though at first I applied the connection with penetrant cleaner. Happily I’ve got bearing puller in the cellar so Tomorrow I try your way. Thanks for the tip and greetings from Poland.

Stripped out my crank tonight. Heading to Harbor Freight tomorrow. I think you'll be my lifesaver!

I'm barefoot in my garage sitting on the floor watching this. Awesome video.

Thank you for help get crankset off Hearing the noise when it pop of is so satisfying

Rj to the rescue with the lil socket trick...why didn't i think of that...simple yet effective...

RJ you're the best bub, thanks for all the help! I went from being a bike dumbass to pretty much okay in a month... thanks to you!

Awesome solution to a common problem. Thanks!

This is very helpful, thank you. The threads stripped on my drive-side crank, the puller just pulls out of the threads. As long as you have this pulley or bearing puller you can reinstall the crank after and not worry about not being able to remove it again, although probably time to get a new crank on there with good threads.

Thank you very much. Your method really helped me.

You're always a great help! Thank you

just ordered my puller tool since the crank bike puller didnt work out for me and stripped the threads thanks for the video !

Thank you so much, RJ!!! Very helpful!!!

I only know how to ride a bike, then one day im thinking I want to change some parts on my own like cranketset, bottom bracket etc..,because its to rusty and ugly, so I google alot search on ebay some parts that I want to change. Then I watch your videos on how to..and I was like "damn its not easy, im a noob,dont know anything and dont have a tool". There are many things to consider and my bike was a cheap bike I dont know the specs either. Thank you for enlighten me lol. maybe I should go to mechanics. P.S luckily I havent purchase anything yet..you save my money great help.

Just stripped a chainset a few days ago. I had no idea these puller tools existed, thanks for the vid, I've just ordered a pull tool, so the chainset may not be scrap afterall.

Thanks RJ, helped me out alot !!

really useful - thanks for the tip!

Great tips. Unfortunately, I had to take the most aggressive and destructive route. I have riveted chain rings and the innermost one has wings that prevented me from directly accessing the shaft. I used a cutoff wheel to cut a section of the chain rings to allow the cutoff wheel to get to the shaft. What a PIA.

All your videos are cool learn alot thanks man!!

saving lives dude. many thanks

RJ you've saved me again!

Another good idea, I need to find that puller since I can’t pull out my cranks too. I ruined the first puller already, got a Park tool but I hesitate to force it.

Thanks man, this really helped me out.

this is so usefull you are a genius!!!

You’re a life saver. Thank you

Great info

muy buenos tus videos.

Thanks. Great technique.

Used to crank extractor for the first time, backwards…. Thanks for the help man….

great video, wish I saw this a few years ago....

Thank you !

I always clean the threads in the crankarms before screwing in the puller, then I gently tighten it down with a wrench. Make sure to unscrew the center of the puller (the part that pushes on the BB spindle) enough so that the outer threads of the tool screw all the way into the crankarm threads. I think a lot of threads get ruined because the puller is not screwed in all the way. If not reusing the one could heat arms up with a blowtorch which should cause the aluminum to expand off spindle.

great video,thanks

thanks very much, my threads are gone , will try your method

Thank you.

nice job

Thank you sir !❤

You can put a decent elastic band round the legs of the puller. Normally helps with initial setup, I find puller is slightly less cumbersome to get into/hold position before tightening.

Nice one!

U r a life saver..

Thank you for your advice on removing a stripped crank. The information provided in this video is clear and accurate. I was able to remove drive crank with stripped threads using a 3 jaw puller that I bought from Screwfix UK. Hika Procraft reversible gear puller 4" (100 mm) 12510

seems like all the tools is worth more than the bike itself but a very informative video helps me alot

Safer - and better - to leave the bolt in place, backed out maybe two or three threads so it's not clamping the chainset to the bracket-shaft. Then as shown here use the extractor's centre screw - but to bear on the centre of the crank's bolt head, - & once the taper's broken the chainset goes loose and you remove the bolt then the chainset. This is less likely to damage things than sticking in some intermediate item that may not fit anything real well - the other benefit is - you already have it in place! Also - for the plain side, a beefy zip-tie made to encircle the puller's three arms and suitably tightened up hard can act like a third hand and keep the three hooks from skipping out of engagement. In an emergency it's also possible to wedge it off the shaft if no puller is to hand - but a couple of thickish tapered items are needed to fit between the bottom bracket and the inside face of the crank. Needs to be done with care to avoid busting up the bottom bracket's face, this is a last resort method that's a bit brutal but can be effective. The big lesson here is ALWAYS treat these aluminium threads with caution, and make sure the crank extractor is always carefully and completely engaged to the full depth of the threads, which are quite shallow and not difficult to cross if you're careless - or else you'll tear them out and have to resort to these alternative methods. And if you have a crank extractor with bladded threads, bin it - it'll bugger up one crank after another. I store mine screwed into an old alloy crank so its threads can't be bashed knocking around in the toolbox. Keeps the threads clean, too.

Great video! Had to use this method on my 1970's Peugeot with French-dimensioned Stronglight cranks. Even taking it to the Peugeot shop who had the correct size crank puller, the threads stripped right out. I don't have a grinder to customise my gear puller for the left-hand crank, but I managed to undo the bottom bracket and take that crank out still attached to the axle.Any advice on whether or not to grease the spindles before reattaching the cranks?

R J, for the bolt type axle, loosen the bolt but do not remove it, then the puller nose will sit on the bolt head. The threads will take the force in compression just as well as they applied force in extension to hold the crank on.

You a master

What if the gear puller doesn’t fit in the chain ring? Working on a trek FX2

Hi may I ask what size the 3 jaw puller is? Would I be looking at a 4inch or a 3 inch? Thanks in advance Derek

Hi bud .. thanks for this video . it looks like the way for me to get the cranks off my bike . any thoughts on how to install the cranks back on ? hammer ?

can I use the 2 jaw puller?

im thinking of taking to the hacksaw to the crank spindle or whatever that part that sticks out from the bottom bracket is. i dont need the parts. has anyone done that?

And when replacing break wire on my bike I always replace the break wire on my bike when the break wire has slight phrase in my bike break wire and looks like it will break

Thanks RJ, I ruined the threads from the crank, probably because I cross-threaded it when screwing in the crank puller tool :( I know, pretty terrible, I should have paid more attention to it not being screwed in straight. But, I'm going to get me 1 of those 3 jaw pullers. Always a solution present 👍

My bearing puller os coming tomorrow to hopefully remove my racerace crank with stiped threads wish me luck

Perfect. Found a gear puller and now I can proceed with my rebuild. I have been staring at the stuck left crank arm for about 3-4 days. Since I have a NOS crankset for the bike, all I needed was to get the darn thing off.

Thanks

We can't find any tools like that in local bike shops in Kerala. would have to import it... Do you have any links for buying that in Amazon???

I'm trying this and having trouble getting the claws to grab on to anything firm enough, it keeps slipping out. I've tried adjusting the gear puller tool, since the arms can be re-oriented, but cannot find any configuration that will allow it to grip onto my crank while having the middle part of the gear puller lined up with the socket.

anyone have a part # for that BR tap or a similar model from another manuf??

Hello, thanks for the video, very good information. Could you tell me the name of the tool you show at the beginning to repair the damaged thread?

Just what I needed I used a cheap crank puller....never again. Do you recommend buying new crankset since my threads are messed up?

Could you help me out? I’m trying to use this method on an old ‘89 Shimano Sakae SX crank art (drive side) where the threads were stripped. I can’t get the gear puller to grip evenly between the crank spider, resulting in the spline on the puller to push at an angle and not straight into the bb spindle. Any thoughts?

I've found a tie rod/ball separator also works.

Sir this is Three jaw puller 4inc or 6inc?

hey rj huge fan here. can you possibly make a video on removing stuck or siezed axle/ cone nuts on catridge style hubs? ive got a crazy stubborn aluminum nut style cone on a hub of mine

Tried it. Only works with easy removable cranks. Good luck if the crank is really stuck

been trying the jaw gear puller method but it won't stay hooked on, their is lots of space for the jaws to go under but this is one stubborn crank arm

Any idea how I can remove my cranks, I’m replacing them and the self extracting bolts have ripped the threads and my only thought is to saw the cranks off

How to rethread that sir?

How is the tri-pod pulley tool called? Cuz i can't seem to find it online.. Thanks!

I just had my bike into a shop for a tune and they replaced the bottom bracket, but then my derailleur broke so I figured I’d switch to a 1x drive. It has one of those 3x Biopace cranksets. Come to find the shop stripped the threads on the drive crank. Hopefully one of these will work.

do you hammer them back on?

Final update.....it took a lot of time with my engineer dad, a choice of 3 pullers and putting thought into a central mating solution...took too long in terms of time and stress You will probably badly mark the alloy crank spider anyway so I would just go the hacksaw route but my dad always does things the long and most complicated way (Because he won't get it into his head that not everything is cost effective or worth saving) Also it will not necessarily loosen while riding with the bolt backed off so don't bank on that....I did many many miles over weeks. Unless you have a very rare sentimental, irreplaceable chainset, I wouldn't bother with pullers. Even then you have a real job on protecting it so it doesn't get marked by the puller arms RJ makes it look easy but chainsets are not designed for puller mating surfaces and the force needed is substantial.....even on a chainset recently installed with anti sieze compound For most stripped chainsets this is overkill as it will be going in the recycling bin anyway......hope this helps. Luckily I found another in lovely condition and I could also save my removable rings

What’s the difference in sizes? Will the size matter for the crank puller?

So how do you take off that bolt in the middle after you take off the crankset. I thought once you take off the crankset that bolt in the middle slips off with it?

What is the name of that tool to repair the thread?

When just one side of the (square taper) cranks has stripped threads I have good experience trying to ride the bike without bolt on that particular side of the crankset. The crank eventually will start to fall off after some time. Usually I start just by loosing the bolt a little to get not too surprised if the crank falls of quickly. After a while I check If the bolt feels tighter. If so then the crank has already loosened a bit and I can unscrew the bolt a little more, then repeat, until the crank finally come off.

I used a big pry bar between the bottom bracket and the crank arm, thought i was going to break the pry bar. When the Crank arm finally came off it went flying 😮

wonder if this would work with the Octalink spindles ..... weak aluminum threads... ;)