London Fixed-gear and Single-speed SJS Cycles

good? bad?
i already have a crank puller, but the self extracting bolts work out a bit cheaper (and easier to find) than old-fashioned bolts and covers, and i don't like those standard black plastic ones that all the bike shops sell!
any reason i should avoid them, or is there not much between them?

work OK, although i prefer old skool 15mm hex head and dust caps.

Be warned: They make you cranks very easy to steal.

I would say theft is a big reason not to use them, so if you have bling cranks and leave it locked then go for std bolts. On my MTB I had to replace one of mine with a standard one as couldn't stop the thing squeaking.

To be fair, I should point out my pretty bike has these bolts but I only screw in the allen bolt. I leave one of the extrctor caps in my bag in case I need it.

This mean's they're as hard o steal as normal cranks (Whilch is still pretty easy).

i have just tied to take off some strongshite cranks with self-extracting bolts, and BOTH of the black washer things have shat themselves, ruining the thread on the ds crank.
what the fuck is going on?

supremely fucking cunted off.

oh man. that sucks....

old fashioned extractor ftw.

I had that happen on a left hand stronglight crank...had to beat it off with a lump hammer.

I'd recommend to anyone with those stronglight cranks to remove those bloody things, but i guess that doesn't help you now. Truly sucks dude.

yep. at least th cranks are still on, and i can just put the bolts back on.
it fucken blows. i totally agree with pga - take the stupid things off.

Don't know about the modern ones, but I'm pretty sure older Stronglight cranks have a different size thread for the crankbolt covers/extractor, this might be the problem, though if they were smaller you shouldn't have been able to get the caps screwed in. If they're larger (the threads on the crank) maybe they're close enough that you could screw the caps in, but sufficiently different that once you put pressure on the caps by trying to extract the bolts that they stripped the thread instead of biting enough to pull the crank off. Hope that makes sense, but yeah that sucks :)

^ agreed, Stronglight used different extractor threads - not even the same as the old TA threading.

There are new(ish) stronglight cranks with stronglight extractor-washers things.
I am assuming they came as a set - LBS put the bike together.

I have significantly older cranks on the peugeot and used a std extractor tool.


it does seem that the extractors didn't have enough bite, and were just pushed out by the bolts.

Then it's just user error / cheap self-extractor. haa.
What is wrong with the Bob - did you execute the old cranks so you can upgrade...?

there is a weird noise down below, so while i had it apart cleaning it, i was going to take the bb out - clean, grease etc. wish i hadn't bothered.

i ordered a new one too, but cancelled the order after waiting 2 weeks for delivery.

maintenance and cleaning is for mugs.

defo, i haven't cleaned mine since i built it :)

the crunchy noise was getting on my tits.

If it ain't broke... then fuck it.
EDIT - which BB was it?

I had that problem, with a new set of Stronglight track cranks. Three weeks after getting them and I decide to put them on a different frame. Took the drive side off no problem, but on the other side the dust cap somehow got stuck in the threads and disintegrated, ripping out half the threads as it came....and so I couldn't attach the crank extractor.

I phoned up Outspoken Cycles (where I bought them three weeks previously) and they said it would be a manufacturing fault - not theirs - but weirdly they had a spare left hand crank arm 'lying around' and would send it to me free!

It does mean that the LH arm will have to forever stay on my pug, but I don't really have a problem with that.

Rant start

My BB came with allen key bolts, but my campagnolo pista crankset came with hex bolts. The hex bolts meant I could put those shinny caps on so I went for them.

After ridding around for a bit I thought I would torque up my crank bolts some more.

I fecking managed to snap one of the crank bolts! buggerlugs!

OK, I think, so whats fecked?
Pricey cranksets OK
Pricey titanium BB not looking too heathly, shite.

Just spent a stressful 30mins drilling a small hole in one side of what was left of the bolt, so I could screw a screw into it. Then tapping the screw around gently to unscrew the broken bolt.
Saved it
and breathe

Rant over

Doesn't allan key bolts = hex bolts?
I thought they were the same (Allan keys have six edges) ?

Stud extractors ftw.

Hex

Allen

;)

Socket head for pedants

hex key

This has happened to me on every (new type) stronglight crank I've ever used.
They're self extracting plastic shitness knows no boundaries.
They should be burned and their ashes pissed on.
fucking useless design.

I know use Miche.

Got me worried now as I have just put a set of Stronglight cranks on. How do you remove the self extracting bit, I tried putting two pins in but couldn't turn them. Better not require another dedicated tool for the toolbox!

Mine just fell out after ripping the cranks off, luckily I hadn't hurt the threads on either, and just needed a standard crank puller.

The self-extractor bit works on just an allen key.
you use the allen key to turn in one direction and the whole crank should come off.
Then take off the plastic bit and you're left with a normal crank bolt.
You have to have the cranks off to remove it.

Be Careful!
And unless you are ever going to change the cranks to a new frame I wouldn't risk it.

The "x'tractor" on my cranks is made of metal, not plastic. Looks like any other self extracting bolts with two pin holes to allow the external piece to be unscrewed. Only it won't turn so I will just leave it.

Have used extractor bolts that look like this before without any issues. Hoping yours were different, which they were if they were plastic.

well they may have been metal, just really shitty, black metal.
Actually thinking back they probably were. It was just so flimsy that I assumed it was plastic.(and they weere called X'tractors)

anyway good luck, I'm going to the pub!
After essentially being in a lab/ library for 24hrs.

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I'm taking my Stronglight ST1000 cranks off next week. What do I need to take them off without breaking them?

Remove the dust cap first, then remove the cranks with a standard crank puller.

To remove the dust cap take an old spoke*, cut off the ends and bend it in half. The spoke should just fit into the holes in the dust cap, use it as leverage so you can unscrew it and remove it easily. **

* - This does not work with an Aerospoke
** - Provenrad's tip

Stronglight uses a different thread to other cranks. Check Sheldon.

i was thinking the same, check

Not on the newer ones. Standard extractor will work.

Ok, cheers for the spoke tip. What's the difference between a crank puller and a crank extractor? I'm pretty sure I have these on and it says 'no need for a crank extractor'. I is confuzzed.

those are "self extracting crank bolts" should work as long as the black/outer bit is screwed in properly

Think it's time to delve a little deeper into Google to find out what 'work' means. I'm tempted to go my LBS to get them to remove it but I'd quite like to learn stuff as I upgrade bits (by that I mean buy and hoard tools to form a manly toolbox).

Incidentally...what tools will I need to install a square taper DA bottom bracket and cranks?

don't listen to him, wools. it's his fault mine are fucked*
see above.
i will lend you a cramk puller.

*not true

Cheers, dude. Just out of interest which one do you have? Your a south drinks bwoy, right?

souths or wests.

i have a park tools one.

Park also do a proper tool to remove the black dust caps.



You can also use their chainring nut wrench;

Sorry, ignore my PM about what bb you are going to use with DA 7600s....

Cheers BRM and andyp. Mucho helpful forum advice as ever. I've actually got that chainring bolt wrench thing (the knuckle skin shredding piece of shit that it is).

BRM - next week alright? I'm thinking burgers souths.

Only just read it. PMing you now!

i will chuck it in my bag.

Awesomez. Cheers buddy.