I’ve been planning on upgrading my crank for sometime. Finally got a FSA carbon compact, so I went to remove my old crank. For the life of me I cannot get the hex nut undone to pull the crank off. I’m using so much force I’m worried about stripping the head and then being stuck with the triple crank (yikes!). Yes I know the lefty-loosey rule. I’ve tried using a little bit of WD-40, doesn’t seem to help. I’ll give it a little more time to seep in, but does anyone have any other ideas (non-destructive)? Am I missing something completely obvious. FYI, the current crank is a Truvativ Elita SL triple with an Truvativ ISIS splined BB. Thanks in advance.
You need a bigger hammer. Seriously, what type of tool are you using?
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When all else fails I hit the wrench with a rubber mallot in the counter clockwise direction. A few easy hits may jar it loose. I’ve only done this once in 15 years.
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Your hand is VERY strong. Try gripping the wrench and the crankarm at the same time…sqeeezing them together. Its a great way to break the bolt loose.
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If the above does not work…head to the local bike mechanic!! : )
Try heat. Might ruin the surface finish though. A light pass or two with a plumbers torch works well on car parts.
Look at is this way – even if you strip it, you can always drill it out and/or try a bolt extractor. Don’t worry, there’s always a way.
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When all else fails I hit the wrench with a rubber mallot in the counter clockwise direction. A few easy hits may jar it loose. I’ve only done this once in 15 years.
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Your hand is VERY strong. Try gripping the wrench and the crankarm at the same time…sqeeezing them together. Its a great way to break the bolt loose.
-
If the above does not work…head to the local bike mechanic!! : )
I would only do that (hammer if the hex is in really tight. If it wobbles at all, do not try that, as all you’ll do is bounce the hex key out and worsen it (i.e., closer to stripping it!).
Was the crank installed by the “factory”? If it was I would take the bike to where you bought it and tell them to do it. I have seen so many poor installations by the big Asian factories… they seem to always overtighten.
Are you sure you understand the rule for removing right hand threaded bolts? If you take your right hand, point the thumb in the direction of travel desired, then curl your fingers up, the direction you curl your fingers is the rotation you use on the screw. What is the length of the hex tool you are using? Even if you strip the head it still is possible to remove a crank with unconventional means.
You could do what I did.
A month after buying my road bike and with out a single ride outdoors I couldn’t get the crank bolt out but I figured no problem, 2 minutes at the LBS and I’m set so I didn’t try all that hard. Took it back to the shop I bought it. They give it a try and no go. They tell me no problem, they’ll take care of me. I didn’t ask too many questions which was my mistake. I figured since they had built the bike up they would take care of any problems they had caused.
I come back the next day, they charge me two hours labor and a new bottom bracket. Came to something like $160. They ended up breaking a hex socket then drilling it out and replacing the BB. I think they were just pissed that they broke their socket and decided to essentially charge me for it. I spluttered something about “brand new bike”, “you built it up”, “this sort of thing shouldn’t happen”. Stone face, nada, zip, nothing. Not sure what they tightened it with originally but the bolt and the BB had become one.
I wonder if they’ve noticed I have never taken them another bike to be serviced in the last 3 years.
But then if I hadn’t been putting PC’s on the thing I never would have had this problem. Damn you Frank, see all the trouble you cause. 
Wait… You paid them? It wasn’t installed correctly the first time.
They pretty much had my bike held hostage at that point.
It was also the 3rd bike I had bought there in a little over 2 years between my wife and I. You’d think after dropping 8 - 10k in a store over 2+ years they’d notice.
There was no mistaking my displeasure and there was also no give on their part. I am sure they have lost many times that amount from me buying things elsewhere. It did motivate me to learn how to do pretty much everything to my bike though.
I don’t have anything with a splined BB. But with square tapered, you can sometimes use a rubber mallet to tap the crank arm just a tiny bit more up the axle and that takes enough pressure off the crank bolt so that it can be loosened.
Crank bolts aren’t reverse threaded on one side. Only Pedals and BB cups.
I like to use a ratcheting wrench to remove the crank bolts. It lets you position the tool at any angle. You can position it at a small angle with respect to the crank and then squeeze them together as a previous poster said.