Bicycle Mechanics - Did I break my crankbolt?

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jerkbag
07-16-07, 05:34 PM
Hi,

This is going to sound bizzare, but I thought I had crank bolts when I replaced my square spindle crank. I greased and tightened 'em up good, but after a while i was getting a creak so i go to remove/regrase/retighten and the "head" of the bolt comes right off, leaving the thread. I assumed I broke it, but this happened on both bolts, and if I look closely there are threads in the "head" -- so i think what I thought was a bolt is in fact an small threaded axle and nut. Is that possible? Question is: can i still remove in the normal way? I thought the puller is supposed to pull against the end of the spindle, I can't pull against the end of the "bolt" can I? Or is it same difference?

Or did I just break it?

Thanks!

HillRider
07-16-07, 05:50 PM
There are some (usually inexpensive) bottom brackets with "nutted" axles, that is the axle has a threaded stub at each end and the crank arms are held in place with a nut threaded onto the axle stubs. It sounds like that is what you have. A normal crank puller works on these just like on a bolted bottom bracket.
roadfix
07-16-07, 05:51 PM
Both sides? Are you sure the bolts weren't simply loose?

jerkbag
07-16-07, 06:21 PM
There are some (usually inexpensive) bottom brackets with "nutted" axles, that is the axle has a threaded stub at each end and the crank arms are held in place with a nut threaded onto the axle stubs. It sounds like that is what you have. A normal crank puller works on these just like on a bolted bottom bracket.

Oh right that makes makes sense -- thanks!

I was just so used to tutorial photos showing bolts that I got confused with what I saw. . .
JanMM
07-16-07, 08:30 PM
Wasn't unusual for Sugino or Sakae cranks of the 70's and 80's to have nutted axles.
DMF
07-17-07, 12:03 PM
Question is: can i still remove in the normal way? I thought the puller is supposed to pull against the end of the spindle, I can't pull against the end of the "bolt" can I? Or is it same difference?

Yes, you pull the cranks the same way. Just be sure that the plunger is screwed all the way out when setting the puller body. If the plunger isn't all the way out, the body will thread in only part way and it will strip out the crank threads!