Bicycle Mechanics - Cranks

I landed really hard yesterday after coming of a jump and bent my chain side cranks. I know they are toast so I'm going to replace them. I have figured out that I have 175 square tappered crank. It is possible to take these off with out the special tool that you need?

Possible? Yes.

A good idea? No.

How much is a crank puller? $10? $15? It will be a lot easier and you won't risk breaking anything.

I landed really hard ...and bent my chain side cranks. I know they are toast so I'm going to replace them. I have figured out that I have 175 square tappered crank.
Now might be a good time to think about if 175 is the ideal length for you then.


.. square tapered crank. ....
Nothing wrong with that. Sure, there are newer designs around, but it's robust and easy to work on. As long as it's properly torqued down when installed it'll give good service.



I know they are toast ..It is possible to take these off with out the special tool that you need?
If you're convinced that they're beyond salvaging it's always possible to cut them off. Be aware that if they're alloy it's a hacksaw/sawsall job, as angle grinder discs as a rule don't like aluminum.

Depending on how hard they're on you might be able to get them off with a generic 2/3-arm gear/bearing puller as well, but expect a bit of struggle if you decide to try that. If your right crank is of the 5-arm design it's really hard to get anything but the real deal to pull straight enough.

If you're not too concerned about the future life of your BB you might even try one of those 2-pronged splitters used when working on car's steering linkages.

Please, buy the tool. There is no other method that is faster or easier than using it.

Thank you for your answers. I just went to a LBS and had them put on a new set of cranks. It was must easier than trying to do it myself and it took him 10 mins tops.

I helped a shop guy cut off a crank arm that had stripped out the puller threads. What a PITA that was.

Sure the bike shop helped out this time but somewhere along the way if you're buying a few things for the bike it's not a bad idea to pick up a puller for next time. Mind you with everyone switching to the new style cranks maybe it's not as big a deal anymore.