Bicycle Mechanics - stupid truvativ and their stupid pedal inserts

alright i just got some new crankbros mallet c's and when i went to take my stock pedals out the pedal thread insert came off with the spindle and i cant get it off... ive tried everything and ive pretty much demolished the insert. does anyone know if truvativ or anyone else sells just the inserts because i dont really want to drop a couple hundred bucks on a new crank because of a crappy insert.

I don't think the inserts are supposed to come out. What is the warranty on the crankset?

Y'mean, the pedal threads aren't cut directly into the crank arm? There are inserts as part of the arm? Cr@p, I've got a bike with a Truvativ crank; I gotta see now if it has that same lame-@ss setup.

Geez, that the insert didn't last the life of the arm constitutes a defect. Since it holds the pedal, it's a safety defect. Warranty or no, I'd be all over Truvativ like a bad leisure suit to repair/replace it. Keep hammering the safety issue; tell 'em your going to report it as a safety issue to the state dept. of consumer protection in Springfield.

Insert in a friggin' crank arm. Lame-@SS!

Truvativ I know is doing BMX cranks and possibly took the idea from Primo who started going to steel crank inserts for pedals after hundreds of riders stripped out the threads on the aluminum crank arms. I have now heard of lots of riders who have done the same thing, pulled the insert out, on their new aluminum cranks with inserts.

My recommendation remains the same to all riders: Get Profile 3-piece cranks, they are time tested, and almost every rider who has ever owned a set will swear by them.

Y'mean, the pedal threads aren't cut directly into the crank arm? There are inserts as part of the arm? Cr@p, I've got a bike with a Truvativ crank; I gotta see now if it has that same lame-@ss setup.

Geez, that the insert didn't last the life of the arm constitutes a defect. Since it holds the pedal, it's a safety defect. Warranty or no, I'd be all over Truvativ like a bad leisure suit to repair/replace it. Keep hammering the safety issue; tell 'em your going to report it as a safety issue to the state dept. of consumer protection in Springfield.

Insert in a friggin' crank arm. Lame-@SS!

no... there are threads in the crank arm its just that the insert screws into the crank arm and then the pedal goes into the insert. why they do this i have no idea. its just another set of threads to screw up.

so i called up truvativ and of course they blamed it on me saying that i torqued the pedals in too much when they were freakin stock pedals!!!! but he said to bring it back to my LBS and have them call him up and do a warranty deally. so all is well that ends well..... just hope it doesnt happen again. hey truvativ if youre out there you guys suck moose balls.

When you get your new cranks make sure antiseize is put on the pedal threads before installation

no... there are threads in the crank arm its just that the insert screws into the crank arm and then the pedal goes into the insert. why they do this i have no idea. its just another set of threads to screw up. So the threads in the crank arm aren't pedal threads; they must obviously be a different size. Man, that IS dumb. Here's a "morbidly curious" question: are the thread -> arm inserts on the left arm reverse thread, or plain-ol' clockwise?

Looks like the best way to fix this is to use some red Lock Tight on the insert, screw it into the crank, let it set up for 24 hours then the pedal should come right out of the insert, or is this something that has been tried?

When you get your new cranks make sure antiseize is put on the pedal threads before installation

my bike is sitting at the LBS waiting for the new crank arm to come in so im sure theyll antisieze before they put the pedals on.



So the threads in the crank arm aren't pedal threads; they must obviously be a different size. Man, that IS dumb. Here's a "morbidly curious" question: are the thread -> arm inserts on the left arm reverse thread, or plain-ol' clockwise?

yeah they are a different size and it was right pedal that got stuck. that being said both inserts have regular(clockwise) threading so on the left pedal the insert is tightening as your loosening the pedal (which makes sense but is still lame for when youre tightening a pedal) but on the right side the insert and the pedal are both loosening (which is ********).



Looks like the best way to fix this is to use some red Lock Tight on the insert, screw it into the crank, let it set up for 24 hours then the pedal should come right out of the insert, or is this something that has been tried?

it might have worked but i doubt it. i think the only way to get the insert off would be to dremel it (yeah thats how tight it was)the pedal must have mashed threads with the insert really bad from either a. doing drops or b. the pedal was torqued on too much by whoever built the bike. but o well the bike is at the shop waiting for truvativ to send out a new crank arm. the only thing that sucks is now i cant ride for like a week :mad:

I've seen that on a mate's Hussefelts, I just tightened the pedal back into the crank arm (came loose on a ride) and when I tried to remove it again (immediately) the insert stayed put and the pedal came out. If I come across it again I'll use loctite on the insert.

both inserts have regular(clockwise) threading so on the left pedal the insert is tightening as your loosening the pedal (which makes sense but is still lame for when youre tightening a pedal) Not to mention it DEFEATS THE PURPOSE of reverse-threading the non-drive side!

I've seen that on a mate's Hussefelts, I just tightened the pedal back into the crank arm (came loose on a ride) and when I tried to remove it again (immediately) the insert stayed put and the pedal came out. If I come across it again I'll use loctite on the insert.

yeah i tried that but i wasnt as lucky.


Not to mention it DEFEATS THE PURPOSE of reverse-threading the non-drive side!

i know right!!! o well. but the warranty guy at truvativ said theyre not supposed to come out at all so i guess when you have non-lame crank arms its fine.

I've seen that on a mate's Hussefelts, I just tightened the pedal back into the crank arm (came loose on a ride) and when I tried to remove it again (immediately) the insert stayed put and the pedal came out. If I come across it again I'll use loctite on the insert.

1) What are inserts? Are they that piece of seperate metal, that has the socket of the pedal, that fits into the crank?

I have hussefelts. First of all, my pedal's wrench fit thing is about 15mm wide. So I used a wrench that was about 13 cm in length with a 15mm diameter for the untightening. The pedal wouldn't budge, because my shop tightened it a ton. So should I take it to the shop or something? Or should I get a better wrench and try to untighten it my self? I'm afraid if I do it because the inserts (from what I gather) might come out! Can someone help me out on what insrts are aand how to remove a pedal, easily? (This is right pedal, using counter clock wise to untighten)

If the inserts are steel, that is a good idea as it will save the wear and tear on the aluminum threads.

Before I started screaming about it, I would have cleaned the threads on the insert and the crank arm with acetone, coated the threads with Locktite Red and reassembled it. Waited a day then removed the pedal for maintenance or whatever reason I needed to take it off.

What are the inserts? Is my guess correct? that piece of metal that has the socket for the pedal? I don't know if they're steel. They are hussefelt DHs that came with my 2004 kona scrap.

They're the washers that go between the pedal and the crankarm to keep the pedal from eating into the crankarm.

Nope. They are steel barrels that have pedal spindle threads on the inside, and a different thread on the outside. They are supposed to help prevent damage to the threads by being harder than the aluminum crankars, but they need to be installed properly at the factory (Lots and lots of Loctite) so that they stay in the crankarms.

they need to design them in some other way that does not invole threading the outside of the inserts. i know its really hard (impossible i think) to weld aluminum to steel but im sure they could think of some other way to keep the insert caput without using threading.

Maybe they should use the same Cryofit process as Marzocchi, and have the insert splined so it doesnt turn

The new truvativ hussefelts have fixed this issue! I just installed a brand new set and if you look on the back you will see a groove keyed into the insert that lines up with a groove keyed into the crank. A small allen headed screw is tapped into these grooves which prevents the insert from unthreading in the crank. Yet it can still be removed if damaged by unscrewing the small key.

There you go. Sounds like Truvativ was listening.

Dave

Edit: Picture added. Werd.

thatll work.... now i just gotta call em up and convince them to send me a new set for free haha.

What? My insert screwed out. Lame!

Lame Lame Lame Lame Laaammmmeee.



Arrrgggghhhhh!!! Hooligan Is Angry.

Okay, so I got this stuff called permatex, which was better than the loctite available (red, no clear was abailable). It requires extra effort or special tools/heat to be removed, meant for permanent grip. So I wonder, how long does this stuff take to cure? I already cleaned the threads and screwed in the insert with the locker on it.

Okay, so I got this stuff called permatex, which was better than the loctite available (red, no clear was abailable). It requires extra effort or special tools/heat to be removed, meant for permanent grip. So I wonder, how long does this stuff take to cure? I already cleaned the threads and screwed in the insert with the locker on it.


Give it a day (24 hrs)