roadbuzz

About 2 years ago, while trying to remove my Ultegra crank, I discovered that it was stuck on the BB axle. When I tried removing the crank, the built-in crank extracter screw started coming out without the crank, stripping the threads on the way. So I took it to the shop, and the mechanic confirmed my suspicion. He could get the crank off, but it would unfit for re-use. So I told him to leave it. So, finally, I'm going to replace the cranks, and I really don't want this to happen again. Does anybody know what causes a stuck crank like this? What do I need to do to ensure that the new crank doesn't become "permanent?"

Rev.Chuck

Many things can make a crank "stuck" If you are putting on a splined crank grease the heck out of everything.
I dislike the built in extractor caps. You are supposed to remove them before use and grease the bolt/extractor interface and you have to remove them again on install to make sure the splines are lined up. I just use the "105 tool", for splined cranks, and my trusty Campy extractor.

roadbuzz

Thanks, Rev!

Dumb question... what's the 105 tool?

Rev.Chuck

It is a Shimano tool. It looks like a mushroom and fits into a splined axle so the crank extractor doesn't damage the threads. It got that name because it comes with the 105 cranks.