Originally Posted by
pakossa
I have a Square taper BB on 2 of my bikes. Tried getting the cranks off with the puller, but after a couple revolutions it comes to a stop and can't be budged, even after hitting it with a hammer. (YES, I know I shouldn't do that, but it wouldn't budge.) This happens on both bikes. Does this sound like something I'm doing wrong? (I did it the way I saw on a video.) Could it be the puller not working properly? Or, a problem with the cranks/BB? Any other way of getting them off (without destroying the cranks, BB, or frame)?
- Make sure that the threads are clean and lightly greased, that the puller is screwed all the way in - back off the center "pusher" so it doesn't interfere with screwing the outer puller all the way in - you want all of the crank threads engaged to minimize the risk of stripping them
- Make sure that there are no washers of other bits in the hole, and that the pusher directly contacts the end of the BB spindle.
- I always do these sorts of jobs with the bike on the ground and the wheels on - no torque I can exert with a crank puller will exceed the torque I can exert with my legs - torque that the bike was designed to accommodate
- No hammer - if you need more torque, use some sort of extension or cheater bar - never a hammer
- Personally I prefer the "cylindrical" type puller with a hex end that requires a ratchet or other wrench, as opposed to the Park-type with the built-in handle - the former allows you to set the lever at any angle to exert the best effort - like horizontally so you can use body weight.
- Assuming that the puller is correctly installed, and the crank is genuinely jammed on the taper, you might try laying the bike on its side and filling the crank cavity with penetrating oil overnight. I've never had to resort to this, but it might work.
- Try pulling there other crank arm and extracting the BB from that side - being able to address the stuck crank mounted on a vise might give you more options
Last edited by 13ollocks; 02-26-26 at 08:53 AM.