Good Afternoon all,

I am looking for some help with my Specialized Crosstrails. I recently bent the smallest front chain ring on my bike when the chain came off. The chain was wedged in there pretty tight.

I like to work on my own stuff when I can, so I started taking the front chain ring assembly apart last night. There were four allen head bolts holding the front chain rings to the crank assembly. Once these bolts were out, the large chain ring slipped off easily enough, however the two smaller chain rings are trapped behind the crank.

I found and removed a bolt in the center of the crank, but the crank does not want to come off. I figure the crank joins to the center shaft via a spline or something similar, and it is now just a matter of persuading it to come off. However, I may be wrong. I certainly don't want to break anything! If it is just being held on by the spline, some advice on how to best persuade the crank to come off without damaging the bike (and with minimal damage to my knuckles) would be appreciated!

Regards,
Jeff

there is a nifty little tool called a crank puller . . . get one.

also, if you find a nice shop nearby, the might pull them off for you for a few bucks or lend you the tool if they aren't too busy.

I got a crank puller from ebay for $5 and it works perfectly, but it took a week to get to my house, so you have to weigh your options.

I was actually thinking a crank puller would be a good investment. Still, my question remains as to whether the drive side crank will come off, or if I have to disassemble it from the non-drive side.

Jeff

The smaller chainrings can usually be wiggled off the crankset, while still on the bike. Slip it over 1 spider arm, then another, then slide down the crank.

If you have a "square taper" crankset. then each crankarm attaches separately to the bottom bracket axle.
There are quite a few different types of cranksets on the market.

A picture would help.

Only the 3rd of a triple will need the crankarm to come off that Mystery Crank-set that you fail to say exactly which one you have ..

The bike is a completely stock Specialized Crosstrails Disk, bought about 2 years ago. The crank is the one that came on it from the factory. I guess something is missing in my bike knowledge, as I am at a loss to describe the crank better than that. I will be happy to provide any info to help figure this out, but I am currently at a loss as how to provide more than I have.

Jeff

Post a picture?
Post any character strings printed/stamped on the crank?

Post a link to the bike specifications. (Actual picture is better, because specs "lie" sometimes)

Images Attached.
Looking closely, i found some lettering on the crank. The matt black on gloss black makes it easy to read. "XCT" and "SR Suntour"



Drive Side




Non Drive Side



Thanks for the help!

It's a square taper I believe. You'll need a crank puller to remove the drive side crankarm. You can leave the left side crank arm alone.

I use this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...9NN9HCD5T2APWV

It works with both square taper and ISIS/Octalink BBs.

Thanks for the help. I'll order one of the pullers today.

the important thing is to thread a puller into the crank arm properly, otherwise you can damage the thread trying to remove the crank.
Watch for example this video before trying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEgLB3E0lBA

Good luck!

What Year??

Park ccp-22c

https://www.bikeman.com/TL8371.html

Looks a bit like a self-extracting crank. I don't see typical threads for a puller.

You could remove that hex screw. If it takes massive effort, then it might be self-extracting.

I'm not sure what year. I believe I have the manuals at home. If not, the Bike Store can probably help me out. Buying and maintaining a bike has certainly become more complicated than it used to be!

I was able to remove the screw in the center of the crank. I gave the crank several good tugs and it did not want to move, so I decided to put it all back together until I could get some help.

As told by others, he needs a crank puller. The threads are hidden by the bolt head and cover.

Cheers

I's been a while since I was on this thread, and I thought I should drop by with the outcome. I ordered this crank puller from Amazon and I was able to get the crank off the bike. I was surprised at the amount of torque I had to put into it to get the crank to pop off. I would have never gotten it off without the puller.

Once I got the crank off, it was easy to remove the sprocket and straighten out the bent teeth. Thanks to everyone who pitched in with their suggestions. I learned something about bike repair and got a new tool in the deal!

Jeff

You might want to clean your bike while your at it.
Congratulations on your new skill.