Hi,
I'm trying to remove the crank arms on my 88/89 Schwinn World Sport. First I took the protector cap off, then I took the nut off the bolt, and now I have simply a bolt sticking out and the crank arm won't come off.

I know I need a crank puller, but am unsure what kind I need and how to properly get the crank arms off the bike.

I know it's an old bike, so a lot of it's components are pain in the arse. I attached a photo to show you exactly what I'm talking about.

My main problem is that the whole crank set is super wobbly and I want it to be tight, so I can adjust the derailleurs properly.

So, my questions are what type of crank puller would I need and what steps do I need to take to properly tighten the crankset?

Thanks everyone!

this https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Pull.../dp/B001VS1M20

thanks! just curious though - since I need the square taper crank puller, is that bolt sticking out in the photo I attached going to get in the way? It seems like it would, but I'm new to this one.

Just wait until you get a new bike. You'll love working on your old bike after that.

-Kurt

No the "bolt" won't get in the way. It is actually part of the bottom bracket and the crank puller will push against it to remove the crank arm. The "bolt" is part of the bottom bracket spindle that has cones built in to it so if you destroy the spindle you will need a new bottom bracket unless you can find a shop with old cup and cone style bottom bracket parts laying around. If you use the crank puller like park recommends you shouldn't have any problems. Make sure it is fully threaded on to the crank arm before trying to pull the arm off otherwise you can strip out the crank arm threads.

Thanks! That's super helpful. So, once I successfully remove the crank arms, my next step is to tighten the whole crank set (or whatever it is that needs to be tightened), so everything isn't wobbly.

Any advice or help as to how to make the crank set not wobble anymore?

Nope. It's the bottom bracket spindle. Make sure there's not a washer in there, spray everything (the threads on the crank arm and the spindle, both sets of threads on the puller) with good penetrating oil. screw the threads on the puller all the way onto the crank arm, and crank away.

Once you've done that, you'll need a wrench that fits the bottom bracket lock ring, and the left side cup. this is almost surely a cup-and-cone bottom bracket, so you'll need a suitable grease (any automotive wheel bearing grease is just fine, or you can buy the overpriced stuff from your bike shop), cleaning supplies (rags, and solvent) and replacement balls. Typically, that's 11 1/4" balls per side. You may have balls in a cage; those are used by the factory and lazy mechanics to speed assembly. Loose balls are better. Take the lock ring off, unscrew the left cup, withdraw the axle (trying not to let the balls escape...). There should be a plastic accordion piece inside the frame. Take that out, if it's in good shape (they usually are) it can be reused. Clean everything and inspect (at this point, there's no reason to take the right side cup out. It's a pita, always). Assuming that the races look good (no chips, cracks, dents, divets, etc. A dull path where the balls roll is expected.), grease things up put the new balls in, an put it back together. The adjustable cup should be tightened so there is no play, and just noticeable drag on it. If it's not okay, get a modern cartridge bearing one iwth the same spindle length.

. . . and if this all sounds too complicated, why not go to the movies?
https://www.ehow.com/video_5774041_to...m-bracket.html

mfg Christian

Or, go here:

https://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

Depends upon what's loose to cause the wobbling.

1. If it's the bottom-bracket, you can adjust the bearings for no wobble in the spindle. You'll need a lock-ring tool, a fixed-cup tool and an adjustable-cup pin-tool to adjust. Sugino has a tool-set with all three.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Tly19mAQz...ool+SET+BB.JPG

2. If the bottom-bracket is tight and smooth, but you still have wobble, that's most likely due to the crankarms having been ridden while the crankarm-nut was loose. This most likely has destroyed the crankarms and the only way to remove this wobble is to buy a new crankset.

3. Are the pedal bearings tight and smooth? Pedal-spindle/axle straight?

As has been noted innumerable times, notably in one of the first ("sticky") posts on the Mechanic's Forum, it's very helpful to do some research before posting your question. Your issue is well-addressed in both the Park Tool and Sheldon Brown site. Doing it this way will consume much more time and energy on everyone's part and you will get more of a patchwork answer. You need to understand how things work together on a bicycle and what the variables are. For instance the Sugino toolset will not fit all bikes.

As for older bikes being a pain, somehow we muddled through, often with minimal specialized tools, no Internet forums and few references. A mechanic's best tool is not hanging on a board, on the Internet or even at the end of one's arms. Work backwards from your eyes and you'll find it.

Thanks for your advice. I actually do a bunch of research all over the internet, at my local bike shop, with my bicycle friend enthusiasts and I'm on Sheldon's site and Park Tools all the time. Not to mention, messing with my bike first hand constantly. Sometimes, when I still can't figure things out, it's nice to come here and just get a bunch of different perspectives and it actually helps me out a lot. But, thanks again for the input. It's appreciated. =)