NikiMae31

I have a 2001 Giant OCR 3 that I'm trying to get the pedals off of. I can't seem to figure it out without stripping it. Any ideas?

Here is what it looks like looking down on it.


Here is it with the metal parts off.


At the end of the pedal there is a small bolt. Do you think this is holding it on?

desertdork

Use a pedal wrench on the flats nearest the crank arms. With the bike upright and rubber on the ground, stand over the bike and firmly push the wrench toward the rear of the bike while holding the opposite crank arm with your other hand.

rm -rf

Park Tool Repair is always a good starting point for repair help. Next time, check it before you start, to see if you understand all the steps.

See Pedal installation and removal Notice that the non-drive side has a reversed thread, you turn it opposite of a normal bolt!

Pedal wrenches are long, so they have the leverage to remove stubborn pedals. A normal adjustable wrench just isn't the right tool for this job.

MudPie

I'm not sure what you mean by "stripping" it. As the above posters state, it is a job for a pedal wrench. Here's a neat little article: https://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/pedalbasics.html

Assuming your pedal has never been removed in 10 years, you might want to apply Liquid Wrench or some other thread penetrant to loosen the threads chemically. Also, place the chain onto the large chainring and wear gloves, so your flesh does not find the sharp teeth of the chainring when your hand slips or the pedals let loose.

And when reinstalling the pedals, use a dab of grease on the threads and no need to use gorilla strength when retorqueing.

oldbobcat

Good tip regarding gloves. I got over-acquainted with the teeth of a chainring last summer--not very pretty.

Most amateur mechanics strip crank threads putting pedals on--trying to force a reverse thread the wrong way, putting the pedal on the wrong crank, just plain dumb cross-threading it, or not tightening properly and riding it til it flops off.

NikiMae31

Thanks all! I will go out and spend the money on a pedal wrench tomorrow! :-)

dsbrantjr

NikiMae31: I like to use Tef-Gel anti-seize on all of the dissimilar metal joints on my bikes (like aluminum crank arms/steel pedal axles); I also use stainless steel pedal washers to prevent galling the crank arms and ease removal. You don't need to "gorilla" the pedals on but tighten them firmly, the grease will help. Loose pedals will make a noise which will drive you nuts or even strip out your nice crank arms.