Can French threaded crankarms be retapped for regular 9/16 pedals?
07-21-12, 01:47 PM
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Can French threaded crankarms be retapped for regular 9/16 pedals?
Ok, I have a Sugino Mighty Competition Crankset that i was going to use on a build and just realised that English threaded pedals won't fit. According to Velobase some of these cranks were made for Gitane and used French threaded pedals so thats what i must have. I'm wondering if i can just have them retapped to 9/16. The fit is close so i'm also wondering if a steel pedal will cut its own thread in the softer aluminum if enough force is used. Of course a broken pedal spindle in the crankarm wouldnt be the optimal result so i'm hesitant to try.
Thanks for your opinions.
Thanks for your opinions.
07-21-12, 01:51 PM
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The fit is close so i'm also wondering if a steel pedal will cut its own thread in the softer aluminum if enough force is used.
What does the build look like? Maybe someone has some pedals you could swap with?
07-21-12, 01:52 PM
#3
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Yes, it is easily done. Use proper taps, take your time and use plenty of cutting oil.
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07-21-12, 01:53 PM
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I do have a pair of old Lyotard pedals that will fit but i prefer to use modern clipless pedals.
07-21-12, 01:56 PM
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07-21-12, 02:11 PM
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Just looked online and see Park Tool has a set of left and right hand 9/16 taps so thats probably the way to go.
07-21-12, 07:25 PM
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It is more easily done with the cranks off the bike in a vise, but I have
done them on a bike before.
It opens up to you a whole new world of sealed bearing and modern tech
pedals....................I would not do it using the new pedals as the taps.
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07-22-12, 02:36 AM
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Yes, they can.
I know you've said you'd have it done but for the benefit of anyone reading this who is thinking of doing the job themselves:
Take note of what ColonelJLlyoyd and 3alarmer posted.
Don't try to do it in one go - go in a turn or 2, undo and repeat, going a little further each time.
Bear in many that most taps are tapered and get bigger the further they go in - for this reason have the pedals you want to fit handy and keep checking their fit rather than passing the tap all the way through. Stop when the pedals can 'just' be screwed in by hand but with a little effort.
I know you've said you'd have it done but for the benefit of anyone reading this who is thinking of doing the job themselves:
Take note of what ColonelJLlyoyd and 3alarmer posted.
Don't try to do it in one go - go in a turn or 2, undo and repeat, going a little further each time.
Bear in many that most taps are tapered and get bigger the further they go in - for this reason have the pedals you want to fit handy and keep checking their fit rather than passing the tap all the way through. Stop when the pedals can 'just' be screwed in by hand but with a little effort.
07-22-12, 05:59 PM
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Thanks for the input guys. I found a reasonably priced set of pedal taps online so i'll do it myself. I've used a tap and die before way back in the dark ages so i'll proceed with caution. It'll be good to have a set of taps anyway, i've noticed that many cranks have pretty compromised pedal threads, i guess from people trying to screw right pedals into left holes.
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