so i got a real beat up raleigh team record the other day and have started cleaning it up to build up as a single speed for my girlfiend.

and i cant get these ****ing cranks off. the bike was obviously sitting outside for a looong time. most components were rusted real bad so its all gonna go.

someone help me.






ive removed the nut from the crank and tryed to hammer it out but its just flattening the bolt.


also if anyone has info on this bike.. as far as bb, seat post, etc, specs i would appreciate it.

search for removal of cottered cranks online. it's a tapered type pin that is holding it together. i'm sure sheldon can help you out.

If you have mushroomed the cotter pin, you may have to drill them out, using a power drill (been there, done that, no fun). Far and away, the best way to deal with these is to let 'em soak in penetrating oil (spray it in, leave it overnight), and the use a Park cotter pin press to get 'em out. The hammer/block of wood method don't always work, alas...

Call a shop, see if they've got the tool. Not all of them will. Seriously easier than any other solution.

As to info on the bike, post it over on Classic and vintage. I know this wasn't a top-of- the line Raleigh, but I've no idea where it fits in the heirachy.

ive tried everything sheldon suggested except drilling the cotter out... i dont have a drill.

thank you.. im gonna go beat on it some more and then take your advice.

welcome back cotter?

cut the BB spindle with a hacksaw.
you're not gonna reuse it anyway.

if you already have not destroyed the pin, put the nut back on and thread it on almost all the way. Now you can hit the thing really hard with out flatening the bolt. Get it to move that little bit, and unscrew the nut a little more. Hit it really hard again and that should get it loose enough to push it out with the hammer, but alot less force. Always leave that nut on because it does not allow the bolt to bend so bad that it wont come out. That has always worked for me.

I've had a lot of luck using a bench vice. Put a ~10mm box end wrench around the fat end of the cotter and clamp the thing in the vice. If you do it right, the vice will squeeze the cotter loose with a very loud bang. Make sure the wrench (or whatever you use) is thick enough to leave some space for the fat end of the cotter to move into otherwise you will just be pinching the cotter, which does nothing.

Hammering with or without the nut has always just ****ed up the cotter for me. Vice all the way.

Leave em on. Cottered cranks are a work of art.

the entire bottom bracket is rusted to the point that it wont turn.

leaving these cranks on is not an option.

never underestimate the power of the vice. Apply pressure slowly and exactly where you want it.

i'd say the vice and socket wrench socket method, or otherwise c-clamp if you don't have a vice. I tried the hammer like all heck method. didn't work at all. So i had to switch to the drill and hammer like all heck method. that's how i got mine out. but it sure isn't recommended. I would think it would be near impossible to just cut the spindle. They're probably made of the hardest steel on the entire bike.

hot hot heat.

if you flatten the bolt, try using a punch. i broke the threaded end off one of my old cottered cranks and had to punch the ****er out. old man sheldon says a pedal spindle will work. c clamp didnt work for me.

I would suggest taking it to a bike shop and suffering through the 10 dollar fee. They will have better tools and the whatnot. There is really no shame in that.

I've had to cut the arm to loosen the pin before. A good angle grinder/drill w/ a cutoff wheel will go through it in about half a minuite.

You gotta be careful though or you'll need bandages, bandages, bandages.

buy a 99cent store saw and saw off the spindle, those cranks (no offense) are crap and your not going to find a good/new bottom bracket to fit them anyway. even a NOS bottom bracket would be crap.

then again it might have that really old raleigh threaded bottom bracket. finding a replacement might be hard. personaly i would pick up a decent bike at a thrift store. you should have to spend a lot to make this bike decent