Just got some new spds. Pedals fitted fine, but cant get the old cleats off my shoes 😳 Dug all the crap out and even applied some wd40 equivalent to try to get them to move. Allen key fits the new bolts well but cant get any traction on the old ones.

Any tips from the experts?

Try to tighten them first to break the seal of any crud. Or drill them out.

Im worried about trashing the threads. I have tried both ways and scraping all around. They old ones are probably 4-5 years old so well entrenched!!

A drill? Crikey, you are talking to a non-manual (in both senses!!) kind of person. My kit and ability relating to mechanical stuff is diabolical!

You might have to be a bit brutal..

You try heating them with some boiling water too.

You will need to be a lot brutal.

try a freeing agent like plus gas (soak overnight, use plasticine/chewing gum etc to build a soak reservoir)

try shock treatment (if you can get a hard surface mount point and bang with a centre punch)

*edit – you might, with a centre punch be able to put an indent in the outside of the bolt and then angle the centre punch so that when you hit it it undoes the bolt – my concern is there’s not much strong material in a shoe …)

then it’s drilling the bolt heads off

Thanks for the replies – ok twenty more minutes of brute force first!!! Here was me hoping for a quick ride on new pedals!!

Use a left handed drill bit in combination with a proper penetrating fluid like the aforementioned Plus Gas.

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gusamc – Member

*edit – you might, with a centre punch be able to put an indent in the outside of the bolt and then angle the centre punch so that when you hit it it undoes the bolt – my concern is there’s not much strong material in a shoe …)

There’s a man that’s never tried that method to get rusted in cleat bolts out 🙂

If you drill or grind the heads off the bolts, you’ll be able to remove the inner plate (cleat nut) from the shoe. It’ll still have the bolt stubs stuck in it though, so at this point you’re hoping that either the heat from the drilling loosened them, or that you can wrangle them out more easily now the plate’s out of the shoe, or that you can replace the cleat nut for not too much money.

(alternatively, give them to me and I’ll go for a ride, I’ve got the Bad Touch when it comes to cleat bolts miraculously loosening and leaving me unable to clip out :oops:)

NW: I’d had the cleat bolt come out thing – and ended up in a prickly hedge 😆

Did you get a new metal backing plate with the cleats?

If so then just drill the heads off. Is it an M5 or M6? Just use a drill a bit bigger – eg 8mm an drill it so the head pops off. tbh you will probably then be able to use some decent grips on the stud and unscrew it from the backing plate.

That is what i do with car brake disc screws and it works every time as it’s just the head rusted to the disc normally.

Oh aye, once the cleat nut is out you can blast it with atomic heat or soak it in diesel for a day or whatever else you want to try and unstick ’em, much more options than when still in the shoe.

Good advice above. – just drill the bolt heads off. – easy

Get something like a socket about the same size as the head of the bolt and give it a good whack. The idea is that you’ll break the rusty bond under the head because you obviously had the foresight to grease the bolt before fitting, didn’t you.

Next time try putting a squirt of sealant over the entire area and smooth off. It tends to stop most of the muck getting where you don’t want it. I’ve a few pics if it’s not clear what I’m referring to.

If you go the drill route, ensure that the drill isn’t in reverse 😳

+1 for drilling the heads out. If you’re careful enough, you can weaken the bolts enough so that the undamaged cleats will lever off with a screwdriver. You then simply remove the remaining threaded studs with a set of pliers and they’ve invariably lost their tension.

After five years, you could probably do with some new cleats anyway.

Even if you properly botch the job, you can still buy new metal cleat-beds to retrofit into old shoes, so it’s not a completely lost cause. Drill away with confidence.

Before I even think of going near them with an allen key I always give them a darn good twatting with a hammer, it helps to break the grip of the rust (and even if it doesn’t it feels good).

last time i had to do it i used a 5mm drill bit, just go in far enough so that the head falls off, the cleat will then fall off, and the remaining bolt should come out easily with a pair of pliers.
its the bolt seizing onto the cleat, the threads wont actually be seized.
its dead easy, honestly.

Tw*t it, soak it, then use a proper allen socket rather than a flimsy allen key.