I need to remove my spuds from XT cranks but they aren't budging. Any suggestions, the pedal spanner is starting to distort.

the pedal spanner is starting to distort.

What pedal spanner do you have?

You are remembering that he LH pedal is LH thread aren't you?

Oh ……. Coppaslip next time 🙂

does it not have a 6mm allen key in the back of the pedal axel?

are you turning it the right way? (worth checking)

Someone else is going to ask this, so I'm not too worried about causing offence – are you absolutely positive you are turning the spanner the correct way? To the back of the bike – counter clockwise for drive side, clockwise on non-drive – to undo.

Tough stuff – I've got an LX crankset and a Hone crankset with perfectly working spuds that I can't remove.
There are various "shock and unlock" spray lube things – although none of them have worked for me.
Supposedly holding the part of the crank where the pedal threads are over a gas hob or flame till it's pretty hot can help dislodge it. Didn't work for me either, though.
Good luck!

OK, for a start, get a proper spanner on there before you knacker the pedal flats.

Second, as above, make SURE you're turning the right way!

Lastly, if you can, set the spanner so it and the crank form a 'V' shape and squeeze them together (Sometimes with one hand) this is a lot easier then fighting the movement on the crank and bike trying to pull them apart!

I've got an LX crankset and a Hone crankset with perfectly working spuds that I can't remove

To mis-quote Oscar Wilde

Once could be considered unfortunate, twice borders on carelessness

Once could be considered unfortunate, twice borders on carelessness

Indeed. When you buy your new crankset and pedals, make sure you grease the threads, and don't overtighten the pedals when installing..!

There are various "shock and unlock" spray lube things

Soak in Plusgas. For several days.

Had this problem last year. Set of M540 SPD on a Spesh Strongarm crankset.
Couldnt remove the drive side SPD for love nor money. I suspect i may have tightened it up when trying to remove it, stupid i know.
ended up stripping the pedal body and bearings off the axle (axle was scrap by now, as the hex fittings in the back of the axle were starting to crack), grinding 2 flats on the axle and then putting the axle in a vice and undoing it that way.
Bought a new axle assembly and put pedals back together. Lesson learnt!

worst case heat it right up.it will come off but so will the paint and poss the threads if its badly corroded, ohh errr! 😥

also a little bit of tightening can sometimes help a bit then untighten(again make sure you know which way!!)

My method:

1. Spray some GT85 into the bolt from both sides.
2. Turn right-hand crank so that it points to 3 o' clock when you look at the bike from the right hand side
3. Place pedal spanner on pedal bolt so that it also points to 3 o' clock when you look at the bike from the right hand side
4. Hold pedal spanner in hand
5. Place foot on pedal
6. Push firmly down on pedal whilst lifting up on spanner
7. et voila

DISCLAIMER: I am pretty sure that the directions for turning the pedal spanner etc are correct, but double check before you start. In any case, the general method is correct.

I'm fairly certain I'm turning the pedals the correct way. Where does one find plus gas?

im in the same situation 🙁

i cant seem to shift my m520's either 🙁

im not entirely sure now i was trying to unscrew them the correct way…

so with me at the rear end of the bike facing towards the forks which way am i suppose to be trying to turn to loosen them??? im facing the handlebars from the back of the bike 🙂

The right [chainring] side anti clockwise – back towards you if the spanner is facing up
the other side – the other way

Had the same problem at the weekend, resolved by warming the cranks / pedals up with hand / hair dryer to allow the metal to expand from its current compressed cold state, it sounds daft i know but it worked for me.

Easy way to remember which pedal screws in which way-

"RIGHT IS RIGHT" – the right hand pedal screws in out the CORRECT way you'd expect i.e. it goes in clockwise and comes out ant-clockwise. Left pedal vice versa.

Most pedals (with flats) fit a 15mm spanner so if you can get one with a good fit and slip either a bigger ring spanner over it or some tubing of some kind to extend leverage then go for it.

If still too tight, alloy expands more than steel as it heats up so put the end of the crank arm over a camping stove or blowtorch etc for a little while prior to trying the pedal again.

Recently had to heat a crank for ages then slip a 6ft marquee pole over the spanner and still needed huge effort to undo the pedal – but it came off with no damage.

"set the spanner so it and the crank form a 'V' shape and squeeze them together (Sometimes with one hand"
Yes, do this, though when its really stick I much prefer to stand on the allen key instead. Lean on the saddle to stop the rear wheel slipping and the resistance will come (presuming your 'set it up' right from the freewheel being 'locked' (not free) as it were

Better still use a peice of metal tube that will slide over the end of the proper spanner/allen key snugly, letting you undo it easily gently by and, or if you're willing to risk rounding the allen key head/spanner flat edges, standing on it ..

Right is right, Left is wrong (ie reverse thread). Thats how I remember

Seriously, my method works better than with hands alone. I have managed to get cranks off with my method that I could not do with the 'v' method.

Once could be considered unfortunate, twice borders on carelessness
Indeed. When you buy your new crankset and pedals, make sure you grease the threads, and don't overtighten the pedals when installing..!

Forget grease – it might keep things from seizing over a week or two, but any longer than that and you might as well have not bothered. I agree that twice is daft – I've learnt my lesson – no grease or lube is an adequate substitute for proper anti-seize.

no grease or lube is an adequate substitute for proper anti-seize.

Copper grease, Coppaslip as mentioned above – anti-seize grease is just another name for it

last time i take spannering advice from this forum!

what a scary number of people that can't fit pedals without them getting stuck! and then can't work out how to undo them!

Another thing to look out for is that the axel on the pedal isn't splitting, splaying it open & jamming it tigher into the threads. We had that with a pair of XT pedals last year, ended up having to dismantle the pedal in situ, grind flats on the axel & wind it out. Then had to fit an insert as it pulled the threads out of the crank.
If you look at the end of the pedal axel where you would put the allen key closely, if it has done this you will see small stress cracks in the corners where the allen key fits (if that makes sense)

Good point, uplink. Copper grease is what I use now, I just meant you can't use conventional all-purpose lube or greases.

Have you tried an allen key on the other side and something to increase your leverage? a bit of pipe as a sleeve over the allen key or something?

Kettle full of boiling hot water poured over the crank by the pedal usually works.

I always remember pedal thread direction by thinking what way the wheels turn, to put pedals on turn them the direction the wheels turn when riding forward, to take them off, reverse

But i suspect lack of grease is the problem here, your LBS will have a proper pedal spanner, long arm on it, get them to do it before you knacker the pedals. Or buy a park tools pedal spanner

Many helpful suggestions a couple of unhelpful nominations for the stating the bleeding obvious award. Thanks all.

Heat…

I had some stuck on a bike and I took them to the LBS. They took them into the back room and came back with them separated. When I asked how he did it he said he used a park tools pedal wrench with an extender and then jumped on it.

Heat. It makes all the difference

you don't even need to use anything particularly exciting to get the heat in there, especially seeing as the cranks alloy, just use a hair dryer on it to heat up the end of the crank, it will expand and release the steel axel.

You'll be suprised how hot a hair dryer will get it!

I had proper spanner and was turning the correct way, but as per last post, heat from a plumbing blow lamp on a gentle flame. I was very careful to just apply heat to the crank area where the thread of the peddle fits – but not to the thread itself. I now re-fit all peddles using CopperEase.

Dave

Pedals undo when pedaling forwards and do up when pedaling backwards. Surely thats the easy way to remember it.

Thats how I remember it tightens towards the pedaling direction.

take the crank of the bike,put an allen key in a vice put the back of the pedal in the allen key and push on the crank arm.

All these replies and no-one has come up with the most obvious method.

Make sure you are set up to undo the pedal the correct way, then get big hammer and hit the pedal spanner. The shock will break any corrosion and shift the pedal.

…and you get to use a big hammer.

Poppa's foot method always works for me – ball of foot on pedal, heel on spanner and just lower your weight on, jiggle up and down if required…

Poppa's foot method always works for me – ball of foot on pedal, heel on spanner and just lower your weight on, jiggle up and down if required…

If you have to do that – maybe it's worth re-evaluating your installation method?

If you have to do that – maybe it's worth re-evaluating your installation method?

I didn't necessarily say it was the pedals on MY bike that needed that level of force 😛