The pedal ripped the thread out of the driveside crank arm on my road bike today. I seem to remember helicoil being an option. Is that right and if so what do I need and what do I need to know.

Helicoil will work and usually stronger than the original. Taking it to an engineers is usually cheaper than doing it yourself.

You’d need a steady hand or a pillar drill, if you have neither of these get someone to do it for you instead. Should work fine.

I believe in helicoils you sexy thing… i agree with craigxxl, you have to have the correct tools to do it. you effectively have to drill out the current threaded hole then re-thread it to allow the helicoil to create the desired thread. it is a simple job but you need the kit, where are you in the country ?

helicoils are not common in unusual sizes such as a pedal thread especially as one side is a reverse thread. Still possible however

cyclebiker – Surrey.

What sort of price are we talking? These are generic cranks that came on a cheap (but good) used frame I bought so I can probably replace them cheap enough

I would think around £20 for a shop to do it – the insert will be a few pounds and it won’t take long to do.

As they are cheap generic cranks, you’d be better off picking up a decent set second hand and swapping the rings.

Bike shop should have the helicoil kit

I once bought a 2nd hand bike which turned out to have a helicoiled thread in one of the crank arms. It didn’t really last long, half of it came out with the pedal when I was changing them, and that was the end of that.

I’m gonna give it a go with a pedal tap. If it doesn’t work out I’ve only lost a fiver and with have yet another unusual tool to add to the collection.