How do I get these cranks off?

I am refurbing my friend’s old Spesh Enduro as a birthday gift. I need to replace the small chainring but can’t work out how to, and what tools to, remove the cranks. Unlike other old-styley BB/cranks I’ve done before, there is no inside thread to thread-on my crank-puller tool.

Any ideas?

Doesn’t look like you’ve removed the crank bolt yet. Some Shimano Octalink were 10mm & not the usual 8, then use a hollow axel crank puller as normal.

self extracting/captive bolt?

Try undoing it – it’ll probably just pull the cranks off the spindle as it undoes.

Once you’ve removed the bolt… Shimano sell a small lump of metal (“octalink plug tool“) that fits in and gives the crank puller something to push against. These cost too much. The same can be achieved with a couple of coins of the appropriate size. Either pennies or 5ps, can’t remember which, just make sure you use two to take the force because a single coin will wedge in there.

just make sure you use two to take the force because a single coin will wedge in there.

Yep,true dat 😳

As above remove the big bolt in the middle and pull the cranks off with an Octalink extractor. make sure you get the right one – a square taper extractor will snap off in the crank arm 😳 🙂

Alternatively remove the bolt and ride round outside your house for a few mins the crank arm will fall off on its own

ride round outside your house for a few mins

Did you see the second photo 😉

it only needs forks and wheels 😆

Addition to above bodge – it’s got to be the right 2 coins, ones that fit snug through the crank, once the bolt’s removed, and rest neatly on the bb axle.

Addition to addition. I’ve never heard of someone needing to replace a small ring that hasn’t been crashed. And it takes a hell of a crash to damage the small ring. The teeth look fine in the top photo, does it actually need changing?

The teeth look fine in the top photo, does it actually need changing?

I was also wondering if I could get away with it! I will be fitting a new cassette, middle ring (a thin profile one with tabs should just slip over the spider) and chain. So am slightly worried it will be horrid and slip on the small ring. but maybe you are right 🙂

A big dumb question: “big bolt in the middle”… What crank bolt? On square, ISIS and X-Type I’ve done, there is an 8mm hex crank bolt you unscrew to reveal the the inside-thread of the crank (where you screw in the crank puller) and the face of the axle with its own inside thread (which held the crank bolt).

But there are no bolts to remove here. Unless you are referring to the 10mm hex-shaped hole inside, but that just looks like the end of the axle to me. Bit confused, sorry

they are shimano hollowtech arms but looks like Specialized have customised with their own bolts. Have you tried a hex or torx bit in there? Definitely something hex or star shaped there.

is the black ring a cover that might just pop off?

Looks like a M540 crank to me, and that is definitely a bolt in the middle – maybe it’s been rounded out or something. The bolt covers the thread you need to attach the crank-puller. – I thought you were having the more common problem of the crank puller not having anything to pull against once it’s attached to the crank, hence going on about plug tools.

Re rings. My understanding is that you change cassette and chain together, but change chainrings as they wear individually. So the middle ring tends to be changed more frequently than big ‘un, and the little ‘un almost never.

Nothing to ad other than they are Octalink cranks and thats a nice enduro you have there! Still ride mine from that era.

just zoomed in and the cap definitely unscrews – you can see the black flats for an allen key to act on.

I’ve always envied him having this bike back when we were riding hardtails. It was languishing unloved and unridden in the back of his garage. Sacrilege! So we are doing a basic fix-up to get it/him riding again: cleaning, drivetrain, air-can. I love seeing these on the trails – absolute classics IMO.

This is the bottom bracket with the screws in place

That 22T looks nearly unused….still some anodising on the teeth and no hooking. It will be fine with a new chain.

Since you removed the middle and outer rings without removing the cranks, just reassemble with new ones and enjoy it.

PaulD

did you sort it yet?

i have these cranks and the crank puller works

you need to pull off the plastic cap that is covering the thread you can’t see – a small flathead screwdriver will prise it out.

then you need an 8mm allen key to remove the retaining crank bolt that looks like the end bit of the axle

once this is out, the thread will become obvious to use the crank puller with

or pay around £15 and get you LBS to do it!