Universal Crank Puller

[Brook Mithani]

TheCWP-7 is a universal tool for removing both square taper and splined crank arms from 3-piece bicycle crank systems. The swappable rotating tip smoothly and securely presses the crank arm away from the bottom bracket spindle. The extra fine threads provide the needed leverage to remove even the tightest cranks. The CWP-7 requires the use of an adjustable wrench.

NOTE: The CWP-7 is designed for crank arms with M22 x 1.0 extractor threads. Crank arms found on some fitness equipment use nonstandard extractor threads and are not compatible with Park Tool crank pullers. Check with the equipment manufacturer for tool recommendations.

My motor has been split for 3 months now because I've been busy and putting off ordering a puller. I made a post that got moved to the classifieds looking for one so I can't post this question here.

I've seen motors "tapped" together with a mallet but I wouldn't recommend it. It puts unnecessary shock load into the main bearings which could potentially brinell or dimple the raceways. Like Eric said in that link I posted, it's never a bad idea to use the correct tool for the job.

Have you asked any local shops if you could borrow a unit? It may even be cheaper to have them install it rather than buy the tool depending on labor rates.

-Crank-Puller-Installer-Tool/dp/B0039LN85G $61 shipped to a US address..not sure what they will get you for to Canada.

I've used the tusk one way more times then it has a right to be used as a cheap off shore tool..... I've not replaced it or made my own...because it just keeps working.

Thanks. I've seen some suggestion a crank can be installed without the tool... Is this true or is it just a bad idea? It's my understanding you need to pull it into the case into you have a proper clearance with the big bell thing on the inside of the case. Do people just hit it in and hope it's straight?

"Do people just hit it in and hope it's straight?"

That or that it is in and fully seated against the bearing..and when not that smack the end with a hammer and HOPE they do not damage the crank or knock it out of alignment. Can a crank be installed in a DRZ motor without a puller...YES..is it often done wrong or damaged the crank YES..

-Crank-Puller-Installer-Tool/dp/B0039LN85G $61 shipped to a US address..not sure what they will get you for to Canada.

I've used the tusk one way more times then it has a right to be used as a cheap off shore tool..... I've not replaced it or made my own...because it just keeps working.

I got the Tusk splitter and puller as a set off eBay for $120. Probably the best money I've spent for splitting Japanese cases and putting them back together (not necessary with the Austrian bikes). I knew it was a nice piece of kit the moment I picked it up. The sucker is heavy!

I got the Tusk splitter and puller as a set off eBay for $120. Probably the best money I've spent for splitting Japanese case and putting them back together (not necessary with the Austrian bikes). I new it was a nice piece of kit the moment I picked it up. The sucker is heavy!

Separate the crank from the bottom bracket with this Topeak universal crank puller. Made from hardened steel it features a built-in rotating tip for square tapered crank arms and an additional rotating tip for ISIS drive and octalink crank arms.

In order to get the kit you want, when you need it, without ruining the family finances we offer a highly flexible range of finance options to help you get the best products on your bike now rather than at the end of the season when you've saved up the cash to make the purchase. There are even interest free options which effectively spread the cost without costing you any extra.

D.T.(Automotives) Limited T/A Tweeks Cycles is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is the broker and not the lender. Our FCA registration number is 689896. D.T.(Automotives) Limited offers credit products from Secure Trust Bank PLC trading as V12 Retail Finance and Klarna. Credit is provided subject to affordability, age and status. Minimum spend applies. Not all products offered by Secure Trust Bank PLC are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

I need to get a crank puller for my square-taper spindle. There are several available on eBay and Amazon. What information do I need -- about the puller, my bottom bracket and my crankset -- to pick the right crank puller?

The vast majority of cranks have a thread size of 22x1. There are other older crank sets that use different sizes (two others I can think of immediately), but these would only be on what would be considered vintage bikes today.

Be careful about buying a cheaper extractor. I had one that came in a cheap bicycle tool kit that (unknown to me, first time I used one) was slightly undersized and stripped the tops off the threads of the crank. I purchased a Park puller and was able to remove the same crank with no problems.

The universal design of the CWP-7 has a exchangeable rotating tip pressed into each end of the tool (11.3mm and 16.3mm) so it will remove both square taper and splined (ISIS Drive, Octalink) crank arms. The CWP-7 is made for the d22 x 1mm threading in the common cranks.

Aluminum alloy cotterless cranks have replaced steel cottered cranks on all but the least expensive bicycles. The advantages of lighter weight, easier maintenance, and closer dimensional tolerances have made cotterless cranks very popular. By the mid-1980s, manufacturers had perfected cost-cutting ways of making cotterless cranksets, so that the cheaper models cost barely any more than the steel cottered cranks they replaced. Also, the joint between crank and spindle is stronger with cotterless cranks. Cotters often fail on a fixed-gear or tandem bicycle.

Unlike cottered cranks, cotterless cranks may require special tools to install and especially to remove the cranks from the spindle. The need for special tools is an inconvenience, but this is more than made up for by the great ease of using them. By contrast, the un-special tools used to remove cottered cranks-a hammer, a drift pin, and a cinder block (article from Bicycling, January/February 1983 now online here) -- require more skill (and luck) on the part of the user.

To install or tighten most cotterless cranks, you need a socket wrench, and to remove a crank from its spindle, you need a cotterless crank puller to fit your brand of crank. The socket wrench and crank puller are often sold together in a small tool kit. Some cranks require only an Allen key for removal and replacement.

Let's look at the way that a cotterless crank is secured to its spindle. The ends of the spindle are square in cross section, and tapered so that they are slightly thinner toward the ends of the spindle. There is a corresponding tapered square hole in the crank, so the crank fits onto the end of the spindle.

Depending on the brand and model, the crank is secured onto the spindle by either a bolt or a nut. The older, more traditional crank design uses a hollow, threaded spindle. A bolt, properly called the fixing bolt, threads into the spindle. A flat washer under the bolt head is essential. Sutherland's Handbook for Bicycle Mechanics calls this crank spindle design "Type I", (Roman numeral, pronounced "type one") or in later editions, "bolt type".

The alternate design uses a spindle with a small threaded boss protruding past the ends of the square tapered section. A nut threads onto this boss to secure the crank onto the spindle. Usually, the nut is a special nut with a built-in serrated lock washer, so that no separate washer is required. Sutherland calls this crank spindle design "Type II" (type two) or "nut type".

If there is a 6, 7 or 8 mm hexagonal Allen-key fitting, the crank may be removable without using a crank puller -- or there may only be a dustcap integrated with the bolt. You can always test this by inserting an Allen wrench and unscrewing the bolt. If unscrewing the bolt pulls the crank off, you can skip several steps, to the discussion of one-key-release systems, below. If the dustcap is attached to the head of the bolt, skip to the section on using a crank puller.

Otherwise, remove the dustcap, if any. Many cranks use snap-in/pry-out dust caps, rather than threaded ones, or the dustcaps may be unscrewed with a five-millimeter Allen wrench or a wide-bladed screwdriver. (Don't use a small screwdriver, as you run the risk of damaging the slot--most dustcaps are soft aluminum or plastic.) If you don't have a large enough screwdriver, a cone wrench or a dime will often fit nicely. Some 1990-1996 Campagnolo dustcaps, usually with self-extracting crank bolts, unscrew clockwise, in which case, you may have to resort to using a gear puller on the precious Campagnolo cranks, or heating them with a torch (see below), because left-threaded crank pullers are rare!

Next, you remove the fixing bolt or nut that holds the crank to the spindle. Since the bolt or nut is recessed inside a cavity in the crank, you need a socket wrench to turn it. If a nut is used, it will be 14 millimeters. If a bolt is used, it will usually have a 15-millimeter head; Stronglight and Zeus used 16-millimeter bolts.

If you wish to use this type of wrench, you may have some difficulty finding sockets that are the right size for the bolt but have a small enough outside diameter to fit inside the dustcap threads. This will not be a problem for a 14-mm socket, but many 15- and 16-mm sockets are too thick to fit in. It's legendarily difficult to get the 16-mm bolt out of the smaller Campagnolo-sized dustcap hole on a Zeus crankset. Once you get the bolt out, your can replace it with a more-easily-removed 14- or 15 mm bolt.

Usually the better-quality sockets will have thinner walls-cheap sockets try to make up for poor quality steel by using more of it. Sockets come in six-point and 12-point types. Six-point sockets tend to have slightly thinner walls, so they are more likely to fit. For use with ratchets, six-point sockets are generally preferable anyway. 3/8-inch drive sockets tend to be thinner than 1/2-inch drive sockets.

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