Crank Puller tool rubbish??

[ta44]

Hi, I bought this crank puller with the hope of using it on my Raleigh Stowaway 7... I've removed the caps, taken off the nut and attempted to attach the puller. However, the outer sheath of the puller (the bit which you screw into the crank) doesn't extend past the plunger (the bit which pushes against the bolt inside the crank). This wouldn't be a problem, but the crank bolt sits flush inline with the edge of the crank meaning there's no way at all to screw the puller in even a thread or two.

Is this normal for a puller? Am I doing something stupid? The photo shows the puller FULLY EXTENDED.

I'm not sure what bottom bracket configuration I've got so perhaps I've bought the wrong puller. If someone could tell me how to find out whether I'm square tapered, octalink etc I'd appreciate it.

 

[lpretro1]

If there are four 'flats' on the bb axle then it is square taper. According to Raleighs spec of your bike it is indeed such. A decent tool will screw out far enough to accommodate the projecting stub on the axle for the crank bolt - so sounds like you have a crap tool I'm afraid. I presume you have removed the crank bolt - sorry to ask but...

 

[midlife]

Do the things you have removed from the axle look like nuts or bolts, some jap axles have threads sticking out and you have "crank nuts" .....

Shaun

 

[MontyVeda]

just ride around the block* a few times with the crank bolts a bit loose... they'll come free soon enough.

*don't go too far as you might prefer to push the bike home once the cranks have come loose.

 

[screenman]

Are you saying the outer part is screwed along the threaded part as far as possible? Which of course would bring the inner part further in.

Can we have a picture of where you are trying to put it.

 

[midlife]

I guess the OP is tomaustin44 on Amazon.......

Shaun

 

[Pat "5mph"]

OP, try holding tool's nut with a spanner, unscrew using the tool's handle.
Sometimes they are a bit stiff

 

[rualexander]

The tool looks fine, you need to remove the bolts holding the cranks tight on the square taper first before threading the tool onto the cranks.

 

[Profpointy]

On mine (different make) the "bolt" bit would screw right out. On yours is it prevented somehow from unscrewing entirely?
This would be odd so maybe as someone above said, it's just a bit stiff to wind out further. That said, the pit that pushes against the axle (the bolt bit of the puller) seems to have an allen head on it - mine had a sort of domed end. This seems odd, but not necessarily wrong as such.

 

[rualexander]

Ah, just re read the above posts, sounds like you have an unusual type of bottom bracket, maybe like this

in which case you maybe need a different tool if the central core of the tool doesn't wind further out.

 

[Pale Rider]

I guess the OP is tomaustin44 on Amazon.......

Shaun

This looks to be pilot error, so there's nothing wrong with the tool.

It demonstrates the worth - or lack of same - of reviews on sites such as Amazon.

 

[dddd]

Ah, just re read the above posts, sounds like you have an unusual type of bottom bracket, maybe like this
View attachment 108662 in which case you maybe need a different tool if the central core of the tool doesn't wind further out.

Hi, I'm Dave, new here to CycleChat.

The above quote would seem to be the case. The tool isn't designed for use on these cheap type of "nutted" spindles.

This tool isn't going to work for pulling a crankarm off a nutted-type spindle.

The nutted spindles have other issues, such as their threads failing before sufficient torque is delivered to the nut for pressing the arm quite fully onto the spindle.

The pitch of the threads is coarser, so you actually need more torque, but the threaded spindle stub isn't made of bolt-grade steel, so the threads often fail.

Last summer I had one of these cheap spindles crack while riding. I note that Shimano nor Campagnolo ever offered this type of bb spindle, good for them!

Look at the opposite end from the big crack, you can see how the threads there were also failing.

Cranks mounted on this type of spindle should always be re-tightened after getting on the bike and jumping on the pedals a bit in both directions, i.e. first with one pedal forward, then the other pedal forward. This helps the spindle end twist and work a little deeper into the square hole, after which the bolts will need another round of re-tightening. This twisting process can also help ease a stubborn "frozen" crankarm off a spindle, while the puller remains installed full-tight.

 

[ta44]

Hi everyone... Thanks for the replies. I've read through them all and rualexander seems to have the right idea.. Attached are a couple of pictures of what my bike has got. I've removed the plastic cap, taken off the bolt (picture 1) and then this is what I have (picture 2). AS rualexander says the central core doesn't wind out any further so I don't think this tool will work. As someone pointed out I'm the reviewer on Amazon... If you guys say the tool is as its supposed to be I'll amend my review.

 

[Mobytek]

tool is fine, think oulve got the wrong one.

Pedros crank puller pulls behind the thread so can easily be attached.

 

[ta44]

So in the end I've just taken the bike to a repair shop to be fixed properly. The repair guy said the the tool a) wouldn't work on the bike and b) generally wasn't very good anyway as the outer sheath didn't extend very much.

Thanks for the help everyone.