Removing and installing a crank can be a hazard. If you are not well trained, it can be a problem for you to pull out a crank and to install it again. However, it is not that you have to depend on a mechanic only every time you want to remove or install a crank. You can learn the steps for removing and installing a crank, and you can easily do it. Just a little bit of strength is a must-have to be able to remove and install it. The best part is you can save the money to invest in the mechanic for it. It would help if you had the tools to operate the procedure. The tools that you require include wrenches, combination wrenches, crank puller, torque wrench, thread preparation, and rags. So make sure you have these tools before you start the procedure.
Crank Removal Procedure
To remove the crank, at first, start shifting the chain to the largest chainring. Then slowly try turning the nuts or bolts in the counter-clockwise direction. This will help to remove the nuts or bolts. Immediate after this, remove the washers that are there inside the crank. Now after observing the crank, choose the correct tool as a puller to pull out the crank. Use a thread puller to drive the spindle of the crank.
Easy Version Removal
Fix the head of the puller on the tip of the crank and then start spinning the head of the crank clockwise Continue rotating the arm until the spindle driver cannot go anymore. Once this happens, the crank is ready to remove. The process of removal of the crank is over. After removing the crank, start taking out the crank puller. Make sure that the knuckles are safe enough when taken out.
Crank Installation Process
After the successful removal of the crank comes to the crank installation process. To install the crank, the first thing to do is to lubricate or grease the nuts or the bolts. Also, grease the splines of the spindles. The spindles which are square-headed there is no need to grease them as they will not require it. It would help if you fixed them in positions. Now take the crank to install. The positioning of the crank arm has to be perfect inside the spindle else it will not fit properly. Put the right crank arm in the right spindle and the left crank in the left spindle.
Easy Version Installation
The position of the right crank arm and the right spindle should be just like the 6:00 position. Then after putting it in position, start tightening the bolts in the right places. Then put the left crank arm opposite to the right arm and fix it the same way as done for the right arm. Now put the bolts in the spindle and tighten them. Once this is done, clean the parts with the lubricant to remove off any dust. You have to repeat the same process on the other side. And that completes your process f crank installation.
