Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 07:58:28 -0600 From: Mark Stonich <mark@bikesmithdesign.com> To: "Gonzalez" <joeysarah@sbcglobal.net> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]Convert a right side crank to left threads for a tandem
At 3/6/2005 08:50 PM -0800, Gonzalez wrote:
>Has anyone in the group ever converted a right side crank to a left hand
>thread for a tandem timing crank? I have heard of using a Helicoil to
>do this but have never used one.
To which Mark replied:
For years, tandem builder Terry Osell has just been running an LH thread tap through the RH threads. With the 1st set he did, he put a cheater bar on a pedal wrench and couldn't strip out the threads by overtightening. He's sold quite a few and hasn't had a failure yet.
<snip>
Mark Stonich; Minneapolis Minnesota http://mnhpva.org http://bikesmithdesign.com
Ouch! As a bona fide nerd Engineer, I wouldn't recommend that. There's no "meat" left in the threads after doing that.... While it may work under some conditions for some period of time, it sounds risky to me, long term. Seems far better (to me) to get the properly threaded cranks, or reverse the pedal spindles, or use symmetrical pedals, or do just about anything but run a LH tap though a RH female aluminum thread (or vice-versa, for that matter) Greg Parker (not a risk-taker in) Dexter, Michigan, 'murrica