WARNING RE: [CR]French size TA/Stronglight Crank Pullers ~ list member special

(Example: Production Builders:Cinelli)

Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Subject: WARNING RE: [CR]French size TA/Stronglight Crank Pullers ~ list member special
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:35:33 -0700
In-Reply-To: <BAY125-F8FCF899C45F91F0E75C50CB690@phx.gbl>
Thread-Topic: WARNING RE: [CR]French size TA/Stronglight Crank Pullers ~ list member special
Thread-Index: Acdtqpw98TPMjxjIRMerM7xM40LFygAD70qA
References:
From: "Mark Bulgier" <Mark@bulgier.net>
To: "Baron von Drais" <draisienne@hotmail.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


Baron von Drais wrote:
>
> I have available 23mm TA Specialties crank pullers

That's a good deal Peter is offering, but it's important to know that you should _not_ use it on classic Stronglight cranks. Their remover/dustcap thread is 23.35mm, close enough to 23mm to fool you into thinking the TA remover will work, but just enough bigger to strip the threads on the crank when you start crank yanking.

Actually the TA-size remover has been known to work sometimes on the Stronglight cranks without stripping, but probably damages the threads at least a little even when it appears to work.

This is not based on just my own observations - I have heard the tales of woes from many people over the years - don't do it! Only use a real Stronglight remover or the ones made to fit 23.35, like VAR and Stein. Note, the common Park brand double-sided remover is 22mm and 23mm and should also not be used on old Stronglight.

The real Stronglight-brand remover has the added advantage that the included socket wrench is 16mm to fit the bolts that were supplied originally with those cranks. (Many people changed those out for 15 or even 14mm bolts, but I like to keep 'em original myself, for no logical reason)

Just to complicate things a bit more, Stronglight later went to a 22mm remover thread, same as Campy et al. Luckily there's no mistaking that for anything else, there aren't any other removers close enough to 22 to fool you. Whoops, except for the C-Record left-hand-threaded 22mm remover I guess -- here's hoping you never run into one of those stupid, justifiably-rare abominations <shudder>

Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA