> Listers: I have a TA crank set that needs removal. > Are only the TA removers used or can the Park tool > be used? My Stronglight,Campy, Shimano do not fit. > Where does one find these any more?? Bruce, I'm going to tell you a couple of things about removing TA cranks that "everybody" knows, plus a couple of things I've learned from sad experience. If "everyone" already knew those semi-secret items, no one told me about them...
1) TA cranks are threaded for a 23mm diameter extractor tool. Extractor tools made for any other crankset will not fit. (In some ways, this is a good thing. Stronglight cranks have a 23.35mm diameter, so a TA tool will _seem_ to fit but can cause damage to the crank arm. In the case of TA, either the tool fits, or you're OBVIOUSLY out of luck...)
2) the OLD "double sided" Park remover (CPW-1 ?) has a 23mm thread on one side, and that will fit. BUT... the tip of the shaft that pushes against the spindle is too wide. If not aligned perfectly, or even driven in too far, it will damage the tapered portion of the crank arms.
3) There is an extractor tool made by TA, but the central bolt/shaft is quite short. I've found it to be too short for some TA crank arms. Note that if you try to replace the shaft with one from some other tool, TA uses finer threading, even if the shaft is the same diameter.
4) The VAR #393 tool is the one to get. It's available from
many vendors, but here is one on-line listing, so you'll know
what it looks like:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/
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