So I was installing new pedals on my Super73 RX and I’ve taken the stock right pedal off pretty easily, but the left one seems impossibly stuck. Has this happened to anyone else? I tried WD40 but that didn’t work either. Please help
by Unique-Ingenuity9870
14 Comments
The threads are opposite. Try loosening the other direction.
are you sure you’re not tightening it?
the left pedal will be reverse threaded, so make sure you’re rotating the wrench towards the rear of the bike ie. lefty tighty righty loosey.
if you’re already doing this, you might need a longer lever to get it unstuck (can try using a length of pvc pipe to extend the wrench.
leave the wd40 to penetrate overnight and try again in the morning.
You need a pedal wrench. Bike shop or coop always have these. You might be able to use this wrench with a pipe extension. Make sure you are turning the right way. Left pedals have LH threads. Right pedals have RH threads. Right hand threads go by “lefty loosey righty tighty” left hand pedals are opposite. Righty loosey lefty tighty.
This is the left pedal. Position the crank arm at 90 degrees. Put the wrench on securely so that the end of it is sitting just above the crank arm. Stand on it in front of the bottom bracket/axle so it doesn’t rotate backwards.
Or get a pedal wrench as others have suggested. Or slide a PVC tube over your wrench for leverage.
Left side pedals are reverse-threaded so that your pedaling action doesn’t accidentally loosen them as you ride.
So withy a left side pedal off it’s “lefty-tighty”, “righty-loosey”… or **clockwise to loosen**.
You’re using the correct (15mm) wrench, just turning the pedal the wrong way for this unexpected theads situation.
Stand on the pedal and position the wrench in such a way that you can put your other foot on the wrench. Let your weight workout.
Stand on the pedal and position the wrench in such a way that you can put your other foot on the wrench. Let your weight workout.
Try some wd40 into the threads
The problem is you other pedal was too loose. The size wrench you have really isn’t an appropriate size for a properly installed pedal. A standard pedal wrench is about 12-14″ long for a reason. I use the big park tool one and when tightening only hold the handle in the middle to avoid overtightening, loosening that extra length and the ability to place it in the best angle matters. Where you have it, I would put the wrench back on where it was in the video and step on it. Only thing that concerns me is that you seem to be able to rotate the wrench a good bit, are you using a 15mm? Is the wrench cheap and spreading under load? If its a strong 15mm, use more force and hope whoever installed this pedal didn’t cross thread it putting it in.
You are tightening it 👍
Hit the wrench with a hammer.
Put the bike upside down, use a pipe over the wrench to increase leverage.
Reverse thread.
Best tip for pedal removal: make crank parallel to the ground, facing the front. Put the wrench. Push the pedal in natural direction while holding the wrench. If stuck, get more leverage – longer wrench or a tube on it.
This works on both sides. Brainless easy to get the direction right. Gives plenty of leverage.