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Had a guy bring in a bike with a stripped crank bolt in Denver

He said he tried to fix it himself with a cheap hex key from a gas station kit. The bolt was so rounded you couldn't even see the flats anymore. I spent over an hour with an extractor bit and a ton of heat just to get it out. What's your go-to method for a totally wrecked crank bolt?
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2 Comments
jamesm48
jamesm484d agoMost Upvoted
Used to swear by the extractor kits, but had one snap off inside a bolt on an old Campy crank. That was a real bad day. Now, if it's totally gone, I just weld a nut right onto the stump of the bolt. The heat from the weld breaks everything loose anyway, and then you've got a fresh hex to crank on. Saves so much time and headache.
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derek656
derek6564d ago
Honestly, I was all about the extractor kits too. Then I saw @jamesm48 talk about welding a nut on. Tried it last month on a totally stripped Shimano bolt and it came right out. The heat just breaks everything free and you get a solid grip.
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