Stronglight Crankset Removal – Video

Stronglight crankset removal for pre-1982 models requires a special tool, a 23.35 crank puller. This particular tool is not easy to find these days and can be quite expensive to buy, even some bike shops won’t have the tool in their workshop. I bought a crank puller with two different screw threads, a 23mm screw for TA cranks and a 23.35mm for Stronglight. Without this 23.35mm crank puller, Stronglight crank removal is not possible.

23.35mm Stronglight tool

Tools I Used

• 23mm/23.35mm Crank Puller Tool
• A 16mm, thin walled socket; or a dedicated Stronglight bolt remover (which often comes as part of a complete tool).
• Needle Nosed Pliers And Coin
• A large Adjustable Wrench
• A Rubber Mallet ( For More Stuck-On Cranks )
• A 5mm Allen Key For Other Version Of Stronglight Dust Caps

What to Watch Out For

Stronglight crank removal can be problematic, even with the right tools to hand. Most of these vintage cranks will not have been removed before and will have been in service for more than 40 years. Metals will have weakened and oxidated in some places, especially on the threads that are crucial for extraction. The puller must be fully inserted and must not move during the removal process, otherwise thread failure will occur. Dust caps are also prone to becoming stuck, and it’s quite easy to round the allen key recess by the effort of trying to remove them. Here is a video with such a problem.

I got lucky with this one

Most Will Come Off

I must have removed over 50 Stronglight cranks in my time, and most do come off when the right tool and care is used. There have been a few that refused to yield, not because they were bonded on, but because the threads were destroyed to the point where only brute force with alternative tools would succeed. In these cases, it’s just better to leave the crankset on, cleaning is still possible by removing the chain rings for the drive arm.