TIL that old bike shop guy was right about greasing pedal threads

So this older mechanic at the co-op I used to volunteer at kept telling me to always grease pedal threads before installing them. I thought he was being old school and fussy. Fast forward to last week, I put some pedals on my commuter dry (like a dummy) and after 3 days of riding I could not get the left one off. Tried a cheater bar, PB Blaster, even some heat. Just rounded the hex socket instead. Had to cut the crank arm off and buy a new one. Lesson learned. Anybody else have a stubborn pedal story?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_clark1mo ago

Oh man, that sucks! I actually think the real trick people miss is not just greasing the threads but the direction you install them. I know it sounds dumb, but I've seen so many people crank pedals on backwards because they don't realize the left pedal is reverse threaded. Even with grease, if you force it the wrong way you'll strip the crank arm no matter what. The other thing nobody talks about is using a thin layer of anti seize compound instead of regular grease if you live somewhere wet or salty. Grease can wash out over time, but anti seize stays put. Also, if you're really paranoid, give the threads a quick wire brush before you grease them to knock off any old crusty stuff from the last set of pedals. That alone saved me from ruining another crank arm last year.

lewis.charlie1mo ago

Hang on, does the anti seize stuff ever cause any issues with the pedal threads themselves, like making them harder to torque down properly? I’ve always just used marine grease since it’s thicker, but I’m curious if the compound changes how tight you want things. Park Tool even says backing off a few pound-feet when using it, so I’m wondering if you adjust your install technique.