Had a stripped pedal thread scare on a vintage steel frame

I was working on a 1980s Peugeot for a customer, and the left pedal crank arm threads were completely stripped out from a previous cross-threading job. I used a 9/16 inch helicoil kit from my toolbox to repair it, which worked but felt a bit sketchy on the old steel. Would you guys trust a helicoil repair for a pedal thread on a bike that gets regular road use, or is a full crank arm replacement the only safe fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthew_morgan1mo ago

Did you check the crank arm for hairline cracks yet?

angela_wilson781mo ago

Oh man, good call! Honestly, I had a crank arm snap clean off on a climb last year because I missed a tiny crack. Scared me half to death. Tbh I check mine with a bright light every few rides now, it's just not worth the risk. That failure really makes you paranoid about every little creak and click afterwards.

felix47810d ago

Yeah @matthew_morgan asking the real questions here lol. That crank snap story gives me chills just thinking about it. My buddy had his pedal threads strip out mid sprint and sent him flying into a bush, bike was fine but his ego took a hit. Bright light trick is solid, I just tap mine with a wrench and listen for a dull thud vs a clean ring. If it sounds dead, I'm swapping it out immediately.