Crank Puller For Shimano XTR FC-M970

The XTR FC-M970 doesn't pull like anything else in the catalogue. Shimano's first-generation Hollowtech II crankset for XTR used a proprietary outboard spindle nut design that no standard crank puller engages. A square-taper puller skates across the spindle face. A current Hollowtech II cap tool finds nothing to grip. The 1664 is the answer to that specific call: the only puller in our catalogue with the four-pin geometry the FC-M970's outer ring demands.

If a customer brings in an XTR FC-M970 crankset for service, this is the only tool that takes it apart cleanly. There's no workaround.

How it's used

The FC-M970 wears a removable plastic outer ring on the non-drive crank arm. Use the four pins on the puller's left side to engage the holes in the plastic ring and unscrew it.

With the outer ring off, the inner spindle nut is exposed. Use the puller's plastic-clamp end to unthread the nut on the inner crank side.

Thread the puller's right side into the crank arm. With the puller seated, drive a hex wrench against the centre rod to unscrew the spindle nut that holds the crank in place.

Continue threading the puller (now attached to the crank nut by its inner side) until the crank releases from the spindle. The release point is well-defined; once the spindle clears the BB clamp interface, the crank arm comes off in a straight pull.

Compatibility

• Shimano XTR FC-M970 (the first-generation HT2 XTR crankset, pre-FC-M9100)
• Other Shimano cranks using the same proprietary four-pin outer-ring + spindle-nut interface (rare; verify against the FC-M970 generation before committing)
• Not compatible with current Hollowtech II (FC-M9100, FC-M9000, etc.), which uses the standard cap-tool interface; for those, the 1609.1 Hollowtech II Crank Bolt Tool is the right pick.

Specs

• Material: premium flex plus carbon steel
• Surface finish: chrome-plated
• Engagement: four-pin outboard interface (specific to FC-M970-generation outer rings)

Built in Zreče

Unior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and is the official technical partner of multiple World Tour and downhill teams. The 1664 exists because some shop benches still see FC-M970 cranksets and the alternative is Frankenstein-rigging a four-pin engagement out of an adjustable spanner. The proprietary-interface puller is the cleaner answer.

Pro tip from our mechanics

The plastic outer ring on the FC-M970 is brittle on cranks that have lived through more than one removal cycle. Engage all four puller pins fully into the plastic ring's holes before applying any rotation, and apply the rotation in steady pressure rather than impact. A pin that lifts under torque cracks the ring's holes and turns a service into a parts-replacement situation.

For the broader crank-removal decision tree (square taper, splined, current Hollowtech II, SRAM DUB, plus the proprietary outliers like FC-M970): How to remove a crankset →.