Square Taper Crank Puller

Most crank pullers strip on the same kind of crank: the one that's been pulled before, by someone who skipped the dust cap or pulled against worn threads. The puller turns, the threads in the crank arm let go, and the puller backs out without moving the crank a millimetre. That's the call our 1662/4 was built to answer.

Unior names this tool a tapered crank puller and stamps CONICAL THREAD on the body. Official use: remove cranks with damaged inner threads when the crank cannot be removed with a normal crank puller.

When to reach for the 1662/4 over the 1661/4

The 1661/4 Crank Puller is Unior's everyday puller for square-spindle cranks; the included adaptor also covers ISIS and Octalink. Reach for the 1662/4 when a normal crank puller cannot remove the crank because the inner threads are damaged.

The 1661/4 is the puller Unior specifies for square-spindle cranks plus ISIS and Octalink, via the included adaptor. The 1662/4 does not include that adaptor; it is the damaged-thread salvage tool.

How it's used

Loosen and remove the centre crank bolt (usually 14 mm or 15 mm hex on square-taper cranks, with a dust cap covering the puller threads on some models; pry or unscrew the dust cap before threading in the puller). Thread the 1662/4's body into the crank arm's puller threads, hand-tight first, then snug with a wrench on the puller's flats. Turn the centre rod clockwise. The rod presses the spindle face and pushes the crank arm outward along the spindle axis until the crank releases.

If the 1662/4 spins without engaging at all, the extractor threads in the arm are gone. The Crank Saver Kit (1695MB1-US) repairs stripped pedal threads, not puller threads. It will not restore extractor threads.

Compatibility

• Cranks whose extractor threads are damaged, when a normal crank puller cannot remove the arm
• The official salvage case: damaged inner threads after a normal puller has already failed
• Everyday square-spindle, ISIS, and Octalink removal is the 1661/4 with its included adaptor

Specs

• Material: premium flex plus carbon steel
• Surface finish: not published for this article; weight 126 g; lifetime warranty
• Puller thread: 12 × 1 (M1) and 22 × 1 (M2); tapered
• Wrench flats: 19 mm

Built in Zreče

Unior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and sponsors professional road and mountain-bike race teams. The 1662/4's tapered puller threads are a workshop decision, not a consumer one; the design exists because workshop benches see the same stuck-crank call enough times that a salvage tool earns its place next to the everyday one.

Pro tip from our mechanics

The 1662/4 is the tool you reach for after a normal crank puller has failed, not before. Official use is damaged inner threads when the crank cannot be removed with a normal puller. If the everyday 1661/4 still engages, finish the pull with that.

For the four-interface crank-removal decision tree, including how to tell whether the crank arm itself is salvageable: How to remove a crankset →.

FAQ

When do I use the 1662/4 instead of the 1661/4? The 1661/4 is Unior's everyday crank puller: it removes standard square-spindle cranks, and the included adaptor also covers ISIS and Octalink. The 1662/4 is the tapered crank puller for the next case: cranks with damaged inner threads, when a normal puller cannot remove the arm. Reach for 1662/4 after the everyday puller has already failed.

What threads and wrench size does the 1662/4 take? Official spec is two metric threads, 12 × 1 (M1) and 22 × 1 (M2), and a 19 mm wrench (S). Weight is 126 g. The body is stamped CONICAL THREAD. Unior lists the material as premium flex plus carbon steel and covers the tool with a lifetime warranty.

Will the 1662/4 pull a Hollowtech II, SRAM DUB, or GXP crank? No. Those interfaces do not use an extractor-thread puller. They use a self-extracting crank cap; Unior's own service manual says a crank extractor is not necessary on Hollowtech II. Use the matching crank-cap tool instead.

If the 1662/4 spins without engaging, will the Crank Saver Kit restore the puller threads? No. If the 1662/4 spins without engaging, the extractor threads in the crank arm are gone and a puller will not recover them. The Crank Saver Kit (1695MB1-US) repairs stripped pedal threads, not puller threads. That is an arm-replacement job.