3.10 drivetrain

Crankset Removal — Hollowtech II / Two-Piece

Crankset Removal — Hollowtech II / Two-Piece. Step-by-step procedure for bike maintenance — tools, time, and what to watch out for.

Difficulty ★★☆ moderate
Time ~10 min
Applies to Modern bikes with Hollowtech II / two-piece cranks (Road, Gravel, MTB, most E-bikes)

Tools

  • 5mm hex key (for the two pinch bolts)
  • plastic preload cap tool (Shimano TL-FC16/TL-FC18, or a 5p coin in a pinch)
  • maybe a flathead screwdriver (for the safety tab)

Procedure

  1. Loosen the two pinch bolts

    on the non-drive crank arm (5mm hex) — just a few turns, do not remove.

  2. Locate the safety tab

    on the non-drive crank arm. It's a small spring-loaded tab that sits in a groove on the spindle preventing the arm from falling off if the bolts loosen. Lift it out of the groove with a flathead.

  3. Unscrew the preload cap

    in the center of the non-drive crank arm using the plastic tool (or a 5p coin if you've lost the tool). Counter-clockwise.

  4. Pull the non-drive crank arm off

    the spindle. May require a tap from a soft mallet.

  5. Slide the drive-side crank

    (with chainrings) out through the bottom bracket from the drive side. The chain stays on — let it hang on the bottom bracket shell. ---

Procedure #

  1. Loosen the two pinch bolts on the non-drive crank arm (5mm hex) — just a few turns, do not remove.
  2. Locate the safety tab on the non-drive crank arm. It’s a small spring-loaded tab that sits in a groove on the spindle preventing the arm from falling off if the bolts loosen. Lift it out of the groove with a flathead.
  3. Unscrew the preload cap in the center of the non-drive crank arm using the plastic tool (or a 5p coin if you’ve lost the tool). Counter-clockwise.
  4. Pull the non-drive crank arm off the spindle. May require a tap from a soft mallet.
  5. Slide the drive-side crank (with chainrings) out through the bottom bracket from the drive side. The chain stays on — let it hang on the bottom bracket shell.