DIY pedal straightener

[Rivnut]

I made a simple pedal straightener with little expense and easily obtainable.

I bought a 30" x 3/4" piece of iron pipe, one 1/2" x 20 RH lug nut that takes a 3/4" lug wrench and one 1/2" x 20 LH lug nut that takes the same 3/4" lug wrench. The lug nuts are a hair too big to slide into the iron pipe BUT they can be persuaded into the pipe with a big hammer. The hardest part of the deal is buying the lug nuts because the guy behind the counter at the auto parts store only knows how to look things up by "year, make, and model." I just asked to go back into the back and look through the boxes of lug nuts. Found what I was looking for because the description is on a label on the box. I will eventually spot weld the nuts into the pipe but for now, it's a usable tool.


Lug nuts on pedals. Tapered side toward the pedal blocks

3/4" x 30" iron pipe (would probably look cleaner if you cut off the threasds)

Lug nuts hammered into iron pipe

I used the bolt in the background as a guide so that I wouldn't be hammering directly on the threads of the lug nut.

I don't need one but I'm going to see if I can source the parts for 9/16" pedals.

 

[SKPC]

Great idea!

 

[Barto]

I made a simple pedal straightener with little expense and easily obtainable.

I bought a 30" x 3/4" piece of iron pipe, one 1/2" x 20 RH lug nut that takes a 3/4" lug wrench and one 1/2" x 20 LH lug nut that takes the same 3/4" lug wrench. The lug nuts are a hair too big to slide into the iron pipe BUT they can be persuaded into the pipe with a big hammer. The hardest part of the deal is buying the lug nuts because the guy behind the counter at the auto parts store only knows how to look things up by "year, make, and model." I just asked to go back into the back and look through the boxes of lug nuts. Found what I was looking for because the description is on a label on the box. I will eventually spot weld the nuts into the pipe but for now, it's a usable tool.


Lug nuts on pedals. Tapered side toward the pedal blocks

View attachment 1098400

3/4" x 30" iron pipe (would probably look cleaner if you cut off the threasds)

View attachment 1098401



Lug nuts hammered into iron pipe

View attachment 1098402



I used the bolt in the background as a guide so that I wouldn't be hammering directly on the threads of the lug nut.

I don't need one but I'm going to see if I can source the parts for 9/16" pedals.

Great Idea, I have two pedals that need repair. Are the nuts welded into the pipe? So, do you put the pedal in a vice and simply apply pressure?

Again, great idea

Bart

 

[Rivnut]

I will be welding the nuts to the pipe, when I can get access to someone who can weld for me. As I look at it, I think that I will cut the threads off the pipe and then taper the pipe to match the taper on the nuts.

One thing that I had going for me is that I knew the size of the thread and I just happen to have a 1963 Buick Riviera that has the same TPI and has right hand threads on the right side of the car and left hand threads on the left side of the car. I didn't get lug nuts for that car though because they're bigger that the 3/4" ones that I used. A lot of early Chrysler products used LH threads. (And I wanted the counter guy to have to work for a change. ) Make the guy go look through the boxes of lug nuts he has on the shelf in the back.

I got the idea from another thread here on the CABE. In that thread, the pedal was put into the vise and the straightener was threaded onto it. Then it was a matter of where the bend was and how to apply the pressure. I just made this one up because the idea was fresh in my head, but I'm not going to use it for a while 'cause the bike I have with the bent pedals is on a back burner right now.

Ed

 

[Archie Sturmer]

How does it work with the Union plastic pedals (shown), or pedals in general - does the pedal shaft have to be isolated from the more giving (soft or rotating) parts?

 

[bikemonkey]

Early morning waking up musing here...

Take a one piece crank with the bent pedal threaded into one end and leave the other pedal off. Put pedal between blocks of wood in vice. Apply pressure on the crank arm with cheater bar. You could even sacrifice an old crank and cut the arms off and weld/jam them into a cheater bar.

 

[SKPC]

^^ I have had good luck using a bent one-piece crank also. It has both left/right threads for either pedal and is a fine lever unto itself. A good solid bench is required so you can clamp the bent pedal down solidly using wood blocks as mentioned above. I have easily straightened axles using this method. Just find the high(or low)spot on the bent axle after removing the pedal from the bike and mark it with a black felt marker. This will alert you as to where the bend orients. It may be a good idea to blow out any dirt or grime in the bearings/races/cones before doing this as otherwise you may damage them.