SPD cleats removal

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Brucey
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by Brucey »

RJB's notion of giving the screws a clout whilst the cleat plate is properly supported is exactly correct IMHO.

SPD shoe soles are nearly always slightly squashy (hence the cleat screws need checking for tightness within a few hundred miles of being fitted) and with any SPD shoe it is simply a question of the cleat plate being properly supported from the back. A cobbler's last

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is made for the purpose (costs buttons and makes an excellent doorstop too, BTW) but it is usually possible to improvise something that will do the same job. If you end up having to force a torx bit into the allen key recess, you often kill two bird with one stone; the shock of tapping the torx bit into the hole often breaks the screw loose too.

BTW if you want to soak the screw threads in penetrant, this is nearly always possible via the cleat side of the fixing, if necessary by drilling a hole in the figure-8 washer, between the screws.

cheers
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foxyrider
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by foxyrider »

andrew_s wrote:
Marcus Aurelius wrote:With SPDs ( 2 bolt ) I generally find the shoes are worn out before the cleats, so they go in the bin together.

Replacement cleats are relatively expensive, so it's worth rescuing the cleats and bolts for your bits box if they come out readily (as per Brucey's no. 1 item above)

Think i'd rather bin the cleats than the £170 boots lol
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
reohn2
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by reohn2 »

alexnharvey wrote:I prefer a soft threadlock over antiseize for these bolts. It's not fun losing a SPD bolt and not realising until you try to release your foot.

I take your point,though in 20 odd years of riding clipless pedals I've never had had that happen.Not saying it couldn't happen just that it's very unlikely if the bolts are tight enough.
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reohn2
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by reohn2 »

foxyrider wrote:
andrew_s wrote:
Marcus Aurelius wrote:With SPDs ( 2 bolt ) I generally find the shoes are worn out before the cleats, so they go in the bin together.

Replacement cleats are relatively expensive, so it's worth rescuing the cleats and bolts for your bits box if they come out readily (as per Brucey's no. 1 item above)

Think i'd rather bin the cleats than the £170 boots lol

Quite!
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
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foxyrider
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by foxyrider »

reohn2 wrote:
alexnharvey wrote:I prefer a soft threadlock over antiseize for these bolts. It's not fun losing a SPD bolt and not realising until you try to release your foot.

I take your point,though in 20 odd years of riding clipless pedals I've never had had that happen.Not saying it couldn't happen just that it's very unlikely if the bolts are tight enough.

Each time i've had it the cleats have been fine for hundreds of miles beforehand so I do check for tightness regularly. Strangely, never had it happen on 3 bolt cleats.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
ged lawrenson
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Joined: 13 Sep 2013, 6:20pm

Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by ged lawrenson »

My SPD cleats had been fixed on my default winter shoe - Exustar Stelvios, for over eleven years: well and truly rusted on! Also very worn, (unlike the shoes), with the leading edge of the cleat less than 1mm in thickness.

My solution to remove and replace them? Follow Brucey's advice, but use Viakal limescale remover to loosen and scrape away the crud to fit the allen key, and penetrating spray on the thread.

Next time I'll replace them sooner, and use copper ease regularly.
Vorpal
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by Vorpal »

reohn2 wrote:
alexnharvey wrote:I prefer a soft threadlock over antiseize for these bolts. It's not fun losing a SPD bolt and not realising until you try to release your foot.

I take your point,though in 20 odd years of riding clipless pedals I've never had had that happen.Not saying it couldn't happen just that it's very unlikely if the bolts are tight enough.

One of my clubmates got his shoe stuck at a cafe stop. It turned out one of the bolts had come out just enough during riding to keep him from releasing. I think another clubmate sorted it, but someone went for elevenses in his socks. :lol:
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MikeDee
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Joined: 11 Dec 2014, 8:36pm

Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by MikeDee »

I've never had trouble removing SPD cleats. Use anti-sieze or medium Loctite on the threads to keep them from corroding (grease washes out) and dig out the dirt in the wrench socket in the head of the screw with an awl before removing.
9494arnold
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by 9494arnold »

Recently purchased some stainless steel SPD screws but not used them yet. Relatively cheap on fleabay. :D
Theoretically shouldn't rust ..
And I also have a small device intended for golf shoes with some very hard little spikes which I clean round my SPD cleats with occasionally (also use it for getting stones out of old school cleat slots )
Wire brush helps too, shoe on a shoe last as already discussed.
Brucey
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Re: SPD cleats removal

Post by Brucey »

because the stainless steel screws will presumably still be screwed into a mounting plate that is made of non-stainless steel, the screws may still seize up. Stainless steel is usually also slightly softer so burrs on the stainless bolts may be slightly worse if anything.

FWIW did the stainless bolts come with a 4mm hexagon recess or a 3mm hexagon recess? ; ISTR that standard M5 threaded CSK screws come with a 3mm recess? I have never tried stainless screws in SPD cleats because I couldn't find any which use a decent sized tool; I think that a 3mm hexagon recess will round out very easily indeed.

A torx head in CSK M5 uses a T25 drive which is hardly enormous, and if that gets burred over it'll be problematic to sort out too.

cheers
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