SPD pedal wear

[Steve]

Could this wear on my left-hand PD-A520 be the cause of the cleat pulling out when I don't want it to? I daresay it's quite an old pedal, the cleats are new though.

[Cyclothesist]

Yep, and that's really worn!

[Nicholas]

Bin it.

[Brucey]

the new cleats should either be black 'single release' ckeats or silvery 'multi-release' ones, if they are genuine shimano. The latter type do come out a bit more easily.
The release tension is adjustable via a small screw buried in the 'jaw'.
The jaws are replaceable, so you can always restore 'as new' performance this way.
Finally it is possible to weld these parts even though they seem to have a high carbon content. So you can build up any lost material via MIG welding, and restore the shape via grinding afterwards.

[Steve]

Thanks, looks like my suspicion was right then!

[Brucey]

have you tried adjusting the release tension?

FWIW if the jaws are worn on the underside, this can dramatically affect the release action.

[Cyclothesist]

SJS Cycles stock a lot of SPD spares including the front body mounts but not the rear mount that attaches to the spring. I think it'd be a tricky part to replace even if you could source it.
Is the front mount as worn as the back? If so that could be contributing to the problem. That is replaceable so it might be worth trying if it looks very worn.

edit -checked and the rear mount is not listed as a separate part in the Shimano expanded view doc, it's part of the pedal body/spring component.

[pwa]

Is it really worth putting new hardware on these well-used pedal bodies? I ask because in my experience what finally kills my very long lasting (genuine Shimano) SPDs is the aluminium pedal body wearing down, allowing too much play between the shoe and the pedal. New hardware isn't going to rectify that.

[Cyclothesist]

Is it really worth putting new hardware on these well-used pedal bodies? I ask because in my experience what finally kills my very long lasting (genuine Shimano) SPDs is the aluminium pedal body wearing down, allowing too much play between the shoe and the pedal. New hardware isn't going to rectify that.

I agree. Time for new pedals.

[Brucey]

SJS Cycles stock a lot of SPD spares including the front body mounts but not the rear mount that attaches to the spring. I think it'd be a tricky part to replace even if you could source it.
Is the front mount as worn as the back? If so that could be contributing to the problem. That is replaceable so it might be worth trying if it looks very worn.

edit -checked and the rear mount is not listed as a separate part in the Shimano expanded view doc, it's part of the pedal body/spring component.

and it seems there isn't even a similar model for which there are spares, either. Ho hum.

It might not help with the unintentional release, but there is something to be said for swapping the LHS rear jaw for the one from the RHS pedal; because most people release by twisting their heel outwards, the rear jaw tends to wear mostly on one side.


btw the other thing which affects shoe to pedal clearance is shoe wear, which can be a factor if you walk far in your cycling shoes. Also, it is definitely best if your foot is centred over the cleat, but not everybody can do that.