I have a similar problem on a GT Palomar youth mountain bike I'm trying to refurbish (12.5" frame, 24-inch wheel, c. 2000) on the cheap. Bottom bracket is not spinning freely at all - Shimano tapered square cartridge needs replacing, I have concluded. I extracted non-drive side crank but stripped threads on DS crank have me stuck now.
Please advise on the best cost-effective options as far as extracting stuck crank, reinstalling or replacing crank with replacement BB:
- Do I have to remove the crank before I can get the bracket cartridge out? Is it possible or advisable to take the cartridge out entirely and then try to get the crank off? Is it easiest to get it off using those wedges against the frame's BB hub ... or once the cartridge is off somehow?
- How would I re-install the DS crank with stripped threads?
- What is the best way to get drivetrain running well again for under $40?