Originally Posted by Hudson308

Thanks for posting the quick tutorial on crank removal. Turns out there are actually a couple guys (and gals) out there who have never done that.

My only additions would be:
-MAKE SURE THERE ISN'T A WASHER LEFT BEHIND WHERE THE RETAINING BOLT/NUT WAS!!! Don't ask me how I learned about this. Maybe even a couple times.
-Use some WD40 and a toothbrush to clean any gunk out of the crank extractor threads before screwing your removal tool in. This is especially true if either of the dust covers have been missing for awhile. This will help ensure that you can thread the tool in as far as it needs to go for maximum thread engagement.