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Which hex wrench size to remove folding pedal from 20+ year old Dahon Boardwalk?

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Which hex wrench size to remove folding pedal from 20+ year old Dahon Boardwalk?

Old 08-16-21, 07:51 PM
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duke_of_hazard
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Which hex wrench size to remove folding pedal from 20+ year old Dahon Boardwalk?

The model of the pedal is VP 117. It seems to need a hex wrench. 7/32 is too small and slips inside. 1/4" is too big and won't even fit inside.. Perhaps it needs some metric sized wrench?
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Old 08-16-21, 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted by duke_of_hazard
The model of the pedal is VP 117. It seems to need a hex wrench. 7/32 is too small and slips inside. 1/4" is too big and won't even fit inside.. Perhaps it needs some metric sized wrench?
Bicycles have used Metric standard fasteners since the 1970s. It sounds like you need a 6mm hex wrench.
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Old 08-16-21, 07:57 PM
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Also consider that the flats on the pedals (if the pedals have wrench flats) are 15mm, with the exceptions being English pedals from before the 1970s, and 1/2" pedals for one piece cranksets.
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Old 08-16-21, 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by duke_of_hazard
The model of the pedal is VP 117. It seems to need a hex wrench. 7/32 is too small and slips inside. 1/4" is too big and won't even fit inside.. Perhaps it needs some metric sized wrench?
Geez, if you own any kind of a vehicle, you already needed to have a little combo set of metric and one of SAE sizes. Any hardware store will have them or get from Amazon. Typically both sets together would have set you back well less than $15.
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Old 08-18-21, 06:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Unca_Sam
Also consider that the flats on the pedals (if the pedals have wrench flats) are 15mm...
Some of these pedals have flats that are too narrow to accommodate a "normal" 15mm wrench, but a cone wrench will fit nicely.
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Old 08-18-21, 07:36 AM
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On my 2007 Dahon Boardwalk it is 15mm, the same as the wheel nuts.
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Old 08-18-21, 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by sweeks
Some of these pedals have flats that are too narrow to accommodate a "normal" 15mm wrench, but a cone wrench will fit nicely.
That depends on if a gorilla rode or assembled the bike or not. A longer lever and an extra mm of thickness, and you have the pedal wrench.
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Old 08-18-21, 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Unca_Sam
That depends on if a gorilla rode or assembled the bike or not. A longer lever and an extra mm of thickness, and you have the pedal wrench.
Heh... notice I said "fit", not "work"!
I should have said "normal pedal wrench", which is what I meant.
Cone wrenches are thinner than dedicated pedal wrenches, and it's probably the case that over-tightening of a pedal by precession or brute force could cause the cone wrench to fail. However, there are some pedals (eg, MKS AR2-Ezy which I have several pairs of) that just don't have room for a standard (Park Tools) pedal wrench, and also don't have hex sockets on their spindle ends. I've never had a problem with a (Park Tools) cone wrench getting these off.
FWIW, I have pedal washers on these pedals; possibly using an extra one would create room for the pedal wrench, but I haven't found this necessary.
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Old 08-18-21, 08:24 PM
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I found the hex wrench at our local bike trail tool-share pole. So saved a few $ and saved the environment from another single-use purchase..

When installing the new pedal, I assume it just needs to be "hand tight" with the wrench. Or does it need some extra torque?
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Old 08-19-21, 04:39 AM
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Originally Posted by duke_of_hazard
I found the hex wrench at our local bike trail tool-share pole. So saved a few $ and saved the environment from another single-use purchase..

When installing the new pedal, I assume it just needs to be "hand tight" with the wrench. Or does it need some extra torque?
Grease the spindle threads, and tighten well. Most common cranks can take more than you can give. If you have something special or uncommon, refer to the manufacturers specifications. For steel and solid aluminum cranks, you'll need a significant mechanical advantage to worry about stripping the crank threads.
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Old 08-22-21, 08:04 PM
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Wrong tool for pedal flats.

Originally Posted by sweeks
Some of these pedals have flats that are too narrow to accommodate a "normal" 15mm wrench, but a cone wrench will fit nicely.
Long after I destroyed a set of costly cone wrenches messing with pedals, just because the wrench fit, I found a nice set of Park brand "Pedal wrenches". They are much tougher than cone wrenches and are longer to provide more leverage so you can better do the job with pedals.
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Old 08-22-21, 08:56 PM
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Originally Posted by ksisler
Long after I destroyed a set of costly cone wrenches messing with pedals, just because the wrench fit, I found a nice set of Park brand "Pedal wrenches". They are much tougher than cone wrenches and are longer to provide more leverage so you can better do the job with pedals.
I agree... *unless* you have pedals that a proper pedal wrench will not fit. MKS AR2-Ezy is an example of a pedal that has a flat too narrow for a normal pedal wrench.
I've been using a Park 15mm cone wrench on these pedals for 10 years with no damage to wrench or pedals.
But... to be clear, cone wrenches should generally *not* be used as pedal wrenches.
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