Shimano Crank Install Tool HollowTech II

When looking for a solid quality crankset at a reasonable price, Shimano's Hollow Tech II crank line-up is pretty hard to beat. When picking up your first Shimano Hollow Tech II crankset however, many people don't understand that the tensioning bolt has a very unique interface which requires a specific tool to properly install and remove the crank (the Shimano Hollow Tech II Crank Tool.)

Quality:

Made of a high quality plastic, the interface slides nicely into the tension bolt for quick and easy removal. However, since it is made from plastic, it doesn't take much for it to get marred up. The theory of the Hollow Tech II system is to get the tensioning bolt snug (hand tight) and then torque the pinch bolts down to spec. If doing just this, this plastic tool will last for-almost-ever. More often than not though, the tensioning bolt is over torqued which does a number on the life of this tool.

For burlier cranks like the Zee and Saint which use a metal tensioning bolt, it's natural to want to really torque that bolt down more since that last thing you want is your crankarms moving from side to side. Resist the temptation however because it doesn't need to be that tight and by doing so can kill the life of this tool.

They do make metal versions but they are sorta overpriced for how often you will be using it.

Life Hack:

If for some reason you find yourself in a position where you don't have the Shimano Hollow Tech II Crank Tool, you aren't completely stuck. Although this is not ideal, I have found that the vinyl dipped end of a cone wrench is just about the perfect size to get enough bite in the grooves of the tensioning bolt to remove it. This can damage the face of the interface of less expensive cracksets so be careful doing so but it's worked for me in the past.

Bottom Line:

The Shimano Hollow Tech II Crank Tool is a simple pleasure in life. It's small, inexpensive, and if used right will last a very long time. Anyone that owns a Hollow Tech II crankset should own one. If you are planning on buying a new crankset, be sure to include one in your cart. You'll be happy you did.