bike manhattan

Got a new chainring. Did not realize I need a special tool to take the old one off and put the new one on. Can anyone recommend a chainring nut wrench that will work with a stock Kilo TT Stripper's crank bolts? Will this guy get the job done?:

Amazon.com : Park Tool bike tools CNW-2 Chainring Nut Wrench : Sports & Outdoors

I've read some conflicting reviews which is why I ask..

Thanks.

Scrodzilla

Conflicting reviews of a ****ing chainring bolt wrench?

That's the one you need. Just buy it.

bones_mcbones

they're a lil' tricky to use. good luck

bike manhattan

Cool, will buy.

And yeah, I just read one guy say he had this very same tool and couldn't get two of the 5 bolts off of his Kilo TT crank with it no matter how hard he tried. He ended up taking it to his LBS to finish the job. Whatever though, I'm sure it will get the job done just fine.

Scrodzilla

One of my all-time least favorite tools to use ever.

Instead of changing my chainring, I usually just throw my bike in the dumpster and get another one.

TejanoTrackie 

Even with that nut tool, it can be difficult to keep the nut from rotating if the bolt is very tight. In some extreme cases, it has been necessary to drill the bolt out and install a new bolt and nut.

taras0000

Get knurled chainring bolts, or dual hex/torx. Knurled is more convenient. You can also glue/epoxy the backs into the rear of the crank.

TejanoTrackie 

Knurled only works with real track crank arms that have counterbores for the nuts on the rear of the spider. Otherwise, the knurled sides of the nuts sit outside the spider and do nothing to keep them from spinning when the bolts are tightened or loosened.

ThimbleSmash

Do people actually own those silly things? I have yet to encounter a bolt I couldn't hold in place by hand and get loose. Not that I work in a shop and encounter the mess some people may bring in for fixing, but I do fix up the occasional neglected entry level bike I find in the trash for a quick flip on cash. I've used nothing more then a hex key, my hands, and maybe some 50/50 mix of acetone & transmission fluid to break rust to get them off.

Scrodzilla

I've encountered a good number of chainring bolts that couldn't be removed and had to be drilled.

At the shop, I use a VAR chainring bolt tool because I build and work on bikes for a living. Most people probably don't want to spend a hundred bucks or so on something they'll only use a couple of times.

50voltphantom

That thing is badass.

Personally, I'd just get these awesome doo-dads

Set of 5 Chainring Bolts+Nuts for 1X ? wolftoothcomponents.com

4mm + 6mm allen keys. The way nature intended.

TejanoTrackie 

Sorry, but it's strictly steel threaded fasteners for me.

Also, if alloy is used for a threaded fastener, then it better use a Torx key rather than a hex wrench if you don't want it to strip out after a few removal/tightening cycles.

hairnet

This eludes the industry's brilliant engineers. They want to sell you light weight and torque wrenches.

TejanoTrackie 

Thing is, the weight savings are miniscule. Also, don't blame engineers for this, blame the marketting idiots.

TenSpeedV2

You could hold a chainring bolt by hand and tighten it? I don't think I want to ride on a bicycle that you have worked on. The last thing I want is my chainring to come off while I am riding at 22mph down the street. Brake or no brake, that is not going to end well.

seau grateau

Yeah I at least fudge with with a screwdriver holding the back.

jlafitte 

The flipside of what Scrod says, if you're just gonna use it a couple times the Park tool that goes for three or four bucks works perfectly well.

bike manhattan

Seriously! You want those things on tight!

Anyway, ordered the Park Tool chainring wrench. Also ordered the Flying Wheels titanium silver chainring bolts and the Park Tool Y-design hex wrench to get my Amazon order up to $25 since the chainring wrench is an add-on item. Should be pretty sweet brahhhs.

ThimbleSmash

I commute roughly 4K miles a year on one bike that has chrainring bolts that are merely tightened by hand. I do a full breakdown of the bike about every 6 months on the bike. Haven't lost a chainring bolt and there is no noticeable play in the chainring and have been riding it like so for 3 years. Maybe I don't ride as hard as you.

TejanoTrackie 

The OP is talking about holding the chainring nuts at the rear of the crankarm spider, so that the bolts at the front of the spider can be loosened. Yes, chainring bolts can often be tightened sufficiently w/o holding the nuts with a tool, but that is a totally different issue.

TenSpeedV2

I am glad that nothing has happened. I would suggest using the proper tools for the job however.

hairnet

The tool is generally useless except for when nut & bolt are hard to remove or when you can't tighten the bolt because the nut is turning with it, in which case the parts probably need to be cleaned and lightly greased. I hardly ever use it and it usually does a poor job when I do.

50voltphantom

They really are poorly designed for their intended purpose. Every one of them.

50voltphantom

I think for mere mortals they'd be fine. I understand what you're saying and agree, but I really don't think the alloy ones I linked to would disintegrate if used properly.

TejanoTrackie 

The ones you linked use a hex wrench to tighten/loosen and are likely to strip out over time. It has nothing to do with being a mere mortal. The Sugino 75 DD crankset I recently bought came with alloy bolts, but they sensibly use a T30 Torx driver to install and remove.