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wobbly single ring ...
 

[Closed] wobbly single ring - why?

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[#5774510]

Works Components thick/thin on the middle position of an XT triple. Nothing excessively worn.

I've tried 2 different types (brands) of short bolts, neither will cinch the ring down properly tight. (Yes I have a doer-upper tool). There's still a little bit of play, with the bolts as tight onto themselves (female into male) as I can get with the tightener too (bolt type a) or hex key both side (bolt type B). The drivetrain creaks under power, the bolts spin under a hex key.

what am I doing wrong? (ta)


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 10:46 am
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The nut part of the chainring bolt set are too long, that way the head of the bolt tops out on the nut, before it has clamped the ring against the crank.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 10:59 am
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sure I realise.

so what's the fix? ok, bolts that are shorter, or a ring that is thicker ... but are these not all standard size components that should 'just work'?

I used the same bolts and cranks with a Hope ring in the past, that cinched down OK.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 11:04 am
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Different depth recesses, had similar problem with my e-thirteen ring, I was lucky I just popped the nuts in my lathe and turned them down. It's probably time to crack the files out and just nip a bit of the end of the nut section.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 11:09 am
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A less-than-optimal solution would be to turn the chainring around so as to not use the recess for the nut. A better solution would be to file down the bolts, or measure them and order shorter ones.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 11:12 am
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Simplest solution - washers behind the screw heads


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 11:15 am
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It's probably time to crack the files out and just nip a bit of the end of the nut section.

Yeah. Bolt part too though, as they'll be too long then, protrude through the 'nut' making it impossible to tighten. (It's not a nut it doesn't have hex faces, don't know what the correct name for the female part is).

Bike shops don't do this, there'd be no profit in it. What do they do? Not sell Works Component rings presumably.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 11:32 am
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Get some Zenith chainset bolts from Velosolo. They're properly short!

http://www.velosolo.co.uk/shopcrank.html


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 11:46 am
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Has threaded hole, thus is nut by definition in dictionary

Filing both down will do no harm just have a thread file on hand

Or fit washers to the back of the chainset out of sight.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 11:48 am
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washers is the optimal "on the dirt today" solution, luckily my town still has a proper hardware shop so I'm off for a rummage.

watch this space.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 12:15 pm
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40p spent on washers. They're about 20mm o/d, 10mm i/d, 2mm deep.

When mounted on the inside, a) edge of washer fouls chain slightly (resolvable with a file), b) nut head fouls chain stay as it's 2mm further in to the BB (not resolvable with a file).

When mounted on the outside, is a) pig ugly b) o/d is a tad wide on the crank side and pushes the bolt a little out, causing potential crossed thread with nut, not going to do that. b) probably resolvable by filing washer a bit on opposite sides. But not a great solution.

Email into Works Components, maybe they know specifically which bolts to use, I can hardly be the first person to put one of their rings onto an XT triple.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 1:47 pm
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aah, just cobble it together with washers, i've never bought a short bolt or nut.

Its the nut bit though that you need, the short bolt has nothing to do with it, the actual nut is longer in length than your chainring and crankset combined so like said, you can file it down, get a washer set-up in there or buy a shorter nut.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 1:51 pm
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I was typing that at the same time as you!

File down the nut bit, bit fiddly but will work.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 1:55 pm
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chainring bolt spacers, expensive but the neatest 'bodge' available on ebay for fixie twot bikes.

warning theyr'e not a cheap fix which is why i ground my chainring bolts down to fit on my dh bike


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 1:56 pm
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@lummox ta I'll try these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chainring-Bolt-Spacer-Washer-FIXED-track-SINGLEPSEED-/200571843676

0.6mm might do it

If not it'll be the file unless WC point me somewhere else.

When I got this bike the installed Hope ring was on backwards, not that it mattered but now I think I know why.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 2:37 pm
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oh well rainy Sunday afternoons, this is what they're for I suppose.


 
Posted : 15/12/2013 2:37 pm
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0.6mm spacers got the ring clamped down nicely (thx Lummox)

then it turned out the creak that lead me to find this was one of the teeth on the ring scraping the chainstay, so the pliers came out after all


 
Posted : 18/12/2013 7:01 pm