tightening chainrings…..without the special park tool!

Help! The hex bolt for chainrings tightens onto slotted nutand I’m struggling to brace it when tightening.

Screwdrivers are not wider enough. Park tools do a special tool but I’d rather not splash cash when it’s very rare I take them off. Anyone got any cleaver solution for this?

I use an old wide chisel.

Get a small piece of scotchbrite (the green washing up pads) and stuff it into the nut, hold it in there tight with your fingers and tighten the bolt.

Sometimes once it’s tight enough then it should grip

as above or look in kitchen drawer for a big knife etc.

Can you take it out, clean it, grease/copaslip it so it does up easily, and then reassemble using finger pressure till it bites

Can you angle a centre punch into it

The tool is less than £5. Buying it is the “cleaver” solution.

Surely a knife would be the ‘cleaver’ solution?

Wow speedy replies – thanks all I’ll try a chisel I think

I think the “cleaver” solution was mentioned before…”look in kitchen drawer for a big knife” 🙂

I am with you though for the money to save a slip and a cut when trying to “cleaver it” just buy it.

It’s simple pimple, (I’ve got a slotted tool made from an old screwdriver, hardly ever works propply) get some valve grinding paste from either your friendly local garage or motorspares shop & smear a bit round the ‘nut’ where it interfaces with the chainring. Once you start to tighten the hexy bolt the carborundum in the paste stops the nut slipping. Always works.
You can always use a TINY bit of grease & fine sand if your’e in council fitter mode.

I’ve got a huge bloody screwdriver that does mine.

I used to use a spoon but this year I finally got round to buying the Park one HERE.

Best £4 I’ve spent as it saves so much hassle.

50 pence piece

Never used anything to be honest and haven’t had a chain-ring bolt come loose since I started riding these new fangled mountain bike things 4 years ago