Removing a stuck chainring bolt

[Blue Hills]

Not just any stuck chainring bolt - one stuck by my own stupidity.

Will try to explain as best as I can.

I was doing some tinkering with an unused 8 speed triple Shimano chainset, seeing if I could get some brand new chainrings from another Shimano 9 speed series to fit it.

In screwing the new 9 speed big ring into place I managed to forget that the bolts and nuts that secure the big ring also pass through the middle ring. So, with the middle out I screwed down the bolts on the big ring and "duh" was initially puzzled to see that there was some slack in the assembly even with the bolts screwed straight down.

Realising my stupidity (no other word for it) I unscrewed everything.

Except one bolt/nut assembly is stuck.

I can't get the peg spanner to grip on the nut on the back - essentially because the bolt is screwed in so much it stands high in the centre of the "nut" and stops the peg spanner seating properly.

Any suggestions?

After failing to get the peg spanner to grip it did occur to me that very often you don't have to use one as the nut is held tight against the metal of the ring and the bolt pulls against that friction as you undo it. But of course thanks to my cack-handedness, although the bolt/nut interface is tight - too tight - the bolt does not push against the chainring - there is a gap, even though the bolt and nut/sleeve are fastened tight - thanks to the missing middle ring. It did occur to me that maybe I could jam something in this gap like perhaps a small thin spanner but I don't have such a thing.

Clearly I am hoping for solution which doesn't damage my nice new crankset or nice new 44T Deore chainring.

 

[fossyant]

Ah...

Long nose needle pliers into the slots either side ? Bit knackered if the peg spanner can't get purchase. Is there enough 'nut' there for something like mole grips to hold it as you undo the allen key bolt ?

 

[Blue Hills]

Tried that fossyant - no way I can keep a grip on the slots doing that - hence the invention of the chainring bolt tool I suppose.

This vid (for a no doubt good tool but which wouldn't work either) shows the issue at about 1 min in:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diUeWXwEvEw


The chainring bolt tool is prevented by slotting on to the slots by the bolt in the middle standing up and preventing the tool engaging the slots. I need some way of engaging the slots which grips them effectively without being disturbed by that bolt sticking up in the middle.

I have been pointed at this as a potential solution.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6SCwijgdyQ


but that won't work in my case as my ring as the distance/angles between teeth and bolt are all wrong - essentially because my stuck ring is the big one.

 

[Vantage]

Do you own a dremel by any chance? If so you could grind away some of the middle of the chain ring tool so it seats.
Failing that, superglue it to the middle chairing from the inside then undo it. You could hammer the nut out afterwards.

 

[chriswoody]

I have one of these tools to tighten the chainring bolts:

The teeth on the tool are designed in a different way to the one you have in the video and should be able to engage the slots even with the centre bolt standing proud. I've found it to be a brilliant piece of kit and made me wonder why I didn't buy one years ago.

 

[Blue Hills]

Do you own a dremel by any chance? If so you could grind away some of the middle of the chain ring tool so it seats.
Failing that, superglue it to the middle chairing from the inside then undo it. You could hammer the nut out afterwards.

Great minds thing alike Vantage - returned here after some lunchtime dremeling to find your suggestion - I had managed to do just that - cut a slot in the inner which, despite some earlier damage I had done to the outer slot, gave enough purchase for the tool to get a hold on the sleeve/nut.
Truly the dremel (cheaper alternatives are available from the like of Aldi and Lidl though I like the continuously variable speed on mine) is the bodger's friend.

 

[Blue Hills]

I have one of these tools to tighten the chainring bolts:

View attachment 489490

The teeth on the tool are designed in a different way to the one you have in the video and should be able to engage the slots even with the centre bolt standing proud. I've found it to be a brilliant piece of kit and made me wonder why I didn't buy one years ago.

Looks good - one heck of a price though.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/VAR-PE-35500-VR35400-Screwdriver/dp/B004YJ2X7Q

You may have been misjudging my tool by the way by looking at the pic I posted of the unior tool (mine isn't that - it's a Park) rather than looking at the bit one min in which shows the other end. The end of the unior shown in that pic is designed to help with holding the sleeve while you install the bolt, not extract it.

edit edit - In hunting for that I found this.

https://www.vartools.com/en/combined-tool-for-chainring-bolts-var-p828.php


Now that does look handy.

 

[Blue Hills]

Credit to this as well from unior.

https://uniortools.com/eng/product/1781-2HX-y-hex-wrench#794175

The square solid shape of the central mount made it ideal for clamping in a vice to mount the spider's stuck bolt on so that I could do my dremeling.

Better than many of those things for other purposes as the numbers are very clear - not imprinted into the metal in tiny figures.

 

[fossyant]

PS Don't do it again ! 👅

 

[Blue Hills]

I won't - did it before once but without this degree of a problem.

I think I've got off light - lesson finally learned this time - and let my cackhandeness be a lesson to you all.

Final lesson - to anyone thinking of getting/using a Dremel or the like - ALWAYS wear eye protection for the smallest job - yes I did - there are limits to my stupidity.

 

[fossyant]

Other than my usual 'glasses' I've not worn 'protection' with a dremel, but I'd recommend it if using the little wire brush attachment. The bits of wire ping off everywhere

 

[Blue Hills]

I'd recommend it if using the cutting wheels for sure - by far my most commonly used tool - usually for bodge sorting as above - those wheels have a limited life and it is not unknown for them to break and fling a sharpened disk wherever it may go - dread to thing what could happen with one of those - I wear the plastic eyeguards you can get - worried that glasses aren't sufficient.

 

[chriswoody]

Looks good - one heck of a price though.

You may have been misjudging my tool by the way by looking at the pic I posted of the unior tool (mine isn't that - it's a Park) rather than looking at the bit one min in which shows the other end. The end of the unior shown in that pic is designed to help with holding the sleeve while you install the bolt, not extract it.

Apologies, Your right, I posted before I properly watched the video and hadn't noticed the tool had two ends, I need to look more closely next time! Good to see you got it sorted though.

That Amazon price is a bit crazy for the bolt remover, I paid 15 Euros for mine from Bike24. Still not the cheapest, but it has proved a really useful tool.

 

[Blue Hills]

For anyone else interested in that format of tool my searches also turned up something from icetoolz which may be cheaper/easier to get hold of.

 

[Levo-Lon]

2 small bladed screwdrivers held in mole grips
Or flatten some nails and do it with them.. Or just elongate your peg spanner slots so it goes deeper