Originally Posted by
thumpic@yahoo.c
Get a cheap set of "E" clip pliers. "E" clips are the little flat spring steel clips that snap into a groove cut around a shaft; normally to hold a gear or piece of linkage in place. These will replace almost ALL of the expensive one-of-kind spanners you need. You make break a few but you can buy bunches for the cost of one "name brand" spanner.....
By "'E' clip pliers" I assume you mean a snap ring plier. I just put new bearing balls into a freewheel assembly and used a thin nose plier as a spanner wrench. The points of the plier were small enough to fit into the depressions in the flange. The tips of the handles were wide enough that I got pretty good leverage on tightening with both hands. A thin nose plier is also sturdier than my snap ring pliers and can torque the retainer more firmly.