Chain ring bolts
#1
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Chain ring bolts
I discovered yesterday that the reason my chain was rubbing on the front derailleur on a ride was because 3 of the 5 chain ring bolts on my Sram red road bike were missing. I have been doing some gravel rides; one with significant washboard on the route. Nevertheless I'm pretty surprised that this could happen.
My question is should I use loctite one these bolts? When I removed the remaining "regular" bolt it was not tight. The "hidden bolt" was actually hard to remove because it had some sort of loctite (green stuff) on it. Any suggestions about keeping these bolts from loosening and falling out in the future?
My question is should I use loctite one these bolts? When I removed the remaining "regular" bolt it was not tight. The "hidden bolt" was actually hard to remove because it had some sort of loctite (green stuff) on it. Any suggestions about keeping these bolts from loosening and falling out in the future?
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I asked a similar question a few months ago. Some say loctite, some say grease.
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It sounds like they were installed without sufficient torque initially. Blue Locktite (Grade 242) should help but really shouldn't be needed if the bolts are torqued properly. Don't use any of the high strength red or green Locktite grades if you ever want to remove them in the future without heat.
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#4
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Thanks for the info. I'm reading threads on torque wrenches. I need one because I am not a pro and I don't work on my bikes enough to have a "feel" (which is not worth much anyway, imo). Now I gotta find those bolts hopefully at a shop today. Amazon has them but I don't want to wait days for them.
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I use grease because it allows a tighter torque with less damage/galling and has more long term corrosion resistance then nothing on the threads. And it's easier to retighten or loosen to service in the future then LockTite does.
Whatever you do I strongly suggest revisiting the bolts periodically and checking for continued tightness. If there are still a couple that have not loosened then their torque might be considered enough for the job. Andy
Whatever you do I strongly suggest revisiting the bolts periodically and checking for continued tightness. If there are still a couple that have not loosened then their torque might be considered enough for the job. Andy
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I use grease because it allows a tighter torque with less damage/galling and has more long term corrosion resistance then nothing on the threads. And it's easier to retighten or loosen to service in the future then LockTite does.
Whatever you do I strongly suggest revisiting the bolts periodically and checking for continued tightness. If there are still a couple that have not loosened then their torque might be considered enough for the job. Andy
Whatever you do I strongly suggest revisiting the bolts periodically and checking for continued tightness. If there are still a couple that have not loosened then their torque might be considered enough for the job. Andy
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I have a strategy for adding grease to chainring bolts so you are less likely to need a chainring bolt spanner when disassembling - add grease only to the threads, and make sure the outside surfaces of the 'nut' side of the chainring bolts are bone dry - no lube of any type on the outsides that contact the chainring or crank spider. This will allow the bolts to be well tightened as the friction between the unlubricated outer part of the bolt and the chainring will keep the nut from spinning when you tighten, and the grease will keep the threads form seizing up over time. I am usually able to use a single allen key to loosen and remove chainring bolts that have been thus treated.
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I have a strategy for adding grease to chainring bolts so you are less likely to need a chainring bolt spanner when disassembling - add grease only to the threads, and make sure the outside surfaces of the 'nut' side of the chainring bolts are bone dry - no lube of any type on the outsides that contact the chainring or crank spider. This will allow the bolts to be well tightened as the friction between the unlubricated outer part of the bolt and the chainring will keep the nut from spinning when you tighten, and the grease will keep the threads form seizing up over time. I am usually able to use a single allen key to loosen and remove chainring bolts that have been thus treated.
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I use grease because it allows a tighter torque with less damage/galling and has more long term corrosion resistance then nothing on the threads. And it's easier to retighten or loosen to service in the future then LockTite does.
Whatever you do I strongly suggest revisiting the bolts periodically and checking for continued tightness. If there are still a couple that have not loosened then their torque might be considered enough for the job. Andy
Whatever you do I strongly suggest revisiting the bolts periodically and checking for continued tightness. If there are still a couple that have not loosened then their torque might be considered enough for the job. Andy
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All of what Andy said, plus I use Tef-Gel on the male threads only after thoroughly cleaning all threads and mating surfaces. Finger tight hen torque per manufacturer's spec; I like to torque them to about 2/3 in a "star" pattern (like auto lug bolts/nuts), then finish in the same pattern. Takes an extra 20 seconds. Hold the nuts with the little Park tool or its clones.
But if cross threading is what it takes for you to take all the other precautions, then cross tighten away. Andy
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For the past 50 years, I have done the opposite. A light film of grease on all contact surfaces. Allows full torque on the bolts without worrying about galling of the contact surfaces or bolts/nuts "sticking" as they are tightened against dry surfaces. Obviously a corrosion preenter as well. I discovered this approach when I got my first truly high-end bike from Italy and found that this is how the bike was assembled.
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