After market chainring bolts

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alexmcm09
Posts: 92
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:02 am

by alexmcm09

Has anyone had any experience using after market chainring bolts? I'd like to bling my new arrival (Tarmac Pro SL6) with some pink chainring bolts. I've found some on eBay but the tolerance from the Chinese sellers looks questionable.

It looks like Wolf Tooth make some as well but I'm not sure which ones to order. The bike will be arriving with an S-works crank with Praxis rings. Any advice would be really appreciated.

alcatraz
Posts: 4064
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

I've used several chinese aftermarket.

They work but they can't be torqued very high. Some are completely round on the female side so it's impossible to keep them from just spinning.

I recommend greasing them well before use and maybe not use the round ones but those that have a way to be held in place.

I haven't had any creaking, but I'm not a heavy guy (65kg).

They come in two sizes generally known as double and single chainring length. Weight is around 1.6gr/each for the double chainring ones. Last I checked the weight of the old fsa steel chainring bolts they were over 20gr for five so it's a simple way to shed some weight.

/a

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moyboy
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:19 am

by moyboy

I'm using wolf tooth chainring bolts, not an issue.

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Kayrehn
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:06 pm

by Kayrehn

I use Torx head chainring bolts from J&L to lessen the chances of them rounding - if you want I can check if the female half uses a hex key head or a torx head as well.

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bilwit
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 5:49 am
Location: Seattle, WA

by bilwit

I use "Truvativ Steel" bolts. Much, much better than my stock Shimano ones that round very easily

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themidge
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by themidge

My rotor ones come in at 9.5 grams for 5, which seems to be pretty light. Some stock b'twin ones came in at over 20g, which seems pretty heavy.
I'm not sure about aftermarket weights, but KCNC make some and they tend to do pretty light weight stuff.

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4ibanez
Posts: 556
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Location: Norwich, UK
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by 4ibanez

I got THM ones with my cranks (9.5g). Had to buy a tool to hold the female part during installation/removal. The recess for the tool is too shallow and on the 2nd/3rd application I broke one (male part).

Now on KCNC. They're the lightest out there (7.5g), they're cheap, they have hex slots both sides (8mm and 5mm IIRC) - all good! The only drawback is that appearance-wise they're a bit "busy".

I had Extralite before too (8.5g). Torx head on the male side, hex female side. A bit soft if you need to remove and reinstall, especially considering you might want to use Loctite.

NiFTY
Posts: 1493
Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 11:26 pm

by NiFTY

Kcnc sl - light and work well ( hex both sides). I sprayed my black as they are a bit busy graphic wise. IMO I have never seen a bike look better with coloured chainring bolts, better to pick a central bolt on something to add colour ( quick release screw, crank bolt, top vap, jockey bolt etc)
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Marin
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Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

I only use Ti or Steel now, always had issues with alu ones.

The only aluminum ones that don't creak or loosen are the Sram ones, but the are loctited so hard that you destroy them when you don't heat them prior to removal.

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themidge
Posts: 1528
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Location: underneath sweet Scottish rain

by themidge

Good to hear that KCNC are indeed lighter (though not much lighter than what I've got), a potential upgrade to save a few grams, especially if you have super heavy stock ones.

Re: Allen/Hex bolts on both sides or not. The heavy b'twin bolts that i have (on my heavy b'twin bike :P ) have an allen head on the 'drive side' and two sort of slots on the 'non drive side'. I've found that you have to hold the slots with your fingernail at first to stop the bolt just spinning, but after a few turns, you can let go and they tighten fine just using the allen key, no bracing required. Has anyone else noticed this?

bremerradkurier
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2016 4:18 pm

by bremerradkurier

Still have one of these that came with my Dura Ace 7400 crankset.

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Lewn777
Posts: 1266
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:35 am

by Lewn777

I always had problems with alloy bolts, except SRAM OEM ones.
I prefer hex or torx on male and female bolts, prefer not to have the slot on the female bolt.
Titanium or high quality alloy for road bikes, steel for everything else.

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alexmcm09
Posts: 92
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:02 am

by alexmcm09

I ended up going with a set of Parts of Passion bolts in purple:

https://fairwheelbikes.com/parts-of-pas ... ing-bolts/

They'll be going on a Tarmac Pro SL6 in "Oil-slick chameleon". It's not a lot of money down the drain if it doesn't look any good, but I think it'll add a bit of bling that will match the paint scheme.
IMG_20180427_165343.jpg

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