Worn Chainring repair

[Piedwagtail]

Hi everyone,
Noticed the other day that my smaller ring is getting very worn, i hardly use the big ring so it still looks fine, but i then forget to look behind it.
The chain is sitting on top of the teeth rather than between them, so i was thinking as a temporary measure, could i file each tooth down??
My logic tells me that it might lets the chain sit a little bit lower, then i might survive the winter without forking out money on a new chain set so i can save for a new bike next year.
Anyone done this sort of thing before?? Or just recommendations on whether it could work??

Thanks in advance
Jobe

[xerxes]

You can buy chainrings separately, unless of course you have one of the those steel chainsets where all the chainrings are spot welded together.

http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&safe=off&q=chainrings&scoring=p

Filing it will probably just make things worse. You'll also probably find that the chain and rear sprockets are also worn as if one part is badly worn, the others tend to wear to fit it. If you then replace one part that will generally wear very quickly to fit the already worn parts, so once one part becomes very worn, it generally means that you have to replace all the parts, chainrings, chain and cassette.

To avoid chainrings and sprockets wearing quickly, make sure you check the chain regularly and make sure you replace it as soon as it gets to the 1% wear limit.

See here: http://bikeride.com/chain-wear/

I find it a lot easier to use a chain wear tool than a ruler: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=10219

[Piedwagtail]

Thanks for that.
I thought that filing it would probably make it worse.
Can't get a new chainring because its some stupid sachs-huret design with the big ring and spider made out of one piece of metal then the smaller ring riveted to it. Like the one in this link;
http://www.lfgss.com/thread11067-2.html
(in the set of photos of the white peugeot halfway down the page)

I think iv seen someone somewhere who's drilled out the rivets to put a new chainring on, but i think thats just too much hassle for a chainset thats crap anyway.

As for the chain, its been on far too long, but i have quite an uncommon freewheel and i dont think it be able to get another, so i haven't replaced it

Thanks for the reply
Jobe

[xerxes]

Are you sure it's riveted? The one on the picture looks like it's fixed with chainring bolts. The one piece spider and outer chainring is fixed, but the smaller one looks as though it could be removed. Normal chainring bolts have a 5 or maybe a 6mm, can't remember off the top of my head, allen key hole on the outside and a slot on the inside:

[bobtravers]

(11-11-2010, 07:43 PM)xerxes Wrote:  Are you sure it's riveted? The one on the picture looks like it's fixed with chainring bolts. The one piece spider and outer chainring is fixed, but the smaller one looks as though it could be removed. Normal chainring bolts have a 5 or maybe a 6mm, can't remember off the top of my head, allen key hole on the outside and a slot on the inside:

Usually it's 5mm...

[Piedwagtail]

yeah im sure its riveted, the rivets are hollow hollow metal tubes, the picture probably doesnt show it very well, im just used to the shape etc.
if it had been bolts i probably would have got s 39 or 34 tooth ring in the past

might look into drilling it out when if i can find a cheap chainring at some point, but i suppose it'll do as it is for now

Thanks again
Jobe

[xerxes]

(11-12-2010, 07:42 AM)Piedwagtail Wrote:  might look into drilling it out when if i can find a cheap chainring at some point, but i suppose it'll do as it is for now

You may find that you can buy a whole new chainset for a similar amount, or not much more than a single chainring. Although bizarrely, doubles seem to be more expensive than triples.

[JohnnyCO]

More than likely you may have to buy a chain and rings and possibly new rear cassette. First, check chain for wear/stretch with a chain checker. If you can see that chain isn't sitting on the ring, that's a definite sign of too much wear. In the mean time i would keep everything the same until you can change everything. This will keep everything shifting the best.