# Your thoughts Steel vs Aluminum chainrings



## cbrock450 (Apr 18, 2008)

Obviously steel lasts WAY longer aluminum. I swear by surly steel chainrings and HBC cogs. I weigh 190 pounds and have gone through aluminum chainrings pretty quick. I switched over to surly steel chainrings and all it takes is one bolt to barely come loose and it's bent and it's done. I keep a pretty good eye on my chainring bolts but this time the bolt was still fairly tight, (obviously not enough) I put lock tight on my the bolts so they don't come loose but the torque that riding a ss produces must be pretty ridiculous.

The two steel chainrings i have destroyed lasted about the same amount of time it takes to wear out an aluminum chainring. 

Which comes to my question. Would you go with HBC aluminum chainring or go with steel and roll the dice and see how long until a bolt barely comes loose and it's ruined.


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## jackspade (Jul 23, 2010)

I'll go with steel but this time I lowered the ratio so it won't break too easy because of the torque.

With your weight it's easier to use your weight and gravity to pedal rather mash and hammering.


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## icon149 (Aug 16, 2010)

HBC Ti ring... last forever, won't bend, and they are beautiful. I love mine. matched it to an HBC steel cog. i don't anticipate replacing these for a long time, especially since i can flip them both over.

seriously, don't buy a steel surly ring, that's dumb. it's not a problem with the material, it's a problem with the surly rings. (i'm guessing a 4 bolt one right?).


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## ISuckAtRiding (Jul 7, 2006)

300 series stainless is butter soft, it has a MUCH MUCH lower yield strength than aluminum, which is the resistance to bending. This is why i refuse to make stainless rings. Good stainless is much more expensive, so at that point, ti is the best option.


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## BP302 (Oct 6, 2009)

I've used RaceFace aluminum chainrings with great longevity. I didn't care for my Surly steel ring but not because of longevity. I also clean my chain and chainrings pretty regularly and don't use worn out chains.


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

i think one problem for stainless chainring design is that they cannot recreate the shoulders like a cnc'd aluminum, so there is really no way to reinforce it laterally. unless i guess you press it and make bends like a geared chainring.


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

nevermind, on-one's stainless chainring is a good example of the shoulders that i'm trying to say that surly doesn't have.


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## p nut (Apr 19, 2007)

I though steel was always better than aluminum as well, but the propaganda HBC spews makes sense. Enough so that I've got 2 aluminum rings from HBC on order currently. My next order will be a Ti ring from HBC.

Craftsmanship on them is top notch. I've enjoyed my last ring/cog I ordered (passed down to wife's bike now). 

And, no, I'm not on HBC's payroll or know the guy personally. Just a fan.


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

Aluminum over steel any day. As for chainring bolts, I Loc-tite mine, and then I put zip-ties through them for added safety. People often think it's stupid, but when you only have one gear... I want all the security I can get. I've never lost a bolt, or had one loosen up to the point of damage.


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## cbrock450 (Apr 18, 2008)

The zip tie look has to be hilarious. If i was going to go that route i would use safety wire like a motorcycle does


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## Brewtality (Jul 25, 2007)

cbrock450 said:


> The zip tie look has to be hilarious. If i was going to go that route i would use safety wire like a motorcycle does


Thats actually a really great idea:thumbsup:
Now who makes the lightest safety wire?
And which safety wire would be best for a 29er?


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## PoisonDartFrog (Jul 8, 2010)

BP302 said:


> I've used RaceFace aluminum chainrings with great longevity. I didn't care for my Surly steel ring but not because of longevity. I also clean my chain and chainrings pretty regularly and don't use worn out chains.


This. Keep on top of your chain stretch and replace your chain when needed, and your aluminum chainring will last a long time


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

cbrock450 said:


> The zip tie look has to be hilarious. If i was going to go that route i would use safety wire like a motorcycle does


The zip ties are hard to notice. I used colored ones so I can see if one has broken off, or whatever. Just pull them tight, and cut off the excess. They are a lot easier to use than safety wire, and I can snip them off way easier too.

People have yet to laugh at them. It's more like, 'Um, holding ***** together with zip ties huh. That doesn't seem safe.' Then I explain to them why they are there, and they make that face that tells me they feel stupid for not thinking of that themselves.


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## lastwords (Nov 24, 2010)

Do you use two zip ties poke one through and put the other on the end poking through pull it all tight then cut off excess


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

lastwords said:


> Do you use two zip ties poke one through and put the other on the end poking through pull it all tight then cut off excess


Only one tie is needed per bolt. Slip it through, put the ends together, pull it tight, and cut off the excess.


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## michaelscott (May 23, 2011)

dubthang said:


> Only one tie is needed per bolt. Slip it through, put the ends together, pull it tight, and cut off the excess.


You have a pic?


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

michaelscott said:


> You have a pic?


You need a pic?


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## StihlBill (May 23, 2011)

I've had good luck with aluminum when I replace my chain often. You also get the weight savings with aluminum. However, i recently switched to steel in case I forget or don't have the money for a new chain right away. Naturally, steel is more forgiving in this case.


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## michaelscott (May 23, 2011)

Stevob said:


> You need a pic?


Yes. Thank you.


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## p nut (Apr 19, 2007)

Here's one better. I refer to this all the time.

How To Use A Zip Tie - YouTube


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

cbrock450 said:


> Obviously steel lasts WAY longer aluminum. I swear by surly steel chainrings and HBC cogs. I weigh 190 pounds and have gone through aluminum chainrings pretty quick. I switched over to surly steel chainrings and all it takes is one bolt to barely come loose and it's bent and it's done. I keep a pretty good eye on my chainring bolts but this time the bolt was still fairly tight, (obviously not enough) I put lock tight on my the bolts so they don't come loose but the torque that riding a ss produces must be pretty ridiculous.
> 
> The two steel chainrings i have destroyed lasted about the same amount of time it takes to wear out an aluminum chainring.
> 
> Which comes to my question. Would you go with HBC aluminum chainring or go with steel and roll the dice and see how long until a bolt barely comes loose and it's ruined.


* Seems the problem is the bolts coming loose, not the c-ring! First I would address that. I can't understand Locktite allowing the bolts to come loose. Most fixing bolts are chrome plated brass, so I have to ask does Locktite not work on that? Might drop them a line and ask if they have a different compound that will work!

I ride SS and weight 260, and crank stuff that has sheered bottom bracket spindles clean off yet never lost an f bolt, check my f- bolts quite often and they're not Locktited

As far as c-rings wearing out, it's the stretched chain that does the wearing out factor. Get a chain tool that measures stretch, and replace the chain as it gets too long cause when this happens it tries to ride over the teeth rather than sitting in the valleys and working properly, thus wearing out your c-ring prematurely.

You might just be a candidate for Belt drive?*


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

Loc-Tite comes in one usable flavor - blue. Red is much stronger, but will require a blowtorch to remove. That said, sometimes Loc-Tite can break free if the bolts experience enough rough usage. I've only seen this happen once though. 

As for steel vs. aluminum, steel can still bend with all the bolts being tight. There is too much space between the bolts on a standard 4 bolt setup. 

I live and ride in Maine where technical riding is the norm. There are always bb high objects in the way. Sometimes they get cleared, and sometimes they don't. I'd rather walk out of the woods due to a flat than due to a broken ring that I could have prevented with a proper setup.


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

NEPMTBA said:


> I can't understand Locktite allowing the bolts to come loose. Most fixing bolts are chrome plated brass...


Aren't chair ring bolts either steel or aluminum for mtb's?


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## Brewtality (Jul 25, 2007)

dubthang said:


> Loc-Tite comes in one usable flavor - blue. Red is much stronger, but will require a blowtorch to remove.


That is not true:nono:

Do a little research - HERE
Locktite has 60 different products available for threadlock technolgy applications.

I routinely use red and green locktites, both at work and on my bikes. There is no need for a torch. A little extra grunt to break things loose, but no torch required.


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## MarcusSommers (Sep 11, 2008)

I have never used a decent steel chain ring above 26t. Probably pricey to get a good one bigger. 

I would hate to have the experience that leads me to zip tying my chainring bolts.

I use a little larger chainring and a little larger cog. And they are aluminum and local to me. Find something made close by and buy it. If it sucks, go ask the person that made it why.


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## thasingletrackmastah (Nov 15, 2005)

Very pleased with my Surly 36t.
110mm 5-bolt that is.
Steel bolts, not alu, no loctite.
Don't know about 4-bolt setups, was planning to use a 104mm 4-bolt crank, not shure now.
Chain wear is an important factor to consider, and a new chain is cheap.
And with 5-bolt chainrings you can rotate your chainring 5 times to spread the wear of your pedal stroke, with 4-bolt only 1 time


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

Brewtality said:


> That is not true:nono:
> 
> Do a little research - HERE
> Locktite has 60 different products available for threadlock technolgy applications.
> ...


I guess I should have been more specific; I was talking about when used with chain ring bolts.
Often the hardware store will sell blue, red, and and one or two other types. There is no way I'm going to use red because trying to hold a chain ring tool (the little flat bar with nubs on it) while generating enough torque to break the bolt loose is just asking for trouble. Blue works fine in this application. I just use zip ties for added security.

And I know plenty about LocTite; an exgf of mine's father worked there for years at their Seabrook, NH plant.


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## Noclutch (Jun 20, 2010)

*Why?*

Thought I'd jump in this thread as I'm getting no traction in drivetrain. So I figured I'd come to where chainrings are routinely tortured by manly SS men 

Surly is stainless, everything else is aluminum except for the rare titanium.
But OEM and low end Shimano middle(shift) rings appear to be of some other grade of and plated steel, wear forever and are inexpensive.

So why does no aftermarket manufacturer make a NON stainless steel line of shift or non-shift/guide chainrings??


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## ISuckAtRiding (Jul 7, 2006)

Noclutch said:


> Thought I'd jump in this thread as I'm getting no traction in drivetrain. So I figured I'd come to where chainrings are routinely tortured by manly SS men
> 
> Surly is stainless, everything else is aluminum except for the rare titanium.
> But OEM and low end Shimano middle(shift) rings appear to be of some other grade of and plated steel, wear forever and are inexpensive.
> ...


Because we don't make or sell a billion of them, so the cost would be fairly high. The equipment needed to form those rings is costly, dangerous, and big. Only the big S's can afford stuff like that, and hollow forging, etc. 
I suppose they could be cnc machined like most aluminum rings, but they'd take a lot longer to make, and once you factor in heat treating and plating, you're right up there with the cost of ti, so why not just get ti and have a much lighter, rust proof ring?


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