A chainring installation on your ebike is a very straightforward process, but you must be sure that the chainring you choose is the suitable size for your crank. When it comes to the Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD) of the mounting bolts, there are several different standards that you may find online. 

There's also the issue that many cranksets these days have a specifically matched chainring that will only fit that particular design or brand of crankset in question. The good news is that after you've found the relevant component, practically all of them will fit together like the one illustrated below.

So, if you have a chainring that needs to be replaced because it is old, the incorrect size, or needs to be cleaned, here's how to go about it.

Changing Chainrings requires the use of several tools and parts.

Identifying the Sort of Chainring You Have:

It might be a complex process to purchase new chainrings and swap them out. Chainrings are available in several bolt designs, depending on whether you have a classic or compact drivetrain and purchasing them for a road or mountain bike.

In some instances, such as "direct mount," there are no external bolts; instead, the chainring is mounted directly to the crankarm and is kept in place by a sort of lockring. Some ebikes may even have chainrings that are merged with the crankarm, in which case you will have to replace the whole unit when the chainring breaks.

When it comes to changing your chainrings, the number of bolts that join your chainrings to your bike, together with a mathematical procedure based on a measurement known as the bolt circle diameter, will indicate which chainrings you should purchase (BCD). Ask your ebike technician to assist you in determining your BCD so that you may choose the appropriate components.

Various bolts are needed to hold the chainrings of your ebike to the crankset, and each nut and bolt combination will require a separate set of tools to be correctly installed.

In nearly all cases, you'll need to use a chainring nut wrench, which is designed to work with a particular bolt with a slotted channel going through the middle of it and is known as a chainring nut. In addition, you will want either a hex (Allen) wrench or a Torx wrench.

How to Change the Chainring on a Ebike?

You'll need the following tools: a 5mm Allen key, lubricant, and a torque wrench.

Taking Chainrings Off of a Ebike

Select the appropriate tools (chainring nut wrench, hex or Torx wrench) that will fit the chainring nut on the outside of the chainring and the bolt on the rear side of the chainring before beginning. Once your wrenches are in place, crank the nut on the front of the bolt to loosen it while maintaining the bolt firmly in position on the rear of the bolt. Once the chainrings have been wholly removed, keep the nuts and bolts for later usage with your new chainrings. After that, just put the chainrings over your crankarm, and you're done.

Step 1: Remove the Chainset

Once you've removed the chainset (see our guide for instructions on how to do so), look for the chainring bolts on the crankshaft. When installing them, a 5mm Allen key is often used, and they should be screwed on quite firmly - so don't be shocked if you can't release them with a simple flick of the wrist.

Step 2: Take the bolts out of the nuts and bolts.

To undo the bolts, spin them in the opposite direction of the clockwise rotation of the Allen key (5mm). If any of them are mainly stuck, a brief burst of penetrating spray should be sufficient to free them.

In the case of old-style cranksets where the chainring bolts do not screw directly into the spider, a peg spanner may be required to retain the rear of the nut and prevent it from twisting while you are removing it.

Step 3: Remove the rings from your fingers.

After removing the bolts and placing them to one side, you may either clean or replace the chainrings by removing them from their positions. The profile of the teeth of a chainring may tell you whether or not it needs to be replaced — if they are pointed like shark's fins, it is time to replace it.

It would help if you used a specific cleaner to clean it. Spray it with the cleaner, let it soak for a minute, and then scrub it down with a harsh brush.

Step 4: is clean and oil the bolts.

Cleaning the bolts with a degreaser is a good idea. Make sure to give them a new layer of good-quality oil before reinstalling them, and make sure to get some inside the boltholes as well!

That way, the bolts will be prevented from seizing up, but they will also be prevented from drying up, making your ebike less vulnerable to creaking and squeaking. It will also make it easy to eliminate them the next time you do this task.

Step 5: Check the chainring for damage.

Look for an alignment arrow on the chainring, which shows where the chainring should be aligned with the crankshaft. Otherwise, use the chain pip as a reference - this is the little grommet meant to prevent the chain from being trapped if it breaks loose from the main ring while wearing the necklace.

To use this, it must be positioned behind the crank.

Step 6: Put everything back together again.

Finally, screw the bolts back in place and, using a torque wrench, make sure they are suitably tightened by listening for the torque wrench to click.

In addition to causing annoying clicking sounds around the bottom bracket, loose chainring bolts may also work loose over time. This is not a good thing!

Chainring Maintenance on a ebike

Depending on how often you ride your ebike, your chainrings may need to be thoroughly cleaned a couple of times each year. In the case of living near a beach where sand may enter your powertrain, or in the case of living in a damp location where rain regularly washes away your chain lubricant, causing your chain to rust, you should keep a closer check on the state of your whole drivetrain and transmission.