Bent "BMX Style" Chainring

BMX Chainrings aren't meant to be bent, are they? :)

Building up a ratbike for a friend and another friend has donated a 3-piece crankset and chainring. The chainring is astonishingly bent (several mm variation) and this is weird in several ways:

1) It is made of very thick metal, possibly the body panel of a tank

2) The bend is either underneath or immediately opposite the crankarm (depending on which way you put it on) and neither of those positions make much sense in terms of an impact. Also, the teeth look undamaged.

3) Close examination suggests that the ring itself might be flat, and the teeth might move from one side of the ring to the other. (I'd draw a diagram but can't be arsed). This would either indicate very shoddy construction or an intentional design.

My question, before I go out and buy a new one that could be exactly the same: is this intentional? And if so, WTF?

take the ring off, and place on something flat
if it is bent, put back on, take a large adjustable spanner. slip on bent bit, do up tight, bend* back in place.

*gently

take the ring off, and place on something flat
if it is bent, put back on, take a large adjustable spanner. slip on bent bit, do up tight, bend* back in place.

*gently

That's the nicest "HTFU" anyone's ever said to me. :)

Cheers, will try it.

Back in my good ol bmx days we didn't even used to take the chainring off the bike, put a rubber mallet on the chainring in the bent bit, hit with proper hammer until bend goes away...job done!

take the ring off, and place on something flat
if it is bent, put back on, take a large adjustable spanner. slip on bent bit, do up tight, bend* back in place.

*gently

Back in my good ol bmx days we didn't even used to take the chainring off the bike, put a rubber mallet on the chainring in the bent bit, hit with proper hammer until bend goes away...job done!

Both techniques are quite effective but CJ's isn't advised if you are uber precious about your BB ;p

Back in my good ol bmx days we didn't even used to take the chainring off the bike, put a rubber mallet on the chainring in the bent bit, hit with proper hammer until bend goes away...job done!

he isn't sure if it's the chainring or cranks bent.

is it pulling when you tighten the bolt to the crank arm?

Amazing, sorted, all fine and dandy with the spanner technique. Cheers dude.

Both techniques are quite effective but CJ's isn't advised if you are uber precious about your BB ;p

Have you not seen how precious I am about my bike chris? I polish it daily, clean it, never break anything, in fact right now I am buffing the bearings inside my bottom bracket before putting them back in.......even though its fucked and on the verge of seizing :p.

is it pulling when you tighten the bolt to the crank arm?

I wondered this briefly because of the position of the bend, but apparently not. Or at least if it was, I've now fucked it up in a sufficiently exact way that it all runs straight.

Have you not seen how precious I am about my bike chris? I polish it daily, clean it, never break anything, in fact right now I am buffing the bearings inside my bottom bracket before putting them back in.......even though its fucked and on the verge of seizing :p.

Haha!