Tight Chains and the Unfortunate Circumstances to follow
- Thread starter Flying Zombie
- Start date
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Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
My chain on the '39 has no give.. Im feeling it would be "just right" with one or two more links, She pulls really good, but you know by riding, theres not enough slack for a tape worm between.
A tight chain is bad news to the sprockets but worse is what it does to the bearings and cones in the hub ! Just right or a bit loose is the ticket.
You can pick up half links at ace hardware. They can add 1/2 inch instead, instead of a full 1" to the chain.
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
youre saying I can take my bike chain to Ace, and find a half link to add on ..like a masterlink? simple as that?
FZ
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
That gives me a little worry about my cones, given their age.[and that Im not using a skiptooth, because I changed sprockets]
If u know the width, 3/16, if I remember right from your other thread, you can pick one out that will fit. They also have masterlink as well.
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
yea, I think a pair of masterlinks should do the trick.
I believe it is a 3/16..in any event, I'll bring the chain or the bike all together and match it up. Putting the chain ON was a savage sight to behold.
Yeah, unless your axle is already slammed alllllll the way forward in your dropouts, you might wanna just loosen the nuts, and let that chain "breathe" a little bit. If it IS all the way forward in the dropouts, then you don't need a halkflink; you just need to put a linkset back in your chain. That frame has some pretty long dropouts, right?
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
whoa.. a lot to come back to. Yea, the Columbia has very reasonable dropouts in terms of length, given the adjuster screws that also were on the frame, to ease it forward or back with those, however both are rusted in place to the point Im having trouble.. conventional methods to clean have been exhausted to my knowledge.
In terms of the chain itself being worked on, I'll go through the video here in the mornin, and do a little follow-up. I wasnt aware there were alternate methods to something like this.
FZ
In terms of the chain itself being worked on, I'll go through the video here in the mornin, and do a little follow-up. I wasnt aware there were alternate methods to something like this.
FZ
You need some good penetrating oil for those screws. Kroil is the best, but whatever you get, just soak it on realllllly good, and let it sit a good, long time. If you don't have any wiggle room until you move those screws, then adding a linkset or even a halflink might put you on the "too loose" side of the equation....
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
Its not the Original sprocket or chain, you remember.. does that matter much? I mean .. Im planning to get a few photos..[or it didnt happen
] and the chain comes SO close to the frame, if it hiccuped it would rub it..
The sizes of the front and rear sprocket will have an impact on the ideal chain length, but any bike that doesn't have some sort of other means of keeping the chain under tension (rear derailer, jockey wheel, "Singulator"-style tensioners, EBB, slider/swinger dropout, etc.... all stuff that definitely doesn't apply to your Westfield...) will need some horizontal space in the dropouts so you can get the tension right. In a case like this, going down a tooth on either the front OR the rear sprocket would probably set your chain tension up perfectly without needing to alter the chain length, but then you'll obviously have a different gear ratio, so I don't consider that to be an ideal solution unless your current ratio sucks....
Best move is to free-up or remove those dropout screws, so you can achieve both your ideal gear ratio and the proper chain tension, without worrying about any convoluted kludge-work.
Best move is to free-up or remove those dropout screws, so you can achieve both your ideal gear ratio and the proper chain tension, without worrying about any convoluted kludge-work.
Kroil or PB Blaster. Tap firmly but gently. Repeat. Ignore 'til tommorrow. Repeat an annoyingly large number of times.
Worst case, destroy them and use that tap set you don't have yet and some new screws.
Worst case, destroy them and use that tap set you don't have yet and some new screws.
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
my thoughts exactly. Thank you.The sizes of the front and rear sprocket will have an impact on the ideal chain length, but any bike that doesn't have some sort of other means of keeping the chain under tension (rear derailer, jockey wheel, "Singulator"-style tensioners, EBB, slider/swinger dropout, etc.... all stuff that definitely doesn't apply to your Westfield...) will need some horizontal space in the dropouts so you can get the tension right. In a case like this, going down a tooth on either the front OR the rear sprocket would probably set your chain tension up perfectly without needing to alter the chain length, but then you'll obviously have a different gear ratio, so I don't consider that to be an ideal solution unless your current ratio sucks....
Best move is to free-up or remove those dropout screws, so you can achieve both your ideal gear ratio and the proper chain tension, without worrying about any convoluted kludge-work.
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
I wanted to assume that, but felt it was too easy ..so I waited til it was obvious I really had no ideaAdditionally, if you have serrated clamping washers, the screws are not necessary. Their actual purposeis to center the wheel while mounting, not to hold it in place.
I think I'll do some PB blaster, given its pretty much found anywhere, like WD.
I appreciate the advice, Im gaining confidence in my patience.
