custom length chains and odd lengths???

[devon-tony]

this is one that has puzzled me for a bit and thought I would ask here

my lowrider is all bits and one offs etc so I had to work out the final drive ratio as close to standard as possible, this done I then fitted it all up but found myself a bit stuck with the chain, its like I need to gain half a link from somewhere

with the wheel fully forwards I managed to get the chain linked back up but not only is it very tight, the wheel is too close to other components, and as this will be ridden hard I cant run with gnats bollox clearance like the orange boys do LOL

the rear wheel is on eccentric adjusters and moving it round and then adding the extra links I can see that in no time I will be out of adjustment :(

so my question is, if I go down 1 tooth on the front sprocket, which might actually help a little anyway with the gearing as I slightly overgeared it first of all

standard is 3:1 I currently got 16T and 46T 2.875:1

but if I reduce to 15T front and 46T rear I get 3.07:1

will the one tooth drop actually make any difference, for some reason I just cant get my head round this and cant afford to buy a new front sprocket if its not going to work

the rear sprocket will have to stay as it is, it was a harley one thats been worked on to make it work etc and replacing that at the moment isnt an option

[GreatBritishRob]

More acceleration on a smaller front sprocket. If i remember right it worked out to about 5mph off yer top end to each off the front or 2 on the back. That was only a loose estimate though.

[rob]

down 1 on the front will be roughly the same as up 3 on the back, so a bit more acceleration, a bit less top end, slightly higher cruising revs.
you can get (or used to be able to get) 'half links', stepped ones, inside at one end, outside at the other.
surely you wont tell the difference when riding between 3.00:1 & 3.07:1.

[Taff]

its like I need to gain half a link from somewhere


Aint as daft as it sounds.
Never was keen on these, but they work, stick it in, once your chains stretched a bit, take it off.


http://img282.imageshack.us/img282/7029/chain25linkextender1smyv9.jpg

[devon-tony]

HMM cheers for that, been around bikes a long time but never seen one of them,

will have a word in local bike shop tomoro

anyone know if changing the front sprocket by one tooth will actually give some more slack in the chain??

thanks guys

[Taff]

Dont know that for sure.
Reckon it's worth connecting up with the extra links you mentioned, albeit at full adjustment, and letting your chain take its initial stretch which'll allow you to remove them links but now with reasonable clearance?
It will stretch, they always do the bastards, and it dont take that long.

[dracken1]

it's the difference in circumference. if the difference between a 16 and a 15 tooth sprocket is 1/2" then i'm guessing that the chain will gain 1/4" of slack.. as it only passes over 1/2 the sprocket at any time.

oh gawd it's to early for this :rolleyes:

[devon-tony]

oh well tried 3 shops, never even heard of them links, the other had but hasnt seen them for years :(

going to have a play with a few different sprockets on the front and see what happens

[Blackjack]

Do what Taff said.

Fit the extra links, run the bike, take them out once the chains stretched.

Makes sense to me.

That way you can ride and then decide on whether the gearing needs changing.

[devon-tony]

yeah thats the sensible thing, just me trying to confuse matters :( like doing things the hard way

got another split link on its way to me, so will then just cut another small link from the offcut of chain and go that route

got lots of spare chain as this is the shortest chain run I have ever done LOL

[contail]

im sory to hear about you problem. i cant get hold of them links either. i had to go up 1 tooth on the front. needed to lose a link and half. ive been waiting for the chain to strech just enough to take out link. got a much smaller sprocket but its not small enough by 1 tooth. and i cant adjust rear wheel. other problem i had with putting a bigger sprocket on the front was the supa dupa heavy duty chain cut into the clutch cylinder.

[devon-tony]

oh well glad Im not the only one :(
I am going to chuck a link or 2 back in there, shove the wheel right back on the eccentric adjusters and hope for the best

the chain Im using is my mock up chain so it will be getting replaced with a heavy duty one for final usage

I was going to run with 630 chain and sprockets as they larger diameter and gave me a lot more clearance on the swing arm etc, but ended then discovered that it was all a bit too tight in that sprocket area, and would have eaten away at the cases, also far more work using a platewheel and makig it fit the harley rear wheel

[contail]

got one of them half links. gona try and fit it tonight. i will let you know how i got on tomorow, weather depending. bike shops hadnt heard of it. locals down the roadhouse pub by me new what i was on about. some bloke visiting the site i work at just happened to supply them. i,ll get details for future needs. :cool:

[dracken1]

i can make them up by cutting links off a roll

[contail]

heres a pic of one i had made yesturday. sadly couldnt slide the new links in the bore. its for a 530 chain. i found out today you can only buy these for british bike chains(dont realy know what the difference is there)