0zzy Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 after debating it how slack should it be? so that theres little movement? so its hitting the chainstays etc? imo it should be quiet louse but others feel differently you opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weirdoku Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 I don't think a too loose chain is a good idea, apparently the 3 tooths on my sprocket snapped because my chain was too loose. My chain is now setup so I can only push it up a few mm with my finger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigamac Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 (edited) Personal preference is top answer.TO tight and chain will snap.TO loose and chain will come off.The tighter it is the quicker engagement i believe? Because it does not ahve to tighten the chain before it locks the freewheel. <--hope that makes sense.And my uncle told me(he used to work with bikes) that a chain should only have half an inch in total movement either way. Edited April 28, 2009 by bigamac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Should have a little bit of slack in it, too tight will ruin the bearings in your bb/rear hub/ffw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 TO tight and chain will snap.TO loose and chain will come off.And my uncle told me(he used to work with bikes) that a chain should only have half an inch in total movement either way.I think that if the chain's too loose it can cause a chain to snap; when gapping if you stamp down on the pedals you'll take up the slack in the chain meaning that when your hub/freewheel engages there will be more force going through the chain than if there was zero slack. There's a lot to be said for preloading of course.I personally have always run my chains pretty tight, particularly on mod, but obviously not too tight so as to cause damage to bearings.There has been talk of the Koxx guys running slack chains for certain reasons which I'm not 100% convinced by but then I guess they know their stuff!Also, the half inch thing is for motorbikes more than anything, and certainly not for trials pushbikes I'd have thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greetings Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Yeah exactly, a slack chain is more likely to snap than a tight one. A tight one will knacker your bearings. I personally don't like it too tight for the above reason, but it can't be so loose that it'll keep hitting the chainstays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogre Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 sprung tentioners ***... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guuuuuuuuu leeeeeeeee Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 so tight that there is a tiny bit of movement less engagments are wasted then chainstays arnt dieing and bigger kick and all that shizle alot of the riders i know have tight chains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 I set my tensioner so the chain has about 5mm of up and down movement.For reference: up and down movement on a motorbike is typically about 1.5 to 2 inches total movement, however a supermoto needs about 3" of movement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamus Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 sumo's are 3"??really? (not an expert just i'd have thought thats well slack and will flap and scrub the wide tyres?my enduro bike runs with about 2 inches and i'd have thought that would require more then a motard?anyway sorry i'm off topic, sprung tensioners:Dbut i'd have said a bout a 1.5- 2 cm in total. thats what the bmx liked and how i'd set up a mod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Anscombe Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 i find the right tention is.......if you squeze your chain as if your squeazing it in to the chain stay it just wont quite touch make any sence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jitters Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) i find the right tention is.......if you squeze your chain as if your squeazing it in to the chain stay it just wont quite touch make any sence?I like that idea. I'll check mine and see how it squares up to that method.No expert here, but I leave mine so there's just an almost unnoticeable sag on the section of chain that runs under the chainstay. Edited April 29, 2009 by Tappets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esfrost Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Im running my chain very tight for 3-4 years now, never snapped because of that i believe. I also use the same bb, rear hub for more than a year now, and they are still pretty smoth. I agree it will ruin the bearings, but to be honest, if its okay for a year and a half, than its worht it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psycholist Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 I set my chain so it's tight (No slack but not under serious tension) when it's at its loosest point. I use one of the Echo hubs with built in tensioner, so there's enough spring to not have the chain overtight when the cranks are turned to the highest tension position (Particularly with a front freewheel, the front sprocket is never perfectly centered on the crank, so the chain will change tension as you turn the cranks). Flex in the frame/chain/BB/axles will make the lower run of chain slack while the upper run is carrying pedaling tension while the chain is initially tight anyway though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTian Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 squeeze the chian from both sides, and i wont touch the frame, if you know what i mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Anscombe Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 i find the right tention is.......if you squeze your chain as if your squeazing it in to the chain stay it just wont quite touch make any sence?squeeze the chian from both sides, and i wont touch the frame, if you know what i mean.The same method as mine..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simpson Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Bolt it up and hope for the best, my chain falls off all the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan. Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Bolt it up and hope for the best, my chain falls off all the time Hahaha...i remember southend when your chain was slack as fooook and your backwheel creaked like a beast!need to sort a ride out simps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowy= leicester trials Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 in the end use your common sense , its obvious you would need it bolt tight just geta sprung tensioner that way ull always have perfect tension, if its a mod just pull the wheel back a far as you can then tighten the tensioners slightly then again ull ahve perfect tension:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE-0 Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Perfect tension would be pushing the chain up and just touching chainstay when fully taught....Too tight chain wears components as well, such as your freewheel, can also slow you down quite a lot i've found...Steve-o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave33 Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 since when have you liked it lose??????? ur chains so tight the wheel doesnt even spin once without stopping....... you already been told, no point asking the whole world you'll only get the same answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I don't think a too loose chain is a good idea, apparently the 3 tooths on my sprocket snapped because my chain was too loose.How'd that happen? You running a stock with a tensioner/mech or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guuuuuuuuu leeeeeeeee Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 i find the right tention is.......if you squeze your chain as if your squeazing it in to the chain stay it just wont quite touch make any sence?yes!also when you think about it if it tight there wont be as much strain becuase the chain isnt constantly getting tuged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Vandart Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Motorbikes (and any sus bikes) have large amounts of chain slack because the effective chain length changes throughout the travel of the swing arm, unless the drive sprocket is on the same axis as the swing arm.When setting the tension on any chain it should not be super tight.Someone mentioned half inch of movement somewhere, this is what old school fitters do when tensioning a chain drive on something like an industrial conveyor, this figure is the total flex in the chain UP and Down (not just down or not just up).I would have said you can get away with a bit less.Blah, blah,blah, poisonous monkey..............Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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