grunt1
Junior Member
Wondering if anyone tightens up their chain tighter than specs? The manual calls for 1.75in of slack, it seems like kinda much to me....
Chain Slack
- Thread starter grunt1
- Start date
cp04
Dunder Mifflin Employee
Mines about 1.60.
n1one
RIP Tom Eden
Mine is 1.80.....any tighter and it starts to whine and howl.
I think the spec is too tight.:Flash:
I think the spec is too tight.:Flash:
Last edited:
It seems to be a lot but you need to remember that when you compress the rear shock, the slack is gone. Just sitting on the bike will remove some of the slack and should you be cornering hard, all the slack will be taken up. Thus, if you make the chain tighter, you're doing two things, prematurely stretching the chain and wearing out the sprockets faster.
It is better to have a little more slack than to get the chain too close to the low end of the specs. :thumbup:
It is better to have a little more slack than to get the chain too close to the low end of the specs. :thumbup:
I'm glad someone brought this up. I'm puzzled by how you're supposed to measure the slack. The manual is not so clear to me.
I get that you put it on the center stand, then spin the wheel until you find the spot where the tension is the highest. But what distance are you measuring? Do you begin by measuring where it's sitting, press up on the chain until it stops and measure this distance? If I'm way off here, well, then you get why I'm clueless...
Thanks for any clarification...
I get that you put it on the center stand, then spin the wheel until you find the spot where the tension is the highest. But what distance are you measuring? Do you begin by measuring where it's sitting, press up on the chain until it stops and measure this distance? If I'm way off here, well, then you get why I'm clueless...
Thanks for any clarification...
snowmannn
Junior Member
I've read multiple times that it's always better to have more slack than less.
As to how to measure the slack:
1) spin the wheel until you find the tightest spot on the chain (if the chain is new it will be the same all over, i.e. it won't have a tightest spot)
2) measure the middle between the center of the front sprocket and the center of the rear sprocket. NOTE: It is important to be exact when measuring this middle spot, i.e. not to go 1+ centimeters left or right
3) at the middle spot you found measure the distance between the lowest and highest position of the chain (you should press it up and down with a finger to determine the lowest and highest positions)
Hope this helps
As to how to measure the slack:
1) spin the wheel until you find the tightest spot on the chain (if the chain is new it will be the same all over, i.e. it won't have a tightest spot)
2) measure the middle between the center of the front sprocket and the center of the rear sprocket. NOTE: It is important to be exact when measuring this middle spot, i.e. not to go 1+ centimeters left or right
3) at the middle spot you found measure the distance between the lowest and highest position of the chain (you should press it up and down with a finger to determine the lowest and highest positions)
Hope this helps
