SRAM Eagle Cracked Chain Plates

[DieselnDust]

This was going to be my next question - which chain next?

 

 

Get the XX1 

its 30% more expensive and it'll last 4 times longer

its like a duracell of chains

[boesman88]

Oh by the way, have been in conversation with the head mechanic at the distributor today and I submitted my case to then for evaluation from a warrantee perspective. He seemed very disinterested to hear me out and basically the conversation ended along the lines of ‘sure get the request us but it will be unlikely that we will cover it under warrantee’. Sommer net so.

 

Well, lets see what happens

[boesman88]

Get the XX1

its 30% more expensive and it'll last 4 times longer

its like a duracell of chains

Sounds like a plan. I havent had a day’s problems with Shifting at all - not sure if upgrading the deralleur pulleys will make any difference? Unless I am missing something?

[DieselnDust]

Oh by the way, have been in conversation with the head mechanic at the distributor today and I submitted my case to then for evaluation from a warrantee perspective. He seemed very disinterested to hear me out and basically the conversation ended along the lines of ‘sure get the request us but it will be unlikely that we will cover it under warrantee’. Sommer net so.

 

Well, lets see what happens

 

 

The problem with many distributors is that they lack the technical expertise to make a good judgement so will therefore er on the side of caution and reject the claim. However anyone with an engineering background will immediately see that the problem is not user error. Not even a too short chain will fail in that way. One plate will generally fail or it will bend the derailleur hanger. 

 

I've had to warranty a few parts in my life and fortunately having the right background makes me a hard person to turn away. I'm pretty sure that SRAM Customer Service HQ in Australia would like to see the images and even a sample of the chain. I hope that the warranty guy at CCS sees it that way and offers a goodwill replacement.

[DieselnDust]

Sounds like a plan. I havent had a day’s problems with Shifting at all - not sure if upgrading the deralleur pulleys will make any difference? Unless I am missing something?

 

 

I don't know of any upgrade in the pulley's. I've never had an issue with them. Replaced the lower pulleys bearing twice in the 10,000km the bikes got on the odo and the upper pulley bearing once.

If replacing the pulley you may as well replace the whole jockey pulley cage assembly and service the clutch while you at it

[Rockjock]

Looks like a possible heat treat issue on that chain...heat treat wasnt done correctly making the steel brittle and weak

[Baron]

naah, Like the SRAM Level brakes its more like shoddy quality if you ask me.    I miss my Shimano's.    

Shimano also have it problems. it's crazy how those XT hubs are failing. Read:

Shimano 1x12 XT Groupset problems?

[boesman88]

I don't know of any upgrade in the pulley's. I've never had an issue with them. Replaced the lower pulleys bearing twice in the 10,000km the bikes got on the odo and the upper pulley bearing once.

If replacing the pulley you may as well replace the whole jockey pulley cage assembly and service the clutch while you at it

Is there a quality difference between the black, gold and rainbow options? Or is it purely cosmetic?

[Zub]

Thats quite an elaborate theory you've arrived at without any context - my theory is that you have not read my posts above thoroughly.

LOL

[ACM]

My son has a GX chain... I’ll have a look at his chain today. BUT... we make key-rings of the excess chain (when shortening it) and then hang them on keys or on school bags, etc. So really not tension on this “toy-chain” at all. AND my son says he has seen this on the left over chain. So, this is no weight, tension, neglect problem - this must be a manufacturing stuff-up!!

[DieselnDust]

Is there a quality difference between the black, gold and rainbow options? Or is it purely cosmetic?

 

 

Purely cosmetic. They're all equally hard although the rainbow coating does have a lower coefficient of friction according to the SRAM engineers. That's not going to make a material difference 

[Chadvdw67]

The SRAM Chains are made in Taiwan and I suspect by KMC. Used to be SACHS back in the day but most chains are made in Taiwan or Mainland China. I've never seen a failure that so consistent in a chain before so I strongly suspect its just a bad batch that crept through. In production the stamping tools only get checked on a frequency basis and that's informed by retained plates that get measured with a go no-go gauge. Those plates are merely samples of many thousands of plates that are stamped per minute so its easy to see how the worn die would not be caught early. Generally the system works and the fact that you don't see this type of failure often bares this out.

 

I would advise you get the XX1 chain though. It'll last you up to 6000km in my experience.

Put an XX1 chain on my bike not even 6 months ago, and 2 months of that there has been no riding even, but lets just say 6 months worth of 50km a week, so 1200km, and it is at .5 wear already, not impressed....

[Longbarn Killer]

Oh by the way, have been in conversation with the head mechanic at the distributor today and I submitted my case to then for evaluation from a warrantee perspective. He seemed very disinterested to hear me out and basically the conversation ended along the lines of ‘sure get the request us but it will be unlikely that we will cover it under warrantee’. Sommer net so.

 

Well, lets see what happens

There is clearly something amiss with that chain. I cannot see how any type of use (improper or not) can cause such a fault.

 

I can understand that they won't warranty it because of the mileage that was done, but as a gesture of goodwill, the least they can do is offer you a new one at cost. 

[gummibear]

BUT... we make key-rings of the excess chain (when shortening it) and then hang them on keys ]

 

[Grease_Monkey]

Get the XX1

its 30% more expensive and it'll last 4 times longer

its like a duracell of chains

+1. XX1 chains have been a revelation for me. I'm at just over 1500km on one and it is not even showing 25% stretch yet.

[MudLark]

+1. XX1 chains have been a revelation for me. I'm at just over 1500km on one and it is not even showing 25% stretch yet.

I suspect you mean 0.25%....