Replace that missing chain link?

[RodTi]

 

Had my first chain break on me over the weekend. It more than likely happened because I was in a rush after taking the chain off (also for the 1st time ) during the week - and then rushing/botching the 'put it back together' part of the operation...

 

Be that as it may - we fixed the chain, and spent the next two mornings crawling up Eselfontein's worst - and hammering down her best, without so much as a smidgen of trouble from the chain or gears...

 

So - don't fix what ain't broke or - is it necessary to replace the single link that was removed over the weekend? Would the 'shorter' chain speed up wear and tear?

 

[Johan Bornman]

In some cases you should fix what aint broke. I'll quality my statement.

If it is a hyperglide type chain (which it almost certainly is, if you're on 9-speed), then the chain cannot be put together without using one of the special pins or, using a quick link/missing link/master link/snap link.

 

A chain put together without a special pin will work, but could fail if you make a poor shift just when that link is just-just-before the horizontal on the rear sprocket. That's when a chain is under the most lateral strain and if you have the wrong link at that spot, the chain will break.

 

You probably replaced to links - an inner and outer and that makes a 25mm difference in chain length. Sometimes that's OK, sometimes not. It depends if the chain was short to start off with and whether you cross chain from the big blade to the big sprocket.

 

If you want to make sure, shift to that position and see if your jockey bends more than 45 degrees forward. If it does and you do cross-chain, replace the links.

 

It doesn't matter if you put a new link on an old chain, unless the sprocket is very worn.

 

A shorter chain will shorten chain life by 116/114 = 1.017% The question is whether you care.

 

Before Nancy Drew goes to sleep puzzled by my math -- I've assumed that the old chain was 116 links and the shortened one 114 links.

 

 

[RodTi]

Thanks JB - will be popping in to the old LBS today or tomorrow - and will do the necessary...

 

Been bugging me in any event...