Jump to content

Noisy new cluster and chain


Guest coenie

Recommended Posts

Is is correct that when you put a new cluster and chain on your MTB that is is a noisy....sounds like the things need to "work themselves in"

Has anyone else had this experience...

 

Everything is setup correctly, but it is just not as smooth and quite as the old on I took of?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is is correct that when you put a new cluster and chain on your MTB that is is a noisy....sounds like the things need to "work themselves in"

Has anyone else had this experience...

 

Everything is setup correctly' date=' but it is just not as smooth and quite as the old on I took of?
[/quote']

 

Olie???????
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coenie

Hmm, well I though "logic" would prevail, since I said NEW cluster and chain, that means it comes out the plastic packet covered in oil.

 

And yes I did give it some dry lube and then some wet lube a few hours later.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm' date=' well I though "logic" would prevail, since I said NEW cluster and chain, that means it comes out the plastic packet covered in oil.And yes I did give it some dry lube and then some wet lube a few hours later.

 

[/quote']

 

 

 

that stuff that chains are covered with is not lube. You have cleaned and relubed the chain before fitting it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes I've had it. Like a coarse feeling / low frequency vibration. Gets smooth after 2 or 3 rides.

 

Even worse so when fitting a new chain on an old cassette.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coenie

 

Yes I've had it. Like a coarse feeling / low frequency vibration. Gets smooth after 2 or 3 rides.

 

Even worse so when fitting a new chain on an old cassette.

 

Yes that is it...will give it some time and post here.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very observant Coenie and BL.

 

A bicycle chain's pitch is exactly 1 inch. However, a brand new chain's pitch is slightly under 1 inch due to manufacturing tolerances. Imagine the chain as a ladder. When new, the rungs are not yet perfectly square to the runs and with a bit of stretching it squares out.

 

Same with a chain. All the cross-links are not exactly 90 degrees with the sideplates, causing the chain to be a bit shorter. After one ride around the block it usually settles and becomes slightly longer - up to 0.2%.

 

You will definitely hear this as noise and feel it as a vibration. Just go ride and it will sort itself out.

 

Thereafter the chain elongates as it wears. Don't confuse this initial elongation with wear, it has to do with bending and straightening, if you like.

 

Mampara! That greasy stuff a chain comes with is the best lube it will ever receive. It is good stuff. Unfortunately it plays havoc with mountain biking and I would also wash it off I go MTBing, but never if I go road biking. I hope you had your MTB hat on when you slandered that good grease.

 

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coenie

Johan, I have one more question....

 

I did the gear setup for the new cluster and as per the shimano website you set the bottom and top Derailure stoppers.

Then go the the 2nd one from the top labled 1 in my pic and set it till it makes a noise (wanting to change up) and turn the barrel ajuster until it stops the noise (90 to 180 deg.

 

When I do this and change to the 4ht and 3rd from the bottom labled 2 in my pic it sounds like they want to change, I then turn the barrel adjuster making the cable tighther, adn the noise goes away....

 

I go back to the 2 nd gear, and then it seems to rub the chain agains the top gear, I turn the barrel in, making the cable longer... and the same then happens the other end

 

I have changed, STI's, rear derailure, chain.....the behavior is the same....it even happens when I have my other wheels on the bike, with a Sram cluster.....

 

Any ideas20100301_063717_cluster.JPG

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find that on most bikes, when chain alignment is out of sync between the top and bottom, the der hanger is out of alignment in terms of how vertical it is when looking from behind.

 

I ALWAYS bend my der hangers to give best pulley alignment in the gears I use most (big ring front, 5,6,7 back) Even 'straight' hangers sometimes have bad bottom pulley alignment in those gears and that wears out the pulleys a lot faster.

 

So cheak this: When tightening the skewer, how much does the clamp force change the vertical der alignment? Most frames have visible change in alignment when tightening the skewer (as the dropout flexes). Then, with the skewer tightened, bend the der hanger to give perfect vertical alignment. Once vertical is set up, see how the pulley angles line up with the crankset. So you get down and see where the chain is aiming to in a gear, and see if the pulley is running in line with the chain.

 

Park makes a tool to bend the hanger. Be careful, you require a very steady hand and feel for it. But once those angles are aligned, shifting and pulley wear will be perfect!
Brighter-Lights2010-03-01 07:59:31
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coenie

Brighter-Lights, thanks for the feedback, I have replaced the hanger with a new one, and the result was the same, so I will check the alignment....

 

What do you mean by the alignment though....are you talking about a straight line?

 

As in the image on the right, as i have checked that it lines up but my checks could have resulted in the image on the left looking from behind.20100301_075247_cluster.JPG

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mean the whole der cage should be vertical as in with the wheel - and then I meant, when looking from above, downwards, the pulleys should be aligned with the chain... like when the chain is on big ring, but the bottom pulley is aiming towards middle ring... I've always had to fine tune der hangers for perfect alignment in most gears. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mean the whole der cage should be vertical as in with the wheel - and then I meant' date=' when looking from above, downwards, the pulleys should be aligned with the chain... like when the chain is on big ring, but the bottom pulley is aiming towards middle ring... I've always had to fine tune der hangers for perfect alignment in most gears.  [/quote']

 

I am struggling with this exact same problem at the moment. This bike's pulley wants to walk left and the chain pulls right.20100301_082322_walking_pulley.JPG

 

The chain is new, the cassette is new, the limit screws are perfect, the chainline is perfect with a capital P. However in the big and middle chainring, the biggest sprocket (and its three smaller mates in the case of the big chainring) causes the pulley to walk off the chain.

 

The gears change perfectly and the hanger shows up straight (admittedly measured on the tyre not the rim but....)

 

 

Why?

 

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest coenie

 

 

I am struggling with this exact same problem at the moment. This bike's pulley wants to walk left and the chain pulls right.

 

The chain is new' date=' the cassette is new, the limit screws are perfect, the chainline is perfect with a capital P. However in the big and middle chainring, the biggest sprocket (and its three smaller mates in the case of the big chainring) causes the pulley to walk off the chain.

 

The gears change perfectly and the hanger shows up straight (admittedly measured on the tyre not the rim but....)

 

 

Why?

 

 
[/quote']

 

I hope you have the answer to this one...as I think I can benifit from this also....but let me try, should the DER cage not be bend a little "toe out"?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout