It's time for my first new chain on my Rad Rover. They are out of stock so will need to find one elsewhere. I plan to watch the appropriate Park videos as this will be my first chain replacement. First question is quality. Is one brand any better than another or are they all pretty much the same. Second question is in regard to tools as I'll need to purchase them as well. I understand Park pretty much makes the best tools but they are also a lot pricier than similar stuff on Amazon. I might need to swap out a chain once a year so is it worth it to buy Park quality? Thanks.
drive chain replacement
- Thread starter Gordon71
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fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
get a kmc chain they are good and the price is good. most chain breaking tools are ok. this will work well and give you leverage. not sure on length but iwould get two to make sure you have a long enough chain.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
Gordon, just curious....how do you know your chain needs replacing?
Did you, or someone else, use a chain gauge tool to determine how much you chain had stretched, or was the chain skipping?
Here's a cheap tool that I use to measure chain stretch on my bikes: https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CC...ywords=chain+gauge+tool&qid=1627322624&sr=8-1
Did you, or someone else, use a chain gauge tool to determine how much you chain had stretched, or was the chain skipping?
Here's a cheap tool that I use to measure chain stretch on my bikes: https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CC...ywords=chain+gauge+tool&qid=1627322624&sr=8-1
RunForTheHills
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You will also need stuff to clean up the cogs and and chainring. It is a bit messy, but wearing disposable gloves and putting a plastic tarp underneath can make cleanup easier. I use paint thinner, which can be reused, but a degreaser like Simple Green will work also as long as you dry everything well before putting the chain back on. If you have an air compressor, you can use that to blow it dry.
I bought that tool last March and it was fine. Checked it yesterday and it's past the .75 mark. Bike has a little over 2500 miles.
Thanks. It's in my cart. I had this one in my cart as well just because my bike has a Shimano 7 speed shifter. Both are 116 links but your choice is a little less expensive. I put the break tool in my cart as well. I assume I have no use for the master link pliers that I often see sold with the break tool.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
been testing both. at most I got 300 miles on my mid drive with a shimano change and 2000 with the kmc. but the shimano was in summer and the kmc in winter. so i am testing a kmc again. but at 1/2 the price its still a better deal. plus the KMC comes with a quick link the shimano comes with a pin you break off. well at least the 10 speed one does.
Thanks for the help. One final question. Do you lube a brand new chain? I'm pretty sure I saw on a video that it's not necessary but that didn't didn't seem right to me. Also wanted to add that I finally am blessed with near perfect timing. Yesterday I was facing some down time due to researching,ordering,and replacing my chain. This morning I got the email that said my new bike is on a Fedex truck to be delivered today so YAY!
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
you don't have too. I usually clean the stuff off as it attracts a lot of dirt then use a dry lube. bit no reason to do that as the lube the chain comes with is about the best thing for it.
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There's a lot of bollocks written about chain lube. You might notice however, that new chains of every stripe come packed in grease. The main benefit of using thick petroleum products is that they provide unsurpassed barrier strength. But you'll never get grease back deep inside. The next best thing is 80W-90 gear oil, if you can stand the smell. It's very long lasting and resistant to flicking off. Also cheap as chips. The main argument against such things is that they "attract" dirt. IMO, most of this is pushed into areas of little consequence, and whatever extra wear which may be caused by it is insignificant when compared with what you'll get from using expensive, non-dirt attracting stuff with inferior barrier strength.
P.S. Better to clean with a stiff toothbrush and petrol or some such, rather than anything water soluble. Whip the chain around then hang it in the sun for an hour or so before rejoining it. You can either chuck the dirty petrol on the woodheap if you have one, or pour it into used motor oil for recycling.
You were right. I should have bought two so just ordered another. It's interesting as pretty much everything sold on Amazon is 116 links and the Rad Rover chain I removed has 123. I like the idea of the quick links though as I'm thinking in the future I could get the chain cleaner if removed it from the bike.
Back in the day Duckhams sold a round tin of chain grease. I was participating in motorcycle trials so my chain needed frequent lubing. .
Put it on the stove and drop your chain in, worked great. Nice aroma
OK so now I have two kmc 8 chains. I hooked them together using a master link then lined it up next to my old chain and determined which link I needed to break on the new chain to get the right length but can't seem to push the pin out on the KMC chain. It does look different than the pins on the old chain. The new chain is the lower one.
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fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
it takes a far amount of force to get it started.
Boy I guess. I did get it out but bent both the driving pin and the two prongs that hold the chain on the tool. I didn't buy the one you suggested but another one that came with the master link pliers that I also needed. Guess I got a cheap one! Anyway at least it all worked out in the end but think I might stock up once Rad has chains in stock again as one chain from Rad that will be the correct length from the start is a lot less than the two KMC chains although I still have plenty of extra KMC chain as I only needed about another 3". Hopefully having two master links on the same chain won't be any problem.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
ya I get a big one because it takes some effort to do it. but you should not be bending the metal parts if you have the chain in right.
Took it out for a run today and it shifts and drives like new. I expect I'll mostly clean it on the bike as usual but now that there is a quick link I'll probably remove the chain once in a while and give it a good soaking in chain cleaner. I'm wondering if the chain would last longer if I reverse direction when I put it back on?
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
I don't worry about such things. you can clean it on the biek with a park chain cleaner too. I use a dry lube so I dont have to clean the chain but I ahve to reapply it every 100 or so miles.
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