Bicycle Mechanics - Damaged teeth. Cause for concern?

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View Full Version : Damaged teeth. Cause for concern?


nyy
06-11-06, 09:05 AM
I have 2 damaged teeth on my largest front cog. They were bent towards the inside of the bike, but i filed them away so that they dont hook out. Only problem now is that I have 2 teeth that are slightly smaller than the others. They still seem to catch the chain though. Should I replace it, should I keep an eye on it, or should I forget about it?
I'm a complete newbie when it comes to bike maintanance.


Landgolier
06-11-06, 09:41 AM
you can bend them in using an adjustable wrench or vice grip pliers. A couple of slightly low teeth aren't a huge deal for the casual rider, manufacturers have been doing all kinds of weird stuff to the teeth for years to try to improve shifting. If you still have problems, cheaper replacement chainrings are $15-40 depending on what you need.

urbanknight
06-12-06, 12:34 PM
It's more of a concern if the two teeth are right next to each other, but if the bike is running fine, leave it for now. When they finally start slipping, you'll want to replace all the rings, the chain, and maybe the rear cassette at the same time.


powers2b
06-12-06, 01:27 PM
Forget about it.

cooker
06-12-06, 01:44 PM
It would be a problem if it was on a small cog since it would promote skipping, and lead to further chain and tooth damage. On a large ring the tension is spread over many teeth, so one or two non-contributing teeth is no big deal.