Originally Posted by
robbyville
Me too thanks!
Robert, don't mean to derail the thread but just a quick question... you mention that everything was fine until you checked the chain length. So do most people really just change out the chain before they find any problem? I have over 3k miles on my current chain, was not even thinking of it since all is shifting perfectly, should I be swapping it out? I'm not a super strong guy and don't have a gage available, is it mileage related or strength? If a chain stretches can't you just remove a link or is it more that the chain wears in such a way that it could mess up the other components?
Yeah, the amount of stretch is really tiny, less than 1%. And it all occurs within each link, so it isn't the kength that is the problem, it is the fit of the individual links on the cog teeth. Of course overall length is used to see the problem, but it isn't really the problem. The two reasons the change the chain out are to protect the other drivetrain parts from being worn by the poorly fitting links and to avoid a catastrophic failure.