Ironhead Chain is cracking

[snow]

I just got a 530/106 Tsubaki last month for $33.

[ezmerf]

Hey here's what he had in his other thread some of you maybe missing. ck this out

[rangerman]

How is your swing arm bearings are they wasted to? maybe you where running the chain to tight all the up and down movement on the swing arm maybe caused all the damage.

[sunchild2071]

Alignment - I use a straightedge and ensure it is dead on. If I'm not touching front and back of both sprockets, not good enough. Spacers work great, in your configuration, but I'm sure you can handle that part.

Cracks - if a few are showing cracks, you can bet that the remainder are a breath away from the same. Uneven stress is being applied everywhere, with a chain in that condition. A few master links and a chain breaker are gonna lead to busted cases, possibly going down, or if you're "lucky", like me, just a good chain mark up your back, and maybe it'll miss your ear, like it did mine.

A few thou offset, won't hurt anything, as far as alignment is concerned, but if the rear is 1 degree, or even a half, off true, that will add up to one stressed side of the chain. Couple that with running it for a couple of years (how many miles do you pound off in a year?) on a sprocket that was not replaced when the chain was, and you are where you are at today.

I'd say time for full chain and sprockets.

Stupidity and being cheap, I blew a chain, which looked like yours (less the battery acid treatment) and got "lucky". I'd say I'm a little OCD nowadays on alignment and replacing sets, not just chains. Costs a few more bucks, but worth it, IMO.

You could put a second master link in your current chain, and blow another link in a few miles. Risk would be too high for me.

[83XLX]

Is that one of those cheap-o farm equipment chains? Man, I wouldn't ride mine around the block if the chain looked like that, even with the cracked links replaced with master links. Whatever caused those to break may cause more of them to. If it breaks and slings off, terrible things could happen...like destroying the engine/transmission, locking up the rear wheel and throwing you down the road (or worse), flying off and hitting you, etc.

You need a new rear chain. The Diamond Heavy Duty chain is good and relatively cheap.

[mikethebike61]

If you don't replace everything....do not....repeat....do not ride that thing.

[Hopper]

Throw that chain away before it causes you serious grief. Once a chain gets that bad it is all bad, so no point in patching it with master links. That is the worst condition chain I have ever seen.

And move your battery box over a quarter inch so, or whatever it takes so the chain is not hitting the battery, or the piece of stainless you put in there. That kind of abuse is only going to trash your chain again.

Your rear sprocket is so worn it is starting to hook so I would fit new sprockets too.

[sturgmachinist]

Originally Posted by rangerman

How is your swing arm bearings are they wasted to? maybe you where running the chain to tight all the up and down movement on the swing arm maybe caused all the damage.

It's a hardtail. Swing arm bearings are good to go

[brucstoudt]

are you saying battery acid isn't corrosive? try putting some on your eye balls. in a,diluted state,the corrosiveness is what's cleaning the oxidation off the chrome.

[tiderider]

Hey Sturg when that chain breaks (and it will) there will be a good chance it takes out your sprocket cover or even worst. I have a decent chain I just removed from my 72, if you want it send me a PM with your mailing address.