X-ring chains - how fricking retarded

[mc4aregreat]

i tried a small g clamp to put a o -ring link together and found it such a pain trying to hold everything and turn the clamp, so tried a vice grip and the plate went on a piece of cake.A sledge hammer on the back and a normal hammer on the front was adequate to give the pins enough bur to lock the plate on.Pay's to mark the link so it can be found later to check.
If like me you'r wonder what the two clips are for that come with the chain, i eventually relized they are packers that go around the o-rings so when pressing the plate on, they prevent the o-rings from being squeezed.

[cheese]

Tried the two hammer method and jesus what a mission. The top part of teh link woupld not fit over then the pin pushed through and I could not hammer it back in.

So took new sprockets off, put the old ones back on and ordering a old style clip today.

I think It would be easier with a proper tool.....

[scott411]

go back to the shop and ask them to get you a clip link, they are available

[Danger]

Cheese I have the tool to join the chain if you want to bring your bike over sometime. I thought you just needed the tool for the rivet.

[Reckless]

Cheese
I've always used clips as well. Long time Karting, with our chains doing some very very big RPM compared to a bike, cause we use small sprockets. Never had one fail. Just fitted a new DID O-Ring to my CR and used a Joiner link. But I can't for the life of me remember if the joiner came with the chain our I had it in my kit.

The only thing we still do from the karting years is tie wire the clip side of the link.

Also if your gonna shag about with gearing use the joiner as you might need to shorten the chain.

[cheese]

I'm not going to change the gearing, it's just that I coldn't get the new link to fit.

Thanks DAnger. I thing I'll just get an old style clip.

[Danger]

The joining style of clips are fine, just replace them 3x during the life of the chain. They are what fail. You might have just as much trouble fitting the plate with the joining link, if so, the offer still stands.

[B0000M]

The joining style of clips are fine, just replace them 3x during the life of the chain. They are what fail. You might have just as much trouble fitting the plate with the joining link, if so, the offer still stands.

my new chain is due today, and will probably have the new clip, can i take up your offer?

[scott411]

I agree wtih danger on mx bikes, o ring and x ring links wear on the clips, i would carry a spare one,

[cheese]

bah, can I borrow your tool Greg? Booms bike is at my house.

[F5 Dave]

Well here’s my take: In the dirt it is a prime place to have all sorts of crap, rocks, twigs & whatnot trying to knock that clip off as you pull your bike backwards out of the undergrowth. In the old days one carried a spare, but these days the outer plate has to be pressed on, so it is hard to do out in the bush. For the sake of doing a rivet it is small hassle for the insurance.

As stated above there is no taking the chain off to clean it without pressing the plate off either this side of a 415 non o-ring.

However don’t try to peen the rivet on with a hammer (I have been guilty of that in the past) but apparently this is just the sort of thing to make them fail.

I bought the tool & never regretted it. Means you get roped into doing a couple for your tightwad mates, tell them to bring beer & stop being moany bitches.

[Reckless]

[QUOTE=F5 Dave;1044595] knock that clip off as you pull your bike backwards out of the undergrowth. QUOTE]

Thats why the tie wire over the clip is good. The tie wire doesn't seem to wear on the inside when it goes over the sprocket either for some strange reason.

And if ya bite the bullet cheese and buy one we can all borrow it lol So do it! (or buy two joiners and use tie wire as well). Then you can cuss me all you like as your pushing your bike out 1 hour into a 2 hour cross country. lol lol

Actually that last joke gave me a thought, if you use the tool and the chain breaks you might be stuffed geting the broken link out on the trail. But if you use the joiner and it breaks, just use your spare joiner.

[F5 Dave]

Why would the chain break if you use the tool more than any other link?

With the links pressed on you can't do it on the trail without a press tool so a spare won't help.

. . as your pushing your bike out

Perfect example of incorrect use of a word next to the correct usage.

You are is shortened to you're

[Catweazle]

Cheese, if the only tool you need is to peen the rivet over you can improvise. Lay the bike over and put something substantial underneath such as a sledge hammer or even get some one to hold a smaller hammer against the back of it. Then with another hammer and a small chisel you can peen the rivet at 12-6 oclock and then at 3-9 oclock so that you have a X type effect on the rivet. You can even hit the rivet with a small ball peen hammer to get a little more squish. That should be enough to do the job.

I fit X-Ring chain links on my road bikes by peening the rivet with a ball hammer. I have been doing it for years and never had a problem. Its better than looking in the rear vision mirror and seeing your chain lying 20 metres back up the road because the clip link failed.

[Buddy L]

I brought a "D.I.D" chain breaker many years ago. And just found out last month that it can be reversed to squeeze on joining links.
So no need for plyers and vice grips any more (also a now usless pair of ground down plumbers wrench) squeezes the link in far enough to put the clip on with ease