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Shorten chain or increase spring tension?

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  avinash 
#1 ·
I've got a stock '07 Kona Shred and I haven't had to tweak with its drivetrain yet.

Lately I've been noticing that I've been getting a lot of chainslap on my chainstay and seatstay when I jump around. As a temporary fix, I've bought a lizzardskin cover and some stick-on pads.

I'm a newbie when it comes to tweaking the drivetrain, but I was wondering if there's a good way to increase tension on the chain... The chain on this bike feels a lot less tense then the chain on my other bike (mid 90's rockhopper). Would it help to take out a couple links? Should I try to increase the tension on the spring in the rear derailleur?

I'm running Shimano Altus derailleurs with 2 chainrings and a bash-guard on the front, and and 8 gears in my rear cassette.

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it.
-Matt
 
#3 ·
If you haven't shortened the chain from it having 3 rings up front you could remove some to get a better length. Have you tried putting more tension on the rear mech using the b-adjustment screw?
 
#5 ·
Chain comes pre-cut from the factory. If you take out links you need to be sure that you can still safely cycle through the full range without stressing out the derailleur.

The B-limit screw just pushes the upper jockey away from the cassette. Pulling it further away could make for sloppier shifts. It will not influence how much tension the derailleur cage is putting on the chain.
 
#6 ·
ic ic... from my new found understanding... the b-adjustment screw changes the amount of contact between the chain & the cog (chain wrap). Less chain-wrap can allow for faster shifting, but it can also lead to gears skipping on bumpy stuff?

does that sound about right?
 
#7 ·
I had this problem on my Woodstock too. I took off 2 links and it solved the slapping around. I had previously tried the b-screw , but that made my shifting slow and sloppy. The removal of the couple links made it okay. It doesn't take much to try , so it worked out for me.


-Avinash
 
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