08-05-2014, 02:24 PM
(08-05-2014, 01:06 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: The original Nighthawk chain is a cheap " market" chain. Very low tensile strength and wears out quickly. A new x ring chain has tremendous tensil strength and due to being packed with lube and sealed with x rings, will go 20-30,000 miles with minimal care.
Like you I am old school and was poor. We had to fix rather than replace. Guess that is why I still plug tires, and use clip style master links. My sprockets looked good so I just replaced the chain, although it is recommended they be replaced together. Again, sometimes I don't always do what is " recommended".
One word of caution when crimping a staking type master link. Too much pressure and you can creat a stiff link that cannot be fixed. Chain is ruined. Well, the link is ruined, it could be driven out and a new staking type link installed. Fine line between just right and too tight. Best to let someone who has some experience to stake a chain for you if you've never done one IMO.
That wasn't my experience. The OEM chain on my Nighthawk was a pretty sturdy DID O-ring. It lasted 21K miles. I replaced it with a similar DID O-ring, which went....drum roll....21K miles. They probably would have gone further if I'd bothered to clean them. Dirt build up wears the O-rings like sandpaper.
Chain life has a lot to do with how you treat them. My buddy and I both replaced our Nighthawk chains and sprockets at the same time. His only went 11K miles. He never lubed it and always kept it at the tight end of the spec. I lubed with a light silicone every 3-400 miles and kept it at the loose end of the spec.
Quote:One word of caution when crimping a staking type master link. Too much pressure and you can creat a stiff link that cannot be fixed. Chain is ruined. Well, the link is ruined, it could be driven out and a new staking type link installed. Fine line between just right and too tight. Best to let someone who has some experience to stake a chain for you if you've never done one IMO.
Excellent point. Chain manufacturers will list specs for the flare on the master link. My chain started with the link pin at .215" and the target was .225. I had to work the chain riveting pin a bit, pull the tool off, measure with calipers, work it some more, repeat. Although chains are sturdy, the rivets require a very light touch. I think I made about 5 passes per link pin.