How To Measure Bike Chain Wear With A Ruler
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ธ.ค. 2013
- I was asked how to measure chain wear without using a gauge like Park Tool's CC-3 or CC 3.2. So I made this video of how to measure chain stretch (wear) using a 12 inch ruler.
Park Tool CC-3.2:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...
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Thank you so much i used my daughters ruler from her school pencil box and used this method and my chain was very worn went to the bike shop straight away and told them i did the ruler check and my chain is worn they laughed at me and said you cant do that use a proper chain checker?? so he got one out and tested my chain and was very red faced to see i was right lol haa haa
What dicks.
Just because you didn't use their fancy tool, they don't think you can measure chain stretch? Goes to show that they don't even understand how to official chain-stretch measuring tool actually works (it's basically like a pre-marked ruler).
@@essendossev362 Agree that they sound like dicks. At the same time, a ruler introduces more human error which the official tool eliminates. It's hard to get an accurate measurement with a ruler in hand but an accurate measurement isn't needed if a chain is well beyond the recommended replacement stage of wear. So the tool is better but that's no reason for the bike shop to write off the ruler technique (and at least they did check it after the fact).
It's always disappointing when you meet bike shop employees who are smug, arrogant pricks.
Starts at 1:25
The measurement at 3:26 where it says it is extremely worn, .5% is the point when you want to replace it, and since .5% of 12" would be .060, or approximately 1/16", that would mean it is time. So it shows a little more than 5% and headed toward .75%. Generally, you will go through three chains before you wear out the cassette sprockets and the chain rings go multiple times that. You can generally determine the cassette wear visually and there are you tube videos that will show you how to tell.
In the context of this video, if the chain has worn to the point that the center of the pin is 1/8" past the 12" mark, then your should replace both the casette and chain rings (not the whole crank set). But the teeth of the cassette and and chain rings get worn over time anyway. The gaps between the teeth get wider and the teeth start to look like shark fins. At that point, they should be replaced. Maybe I will make a video with more detail on this.
I have a question there are a few spots on my chain where the chain checker falls threw .75 but when measured across those links with a metal ruler theres not even 1/16 of stretch. Is the chain a goner because the few links roller wear? Thanks in advance
Great on the fly tip thanks! I'm eventually going to invest in a (KMC Basic Total Chain Care Kit), till then this method is good to know.
you did a great job describing chain stretch
Woow, that's impressive, I've been wondering how to check if my chain is worn out, thank you so much
Thanks for the tip, I ride a trials bike which regularly breaks chains. If nobody has told you yet, the 1.0 or .75 is millimeters, not percent.
I think those tools are 10 cm segments and 1.0 mm=1.0%change. If they are not 10 cm members, then Parktools looks silly by writing "... just before the 0.75% readings."
I was under the impression (i.e. somebody told me ages ago, but who knows if they knew what they were talking about) that the 0.75 and 1.0 marks referred to how much of a 'link' the chain would be elongated over the length of the chain. Obviously, not all chains are the same number of links, so that makes this explanation a bit fuzzy. However, when I have removed chians that are just entering the 1.0 point on the tool and laid a new chain alongside, the 'stretch' has usually been about 1 link.
Not a big deal what it means other than replace it I suppose. I will look into it a bit more though.
Extremely useful. Thanks! :)
Get yourself a chain measuring tool! the ruler method measures the wear in the pins and outer plates mostly whereas the tool measures the play in the rollers. Just to give you an example: the other day I replaced a chain on a friends bike. The chain wear tool was showing about .85 but according to the ruler the chain was still perfectly fine. It was only 1/32" past the 12" mark.
The chain wear tool that I used is well calibrated as I measured the chain with another tool also and came up the same.
I personally use a chain gauge.
I use both a chain tool for quick checks and a ruler for more accurate measurements. A ruler checks wear over a greater number of links. Therefore imo its at least as accurate as tools or more. I change my chain at 1/16 wear on 12 links. I clean and oil my drivetrain almost every ride. I get 3-5 chains worth of wear out of one drivetrain on my mtn bike. Ive been using this method since 80s when I started to mtb. My last mostly XT drivetrain lasted 20K kilometers.
That was excellent. Thanks a lot!
Very useful video. Thanks.
Thank you. So simple - once we know.
Brilliant tutorial, I've got 3 bikes, first is my Ribble Endurance SL e & it had a new chain 6 months ago & it's still bang in the middle of the pin at 12". Second is my Winter training bike & that's only very slightly past the band centre middle of the pin at 12". Lastly is my Trek Dual Sport 3 hybrid bike that is almost 5 years old & 12" mark is almost at the outer edge of the pin circle. I'm guessing it's at the 0.75% wear mark? Hopefully it's won't need a new chain set if changed now?
Thanks for the help!!
A great thanks to you my friend.
Sir, I have a question. I changed my worn out chain because it keeps slipping when I'm pedaling hard. But it still keeps slipping with the new chain installed. My cogs and crank chainrings are not yet worn out based on how they look. Then I measured my chain using a ruler and I found out that the 12th inch does not go exactly between the the last pin. The 1st inch mark is on the center of the first pin but the 12th inch goes beyond the last pin. Does my chain have something to do with this chain slipping?
Thank you very instructive video
Hii
I want a 8 speed KMC Chain, which model of KMC is best which has slightly rust proof technology at a affordable price.
Thnx
Thank you for the video. Now I would rather the ruler method.
You are a Bike God!
Thank you SOOO Much.
thanks alot, that was super useful :)
Great video, I've always used a ruler for checking chains. The other thing I do is check the chain under tension as I think it gets a more accurate read than when the chain is relaxed and just hanging with no tension in it.
With a derailleur, there is generally always tension.
Talking about sucking plumbs on that reply comment... lol 😂... Well said... 👍 "definitely no reply to you from that fella)))"
Or pull back on the derailleur...
Wow that is a great tip.
i learned my lesson the hard way. i need to replace my crank set because i have the old type and has no spare available and cogs because of the chain
thanks
Awesome & Thanks Sir :)
A very useful tip. But is it also the same if i measure chain wear by putting the beginning of the ruler at the left beginning part of the pin and observing the clearance of the 12 inch mark of the ruler using also the beginning of the pin that has to be aligned with with the 12 inch mark of the ruler as its reference?
Works out the same.
That guage seems like something you could print on rigid paper and kind of wing. I do that with guitar string guage
awesome vid!
Good explanation and video. One thing that would make it a bit easier to follow is if you started your ruler measurement at the same 'place' on the new and used chains. You started at the rear pin of an outer plate and finished at the rear pin of an outer plate. For the worn chain you started at the front pin of an outer plate and ended just short of the 12" front pin of an outer plate. Not a big thing but for a moment I wondered why the 12" spot on worn chain was so much different than the new chain...oh, started at diff point on the link!
Enjoy your videos. Have you done one showing the use of the Topeak chain-check tool? Thanks!
th-cam.com/video/Y54ekC8PHB0/w-d-xo.html
For us EU folks it is 30.48 cm. :). Great tip thank you :).
I just buy a new chain every month.
Oh baby.
I like new chain day.
Gives me something to look forward to.
Oh dude, thanks for this. I really messed up here because I Ieft it to the point where my chain has been slipping. Now the sprocket looks trashed too. I know better now to check my chain length every month for wear and maybe get more life from my sprocket next time.
:( it sucks when you let it go that far, then you gotta replace the whole drive train. It's an expensive and time costly process.
Nice protip
Very good
So if your chain is worn alot to the point to where you should change out everything, what harm will just keeping it on like that if its still working fine for as long as possible? Might it keep going like that for a long time so does it really matter about things wearing out more does it? Thanks
Shrug. At some point it will start slipping, skipping, chain suck, etc. Shifter may deteriorate.
Just installed a brand new KMC x8.99. Measured it with the method in the video. It's a tad shorter than 12". Weird. Not sure if the chain is designed that way or if my ruler is inaccurate.
You might not had your chain tight.
Thx sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello, thanks for the nice video. I'm just crippled. I have 2 brand new 11speed chain and them are already 1/16 over the mark. (K.M.C. and shimano not cheap Chinese chains). I have also a CN-HG73 with less than 200Km which is almost 12 and 3/32. Why is that? Is this video intended only for single speed chains? Thanks
Shrug. Buy a chain wear gauge.
@@RJTheBikeGuy thank you. I tried them and worked properly. I definitely need a gouge.
Legend
Great video but for us novices out here what is the exact name of the tool you'd use to measure or check if the chain was worn?If you did not want to use a ruler. I would like to buy one online to keep at home:)
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BR3LHQ/ref=nosim/youtube25-20
Thanks! Great, professional-like explanation.
But...I question your response. You say replace the chain, cassette, and the crank sprockets if past 1/8" center rivit.. But why? Will you keep wearing chains out quickly if you keep you cranks, or will the drivetrain be unsmooth, or maybe it could crack and/or skip a tooth.
Then, another.......you imply (not the whole crank set) after 1/8" past center rivit. So then I ask, if it worn more than that how come you would replace the whole set.....A crank set being what? Arms and bottom bracket?Joseph
Are there more durable chains or chain rings, or somekind protective coatings?
I am guessing some chains and chain rings/cogs are more durable than others. Steel chain rings will be more durable than aluminum ones, but will be heavier and probably wear the chain out faster...Keep the chain cleaned and lubed, and the parts will last longer.
shyflirt1
Steel durable and cheap material, I doubt these parts would be made of soft aluminum. But there might be harder materials or at least coatings that reduce abrasion. For example some rims do have ceramic coating that effectively protects from brake abrasion.
As they say, you can have it Fast, Cheap, Reliable. Pick two. So you could probably make the parts light and last longer, but they would be more expensive. At some point, it's just cheaper to replace the parts more often...
Nice 1, saves buying a tool.... 👍, can a stretched chain, break tips of jockey wheels!?, either that I've bought rubbish of eBay!!!, lol 😂
Dam!!!, mines worse...lol...wasn't long before I changed my cassette, a year or so ago, hmm, probably chain....long story of my dumbness of living and learning even after half a century lol 😂....good video, glad I watched, but now wish I hadn't... lol 😂
is there a problem if its a 1.5 cm gap?
I've always used ruler method before, but since I thought, that it's a bit annoying to do. I got also the parktool cc 3.2. But I still use ruler. I knew the cc3.2 is not exact, because it measures also the rollers wear. But I hopped that it won't be as bad as people are telling me.. but actually it's worse than I expected. It would scrap the chain way too early.
They recommend to change 11 speed chain when it reach to 0.5% wear.. But I got it to fall easily in by 0.5 side, already after 700Km..When I then measured 15 links with ruler, it was just halfway to 382mm. While new chain's 15 links would be 381, and 0.5% worn chain would be 382.9mm.
Does the rollers wear actually affect anything at all? I'm not sure.. But maybe it does affect a bit for gear changing.. on those hyperglide or whatever ramps on cogs?
Well I decided not to change the chain before I get at least 382mm with ruler.. But probably a bit more. I hope it won't wear the cogs off yet.. It does not look like it would lift the chain up on cog under tension.. Also the tooths don't look like they would be flatted.. or like riveted or I don't know how to call it.. But basically if the chain is worn it pulls only from first one tooth and it like riveting or flatting the edge a bit.. That hasn't happened yet.. Or maybe just very little.
At least for now on, I think the parktool cc3.2 is useless for me.. Maybe it's fine for 7 speed chains where u can wait until .75%, but that 0.5% side.. it can't be right. I don't want to change the chain so often.
Maybe for a bike shop, or a mechanic who need to measure tens and tens chains every day. It's good.. Especially for cheaper chains that don't cost too much. But for a regular cyclist.. I think It's more reasonable and much cheaper to buy a good steel ruler instead of that tool...
And I find a wooden clothes beg to be very helpful when measuring with a ruler. It would hold the other end of ruler in place, so that I can pull the chain a bit more to tension, by pushing the dérailleur pulley a bit.. so that, the chain would not hang, or bending too lose. ^_^
Hardi Erstu The Park Tool measures between the rollers. The rollers are what contact the teeth of the cogs and chain rings. As they wear, they get farther apart. Chain stretch. Then they start hitting the sides of the teeth more than falling in the middle. That causes the cogs to wear faster. But it's up to you.
Well, the problem with parktool, or any other same type go no go chain tool, is that it pushes the rollers a part.. It was explained here pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-004/000.html
That parktool is only needed for bicycle mechanic, or enthusiast who have to maintain also the bicycles of his friends and customers or smth. Because there he can't be sure how many kilometers that bike has ran already on same chain.. So he can save a lot of time to check it with this tool first. He can quickly check it with this tool, to see if he needs to check the chain with ruler..
It's probably a very good tool for you, because you do a lot of bicycles, not just your own, but for a person who only has his own bicycle to maintain, like me.. I already know how many kilometers, I can ride with a chain.. And when it's my own bike.. I don't mind spending a little more time to get proper measure with a ruler. I can save some money by taking all from each chain.. I hope so. ^_^
Update.
Could it be, that these simple chain wear indicators, actually aren't accurate to some brands of chains?
The barktool cc3.2 actually sems to work well with shimano chain. But on the fsa chain that my bike was equipped with by factory - It really showed wear too soon.. So I think, that maybe fsa chain had maybe rollers little bit loser and that's why it did indicate wear, when there was actually still some lifespan left, on that chain.. or maybe fsa chain really just wear faster, or differently.
No, because the spacing is standard to fit the cog teeth, because they are standard...
Hardi said "I don't want to change the chain so often." If you wait too long you'll have pay to replace cassette and chain rings, your paying, your call.
I like your video, but I have a problem, I have measured mine, and the pins are not 0.5" apart and there last pin ends up 11 & 11\16th .... that's 12 links 24 pins .does this sound right, I haven't changed chain in 9 years, 24,000 miles .... approximately
+PlanetRuncorn I think you need to go over one more pin. It should be over 12'. Not sure how you are counting. Starting at a pin, count 24 pins from that one, not including the starting pin.
Your chain has stretched 5/16"! Time to change the chain, cassette, and chain rings!
Is it work for 8S chain?
It will work for all modern bike chains.
The only tool I can offord
The rulers.
same for single speed?
Yes.
i have a problem rj when i push pressure on my peedels an crabk when i ride my 21 sppeed road bike the chain jumps an slips off the 3 cherings in the front but when the chain moves around on the crank set the chain is not all the way on the crank it looks like the chain streched so im not sure if u need a new chain or crank becuse all gears are tuned by shop so its not that.
Could be worn chain, or worn chain rings, or both.
Great video
Thanks!
I guess not all chains are by inches? I have a Shimano derailuer (so probly pretty standard stuff?) but at the 12 inch mark I am a half link off. So, I can't even tell you if I'm a half link long or short, lol. Could my chain really be sooo worn that it has grown a half link per 12 inches? wow
Yes they can wear that much. That would be 6.35mm 'stretch' over 24 links so 0.264mm wear on each link. Unfortunately when they are that worn you would need to replace the cassette and possibly the chain rings as well.
💚
It looked to me like your 11inch mark wasn't in line to start with
measure from the outside of one pin to the inside of the other
rj I got a bike without chain, I don't know how long or short should be?
th-cam.com/video/ELsKrgTt0oY/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/5YuNbWgolgI/w-d-xo.html
Does this apply to all chains? 10 speed 9 speed? 8?
ai van Yes. The links are narrower, but the same length. There might be some very old antique bike chains that might be different.
Wait, so the chain is worn and you replace the freewheel and chainring?
It depends on how far your chain is worn. A chain worn at 1% means you have started to wear down the cogs at the back and the chaing rings so it might be necessary to swap all the drive train components all at once. The lesson here is put on a fresh chain before it reaches 1%, it's much cheaper.
Do all links wear evenly? Why replace a whole chain for a couple of sloppy links?
They all wear!!!!
well duh, do they all wear evenly? So if one spoke fails, replace them all? I refer you to your video example where you demo an out of spec measurement. The initial links are within spec while the final links are out of spec. This tells me that not all links are bad and isolating/replacing the bad links is more efficient. Thus my original question(s).
This bike was really easy to assemble th-cam.com/users/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.
I don't have one of these chain tools, and using a ruler is pretty inaccurate (I don't have 12" between the front and rear on my bike, and its not a small bike). But I do have a digital vernier caliper and would like to use it to measure between X number of rollers. I searched and didn't find any recommendations, guess I'll have to do some calculations.
Me as a poor guy:
I think I need to replace my 📏.
30.48cm for anyone who doesn't have an inch ruler around (AKA anywhere outside of America).
All rulers have metric and imperial!
@@richardmiddleton7770 I had to google it, imperial is rare in continental Europe, and I assume everywhere else in the world besides north America and UK.
@@richardmiddleton7770 no they don't.
12 inch --> 30.48 cm
*shrug* Chains are made in inches.
@@RJTheBikeGuy My ruler isn't. Helpful video, thx but i'm not gonna go and find an inch ruler if i can just messure 30.5 with the one i got..
Not trying to correct you or be political. Just putting it in there for us mainlander
Thx mate, it helps alot for those who don't live in the US
What are chain rings?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankset
@@RJTheBikeGuy Thank you
In other words just get a chain wear tool. No one can eyeball 1/16 inch of stretch.
Seriously? Who is not able to see almost a 1,59mm difference? Unless with some visual impairment.
Erm, that's why you use a ruler!
Here's my gauge, when the chain slips out off gear and you can't remember when you changed it last
You really think everybody will have that freaking tool?
All bike shops sell them and they aren't expensive plus the whole idea of the video is to show you how to measure chain wear using a standard ruler!