Stiff chain link - what caused this?

[druptight]

So I'm almost done with a 35 miler yesterday, 12 miles on gravel bed rail trail and the rest on pavement and my chain starts skipping every 2 or 3 times the pedals go round. I try different gearing combos to see if anything helps and nothing does - it's skipping all the way through the gears.

I get home and start to watch as I pedal and there's a stiff link that's not going smoothly through the derailleur. I google the ways to fix this and try the old side to side motion, add some lube, bend it around in the direction it's supposed to bend and laterally - nothing helps.

So upon inspection, it appears something created a gash almost in one of the inside links:

http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb465/druptight/IMG_3803circled.jpg (http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/druptight/media/IMG_3803circled.jpg.html)

Anyone seen this before? The gash in the metal is causing it to press on the "bushing" thing and you can see in the picture it's not bending freely.

I was JRA, 1.5 miles from home - smooth pavement when the skipping started. I had hit some debris on the rail trail a few times - one of which I noticed shot up behind me and rattled around a bit but didn't seem to get stuck or slow me down. I'm wondering if something got jammed in the cogs and I just didn't hit the right gear to screw up the chain until I was almost home. I didn't feel anything jam or do anything abnormal just before it started skipping.

I guess this chain is dead, shame as it's only got probably 200 miles on it. If the outside link was gashed I'd just toss on a missing link, but not sure I can fix this one.

[regularguy412]

Looks like there is a similar mark on the other connector (same link, just the other side on the roller to the left). I'd bet it's a manufacturing defect.

I've never seen it before.

Mike in AR:beer:

[paredown]

Cause--???--maybe a piece of debris? I've never seen that before.

I would use a small file and clean up that ridge, finish with some emery, clean the heck out of that spot and continue to use the chain. I doubt that you have compromised its durability...

[Lewis Moon]

So I'm almost done with a 35 miler yesterday, 12 miles on gravel bed rail trail and the rest on pavement and my chain starts skipping every 2 or 3 times the pedals go round. I try different gearing combos to see if anything helps and nothing does - it's skipping all the way through the gears.

I get home and start to watch as I pedal and there's a stiff link that's not going smoothly through the derailleur. I google the ways to fix this and try the old side to side motion, add some lube, bend it around in the direction it's supposed to bend and laterally - nothing helps.

So upon inspection, it appears something created a gash almost in one of the inside links:

http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb465/druptight/IMG_3803circled.jpg (http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/druptight/media/IMG_3803circled.jpg.html)

Anyone seen this before? The gash in the metal is causing it to press on the "bushing" thing and you can see in the picture it's not bending freely.

I was JRA, 1.5 miles from home - smooth pavement when the skipping started. I had hit some debris on the rail trail a few times - one of which I noticed shot up behind me and rattled around a bit but didn't seem to get stuck or slow me down. I'm wondering if something got jammed in the cogs and I just didn't hit the right gear to screw up the chain until I was almost home. I didn't feel anything jam or do anything abnormal just before it started skipping.

I guess this chain is dead, shame as it's only got probably 200 miles on it. If the outside link was gashed I'd just toss on a missing link, but not sure I can fix this one.

Izzat a gash in the other plate on the opposite end?
You probably kicked up some hard debris. It's pretty amazing just how much damage a stone can do when kicked up as a tire rolls over. I've had really ugly chips out of crank arms and one stone felt like it broke my big toe.

[druptight]

I'd bet it's a manufacturing defect.

I'd agree, except that it was working fine for the first 200 miles I used the chain. Something suddenly caused that link to stick, and I can't be sure the "gash" wasn't there before, but it appears to be what's causing the sticking.

[ultraman6970]

Take like 2 pieces out and replace it with a piece of chain you cut when you installed the chain a few weeks ago. Is not that you can't do it either you know, obviously if you dont know what are you doing or using the wrong tools can make the situation worse (in this case I doubt it because you decided to trash it already) but is not that you cant replace the bad link for another ones from the same chain spare links.

Here is when several are making faces and stuff... you have to know what are you doing and have a really good chain cutter tool thing.

Another solution is to cut the chain and use 2 missing links plus a new piece of chain from the spare links, that is basically the same thing if you want to play safe and is quicker. Old tracker guy talking, because if you are old you were used to put chains together, and trackers usually cut chains often than roadies.

As for why you got that problem?? No clue, seen nicks and stuff but never anything as sharp as what you got, but I can tell you that you can dremel it a little bit and bend/ wiggle the chain perpendicularly so the link gets lose.

Hope this helps.

ps: KMC chains is the way to go.

[druptight]

I would use a small file and clean up that ridge, finish with some emery, clean the heck out of that spot and continue to use the chain. I doubt that you have compromised its durability...

Thought about this, maybe take off the outer plates there, take that small link apart and file clean, then reassemble with a master link.

[oldpotatoe]

So I'm almost done with a 35 miler yesterday, 12 miles on gravel bed rail trail and the rest on pavement and my chain starts skipping every 2 or 3 times the pedals go round. I try different gearing combos to see if anything helps and nothing does - it's skipping all the way through the gears.

I get home and start to watch as I pedal and there's a stiff link that's not going smoothly through the derailleur. I google the ways to fix this and try the old side to side motion, add some lube, bend it around in the direction it's supposed to bend and laterally - nothing helps.

So upon inspection, it appears something created a gash almost in one of the inside links:

http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb465/druptight/IMG_3803circled.jpg (http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/druptight/media/IMG_3803circled.jpg.html)

Anyone seen this before? The gash in the metal is causing it to press on the "bushing" thing and you can see in the picture it's not bending freely.

I was JRA, 1.5 miles from home - smooth pavement when the skipping started. I had hit some debris on the rail trail a few times - one of which I noticed shot up behind me and rattled around a bit but didn't seem to get stuck or slow me down. I'm wondering if something got jammed in the cogs and I just didn't hit the right gear to screw up the chain until I was almost home. I didn't feel anything jam or do anything abnormal just before it started skipping.

I guess this chain is dead, shame as it's only got probably 200 miles on it. If the outside link was gashed I'd just toss on a missing link, but not sure I can fix this one.

Take that link out, clean up roller/plate, replace with quick link, KMC, IRD, Wipperman.

[kramnnim]

Maybe a small rock got stuck between the chain and the sprocket as they mesh together.

[AngryScientist]

put a quick link in there. problem solved.

[Louis]

Won't a quick-link just change the outer plates?

[druptight]

Won't a quick-link just change the outer plates?

Exactly. You need to clean up that inner edge of the inside plate to stop it from being "stuck". But I could hypothetically do that, then put it back together with a quick link.

[AngryScientist]

good point.

is the chain perhaps long enough to remove two links and use a quick link, eliminating the offending inner link?

[druptight]

good point.

is the chain perhaps long enough to remove two links and use a quick link, eliminating the offending inner link?

Probably not, I'm typically pretty anal about getting things correct when I build them. If there was any slop in the chain, I'd have removed the links. I'll have to see if I can dig up the extra that I chopped off - assuming I didn't use it elsewhere yet. Could always attach an inside link with 2 outer master links - wouldn't be the first time :cool:

[Black Dog]

Maybe a small rock got stuck between the chain and the sprocket as they mesh together.

This.

[NOSTO]

I had the same thing happen to me. The chain broke and I heard parts hitting the ground. I went back found the parts and limped home. I bought a new chain and never looked back.