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Half link or no Half Link?

Farkel

Chimp
Apr 23, 2009
38
0
Union City, California
Right now when I put tension on my chain, the axle is towards the end of the drop out... it's not at the very edge but kind of near it.

I was wondering if it's worth the effort of putting on a half link and slamming it into the drop outs? Would there be any noticeable difference in riding or pulling up for manuals etc.
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
If it's near the end of the dropouts, you might not need a half link. Have you tried taking out a whole link (two links)?

It's not a huge difference with it slammed, but it's noticeable if you're picky about that sort of thing.
 

t1maglio

Monkey
Oct 29, 2001
855
0
southern wisconsin
Depending on where your length is at it might not be a bad idea to slam it. I run a Shadow chain so its all half links, and I really like it. The progression of how short the backends of my bike has been a continuing process. I think my first 20's were around 14.75-15, then it was down to 14.5, then 14.25, then I jumped down to 13.75 and have left it for the past few years. Its easy to manual but not to squirrely.
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
just FYI for anyone who cares.... bmx half-link chains are coming shorter than they used to.

just picked up a KHE hollow-pin half-link chain and i only took out one half-link to put it at 16 3/16ths cs (center of spindle to center of axle) in middle of dropout with 30-14 gear. definitely would not work if you were running 34-16 on an mtb. maaaaaybe 32-15 if you had super-short cs.

 

Paulyd

Monkey
May 15, 2007
255
0
Great White North.
They come shorter as they're catering to the younger kids who are all running bmx gearing, and super short stays.

They run say 23-10, using a NS Rotary rear hub, one a bike, where when they slam it, it's at 15"
 

DirtBag

Monkey
Feb 1, 2006
648
0
They come shorter as they're catering to the younger kids who are all running bmx gearing, and super short stays.
Yet charging the same price...

IMO a full 1/2 link chain is not needed. They are heavy, stretch and break often. Go for a nice chain and use a single 1/2 link to shorten if needed.
 

BMXracer 107

Chimp
Aug 17, 2010
7
0
Melrose WI USA
even though im only 14 ive worked on 5 times as many bikes as my age. if i wer you i wouldnt slam it to the dropouts because what ive been told and found out is that it makes a big differance in your manualing (it might not for you because im very picky on how i want my bike to handle especialy because i race). it changes how you need to position your body over the back wheel, which may be a matter of 1/2 an inch but it takes some gettin used to (again thts my opinion). I would just take 1 or 2 links outa the chain unless your lookin to go lightweight.
 

Mnkid1994

Chimp
Jan 4, 2012
1
0
Dont get a expencive one, had so many peoblems with one, had a shadow and a eastern half link, shadow snapped a few links and tourq from pedilingand would shift wheel, eastern held together all to well, broke of lots of use, so IF you get one can can find the old eastern on get it
 
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I love to have my wheel slammed, back in the summer i bought a new chain and switched back to my old chain to have the wheel slammed. the chain is over 2years old.really i find its just how you like it setup.