12G spoke 26" 7speed upgrade

[Member 28982]

So after going through three regular 7-speed 26in rims and having them fail tremendously from wheel lock up due to chain or a flat tire which shreads tire and causes rim to fail...
Broken spokes. New paint on new rims. Fk that.
Lol
I invested in a 12 gauge spoked 7speed cassette. Dumped the freewheel still unsure Wtf that means but heard its better. Anyway.. I decided to put $70 into a 12 gauge spoked 26in front rim. Same color scheme as back wheel. Losing pumpkin orange rims lol

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

I can see the chain is loose, and I can see it has been eating the paint and probably the metal of your frame. It's being pushed towards the spokes as it runs over the chain stay. It will keep derailing into the spokes and chewing them up. Sharp cuts are stress risers which will significantly weaken any spoke.
The spokes are already under a sizeable side load from the rag joint sprocket which spokes are not designed for. The 12g should hold up to the side load, it's an accepted "cheat" to using the rag joint successfully; but a smooth surface is the most important thing for a spoke's breaking strain so it's very important to not damage them.
So I believe it will be wise to invest in a chain tensioner to protect your frame and shiny new expensive wheels!

 

[Member 28982]

The fender and frame chain stay were eaten from previous set up with chain tensioner. I bent the fender rather caveman like with pliers threw frustration... All from past fittings...

Any suggestions on a chain tensioner is welcomed.
It rides smooth now but I'm really just a novice.
All suggestions and recommendations welcome.
Tomorrow I'll post pic of engine side.

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

The fender and frame chain stay were eaten from previous set up with chain tensioner. I bent the fender rather caveman like with pliers threw frustration... All from past fittings...

Any suggestions on a chain tensioner is welcomed.
It rides smooth now but I'm really just a novice.
All suggestions and recommendations welcome.
Tomorrow I'll post pic of engine side.

I can only tell you what I did. I haven't tried any of the tensioner upgrade kits that are available to buy.
For a tensioner I got a double bearing pulley and bolt from a downhill bike, a piece of hardened 40mmx4mm alu alloy plate, four P clips and nuts and bolts.
I cut the plate to fit vertically and straight between the seat stay and chain stay, drilled four holes and fitted it with P clips, then I tried the pulley against the chain so I could drill a hole in the right place and fitted the pulley.
I did have to take the plate off and slightly bend it to get the best alignment as even the 40mm wide 4mm hardened plate I used had some flexibility under the strain of a bump start and fitting it straight and vertical took a little bit of trial and error.
I used one of the top bolts to hold a torque arm or brace (alu alloy tube crushed flat at the ends) fixed to the sprocket cover. It is supposed to prevent frame flexing and the engine twisting to the left (which would loosen the chain and misalign the sprockets at the same time). Tbh it wasn't a noticeable issue but I prefer to do everything I can and it was useful for mounting chain sliders to feed the chain onto the 10T as smoothly as possible.

 

[Will'smotobikes19]

I’m thinking about building a 26” wheel for a higher dollar 27.5 bike so I can use a golden eagle kit. I’m looking at novatec hubs but don’t know if they would work D041SB D042SB. It says they fit 8,9,10 or 11 speed but am unsure about 7. Maybe there’s spacers? Need rear disc compatibility, 36h and 12 gauge spokes. I also prefer sealed bearings instead of loose ball. The bike is a 21 speed.