chain clearing fat tire

[edwardM2323]

hi i need some suggestions on how to run my bike with fat tires i finished my build yesterday and when it was time to go for a test ride my chain was rubbing against my tires because im running : Beast 26″ X 3.0″ tires so my tires being so wide my sprocket is kinda in side the rim if that makes sense. i seen on a different fourm a guy used the occ choppers mounts and sprocket adapter i wanted to know if that worked. because i really dont wanna spend money on a jack shaft kit and dont wanna run slimmer tires because the whole point was to get fat tires for pot holes.

 

[KTOKTO]

I run a 2.5" wide tire and I clear the chain by a mm. I even had to align the front of the tire to the right a hair to get it to clear. I don't see how you could clear a 3" without a jackshaft or without spacing your sprocket out with washers or something and re-drilling your motor mounts and shifting you engine to the left a half inch or so.

If you don't want to spend money on either of those solutions, the only solution I could see is get a 2.5"or smaller rear tire.

 

[crassius]

get out your spoke wrench - dish tire a bit to the right - shove spacer washers onto axle to get tire back in center (note that sometimes one has to saw a cone nut thinner to fit in frame with spacers on other side)

 

[edwardM2323]

I run a 2.5" wide tire and I clear the chain by a mm. I even had to align the front of the tire to the right a hair to get it to clear. I don't see how you could clear a 3" without a jackshaft or without spacing your sprocket out with washers or something and re-drilling your motor mounts and shifting you engine to the left a half inch or so.

If you don't want to spend money on either of those solutions, the only solution I could see is get a 2.5"or smaller rear tire.

Seen one guy on YouTube with afar tire bike use occ chopper mounts and add a 3 rubber to the spokes and said it work fine is it worth a try ?

 

[edwardM2323]

I run a 2.5" wide tire and I clear the chain by a mm. I even had to align the front of the tire to the right a hair to get it to clear. I don't see how you could clear a 3" without a jackshaft or without spacing your sprocket out with washers or something and re-drilling your motor mounts and shifting you engine to the left a half inch or so.

If you don't want to spend money on either of those solutions, the only solution I could see is get a 2.5"or smaller rear tire.

would 2.4 work on the same rim because i found some for 29$ the 2.5s in nyc are around 70-90 for one tire

 

[KCvale]

hi i need some suggestions on how to run my bike with fat tires i finished my build yesterday and when it was time to go for a test ride my chain was rubbing against my tires because im running : Beast 26″ X 3.0″ tires so my tires being so wide my sprocket is kinda in side the rim if that makes sense.

i seen on a different fourm a guy used the occ choppers mounts and sprocket adapter i wanted to know if that worked. because i really dont wanna spend money on a jack shaft kit and dont wanna run slimmer tires because the whole point was to get fat tires for pot holes.

You can spend a bunch of money on a offset engine mount and back sprocket just to have a single speed fat tire...

Or you can embrace the Fat Tire life with the understanding that no matter how fat the tire is, the pedal side will always clear it.

That's the kind of build that really takes advantage of the beefy 3" tires, actually a bit more so as those are 24" rims but 26" 3" wide balloon tires, and it needed it with just a straight triple tree front fork, but the point is the same...

If you want fat tires and want to go fast, I find that system to be pretty sweet, well, my customer did anyway ;-}

 

[Frankenstein]

You can spend a bunch of money on a offset engine mount and back sprocket just to have a single speed fat tire...

Or you can embrace the Fat Tire life with the understanding that no matter how fat the tire is, the pedal side will always clear it.

That's the kind of build that really takes advantage of the beefy 3" tires, actually a bit more so as those are 24" rims but 26" 3" wide balloon tires, and it needed it with just a straight triple tree front fork, but the point is the same...

If you want fat tires and want to go fast, I find that system to be pretty sweet, well, my customer did anyway ;-}

I went fat with a jackshaft and never looked back. Also my chain just as miraculously never seems to touch my tires.

KC might be onto something here...

 

[el diablo guapo]

i made/make spacers for mine.

the green material is HDPE plastic. you could use any non-compressible material, i just have scraps of this regularly. a stack of washers did not perform satisfacorily for me, allowing the chainwheel to move

this spacer is 0.5 inches thick. i have made 0.75" -the chopper frames i favor have a ton of clearance, but the coaster brake arms start to become an issue if "you" have one

i made my first spacer with two hole saws (one large and one smaller) concentrically, dilling the larger first then removing the center with the smaler. i see no reason this could not be a square with a hole in the middle(eliminating the large hole saw) - it actually might be easier to align and balance. find the center by drawing an X using the square's corners - centerpunch and drill the cross
this spacer is slightly larger than the "rags"

i drilled the mounting holes using the rear chain wheel as a guide. if you drill while mounted be careful not to touch the spokes, a nick will weaken a spoke A LOT

and i switched to hardened 1/4-20 bolts w/ nylock nuts + flat washers(reduces twisting of the part)

i am cheap so i like to use the kit parts and scraps. solid is the key

oh yeah, as you move the chainwheel out, you will need to move the motor as well, if ya see what i mean...

el

 

[Timbone]

This is a great idea for problem solving! Thanks!

 

[edwardM2323]

i made/make spacers for mine.

the green material is HDPE plastic. you could use any non-compressible material, i just have scraps of this regularly. a stack of washers did not perform satisfacorily for me, allowing the chainwheel to move

this spacer is 0.5 inches thick. i have made 0.75" -the chopper frames i favor have a ton of clearance, but the coaster brake arms start to become an issue if "you" have one

i made my first spacer with two hole saws (one large and one smaller) concentrically, dilling the larger first then removing the center with the smaler. i see no reason this could not be a square with a hole in the middle(eliminating the large hole saw) - it actually might be easier to align and balance. find the center by drawing an X using the square's corners - centerpunch and drill the cross
this spacer is slightly larger than the "rags"

i drilled the mounting holes using the rear chain wheel as a guide. if you drill while mounted be careful not to touch the spokes, a nick will weaken a spoke A LOT

and i switched to hardened 1/4-20 bolts w/ nylock nuts + flat washers(reduces twisting of the part)
View attachment 76159

i am cheap so i like to use the kit parts and scraps. solid is the key

oh yeah, as you move the chainwheel out, you will need to move the motor as well, if ya see what i mean...

el

tried this by adding an extra rubber mount ended up still touching the tires so i went down to 2.3 tires just to ride for the time being but im going to give in to the jackshaft because the fat tires look much better but thanks for the help. it probably would have clear if i added a 4th piece of rubber but no one likes putting on that sprocket