Chain tensioner problems and bike wheel spacing

[Toby woodman]

I was out for a lovely sunset ride the other night but just as the sun set, I encountered an unusual problem. The plastic tensioner wheel had come off. Does anyone know how it happened because I tightened everything down only a few minutes before this happened.

Secondly, I have been running a bike wheel like this with an extra nut threaded onto the axle to make the wheel the right width for the dropouts. Is this safe?

 

[DAMIEN1307]

I was out for a lovely sunset ride the other night but just as the sun set, I encountered an unusual problem. The plastic tensioner wheel had come off. Does anyone know how it happened because I tightened everything down only a few minutes before this happened.

I don't run tensioners at all precisely because that happened to me years ago when the tensioner wheel exploded into a million pieces on me, since then I cut my chains down for exact fit.

Secondly, I have been running a bike wheel like this with an extra nut threaded onto the axle to make the wheel the right width for the dropouts. Is this safe?

At least with a steel frame, No Problem, I have a spacer nut on my bike rear axle too because I had to stretch the frame some to accomodate my disk brake rotor so the it can clear the frame rather than press up against it.

 

[Chainlube]

@Toby woodman your rear sprocket isn't centered on the wheel. I see way more daylight on one side than the other. This can cause a lot of chain slap which will destroy a tensioner wheel or get stuck between the engine sprocket and cover.

 

[GW's Motorized]

I'm slightly concerned about your nut spacer. I can't see how many threads the axle nut is grabbing onto. If the axle nut doesn't have a good amount of threads if can strip and pop off. I fixed this problem by using a kid's bike axle. For some reason it was almost 4 inches longer than the stock one.

 

[Toby woodman]

the nut has about 5 or 6 threads before i start tightening it. i did centre the sprocket when i set the kit up. this is my 5th one now so i have some experience although it has probally moved a bit so i will readjust it. I have a spare tensioner wheel but the bearing has a lot of play in it already. can I use something else, like a skateboard wheel.I have the chain as short as I can get it at the moment. it would probally just about stay on the sprocket with no tensioner but then it rubs against the frame so I need at least something to rest the chain on.

 

[GW's Motorized]

Yup, people have had good success with skateboard wheels

 

[Toby woodman]

Thanks. For now could I replace the bearing in an already worn tensioner wheel. I think they use a 609z which is 9x24x7