Rear Wheel is killing me

[motorpsycho]

Really Moto, Sprocket on the spokes? I'd be afraid to try that. When I get an alignment issue like that I make my own, very thin, rubber out of an old worn out tire or whatever. But I guess the proof is in the pudding. Four years and no problems. Is it luck? Is it mad skills? I'll vote for the latter.
Big Red.

yep, that's how i run it (them). no broken spokes, no issues.
I originally had a 44 tooth sprocket on my 20" lowrider for about a year and when I changed to a 41 tooth i inspected the spokes and they were still perfect.
I might drop it down to a 36 tooth sprocket over the winter just because changing rear sprockets is fun
my o.c.c. chopper is set up the same way and again, no issues after 2 years.

 

[happycheapskate]

the 44t sucked, and I think it contributed to burning up my first motor. I wish these came with 36's. Plus, I got such a smoother running chain and easier starting with the smaller sprocket, oh hooray. I bet that is how a lot of people dislodge their rag joints; pedal starting the engine and not going fast enough before they dump the clutch, combined with flexy standard 14 or 15 gauge spokes.

Here's how I did my cog: I just filed out and press fit the cog on the hub without the dust cap, and ran the rubber donut and 3 metal plates in the center. (some might need to use some JB weld or something if their center-hole is bigger than their hub , or just back the cog against the spokes only like on some freewheel hubs.) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1498268634583&saved

re: 38 hole wheel.
I've never seen a 38 spoke wheel before. That is just weird. I've seen 100 spoke wheels and 72 spoke wheels, 16, 20, 28, 32, 36, 40, and 48. I guess since it's straight laced, it doesn't matter as long as it's a multiple of 2. Have you had any trouble with broken spokes?

re: metal rag joint adapter. It looks like a heck of a deal to me, since it would be easy to re-use on a different cog or wheel later. If I was going to build mb's for sale or family members, I'd never give them a rubber rag joint bike.

People won't really bother changing sprocket sizes on a bike. they just won't. It's not like "hey what a great day today - I think I'll change down up from 36T to 44T" because there is a lot more involved than just changing the sprocket. For every size of sprocket the chain length is different and working with a filthy chain isn't my idea of fun. Then there is the setting up of the chain tensioner. I had two identical rear wheels for my 4-stroke. A 48T for everyday and a 44T for fast motorway runs. Guess what? After one attempt I decided to stay with one sprocket size and that is what any sane person does. It's not just the sprocket its the chain and tensioner.

 

[motorpsycho]

oops sorry my wheels don't have 38 spokes, they have 40 spokes.

 

[HouseOfEl]

Okay, I know this is off topic, but I wanted to at least see if I could get some help here before starting a new threat for such a stupid question... Should my back wheel be ALL the way back, sitting in the circular grooves? I only ask because the pedal chain they sent with the kit is too short. And I'd probably need to use both extensions of 415 for that to reach as well. I set it as far back as the pedal chain would go, and have been adjusting the 415 to match ever since (as in: waiting for half link to finally arrive in mail tomorrow).
So my idea is to use the bike as is until I can afford to add extensions to both chains and then move the wheel back.

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

If it was ALL the way back there'd be no adjustment left for chain wear (or stretch as apparently the China chains are made of ****, lol). Got some good washers on there?

 

[HouseOfEl]

Well that makes me feel a bit better, I suppose? I just want to be 100% sure the torque won't pull the wheel right off, lol. I took her for her first ride, and it took awhile to get her going. (Think I just needed to peddle faster/longer before AND after releasing clutch lever.) Because when I did get her going, she went a good 10 feet before one of the master links popped right off. I don't know if it's the tension or maybe i put the clip on that master link on backwards. Or maybe I shouldn't be using a chain with two master links and a half link? Lol. I'm going to put the chain back on and try it with no tensioner. Or maybe rig the tensioner from the top of the axle bar?

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

Could be. Maybe. Yes that might also work if the dimensions and clearance allow.. Maybe even use a tensioner on the bike chain instead of the motor chain, deoending on what you need it to do. No one can really tell without being there and watching the chain closely and seeing properly in three dimensions, only make guesses really.
I have personally never used forward facing dropouts even when I was a kid I only had rear facing slotted wheel mounts (bmx) which could never go too wrong because of the chain keeping the rear wheel IN..
but IMHO (as someone who has smashed bmx chains and thick sprockets in use and usually made a bad job of "fixing" them) you should probably check the position of the axle before and after every ride, make sure you have decent bike axle/wheelnut washers with the grippy roughened surface to give a good grip onto the frame, and even find out what torque is the right amount for the axle/wheelnut threads so you can set it up as tight as the threads will take without damage.

Losing side plates _could_ be a shoulder on a sprocket, where a sprocket is thicker in the middle then it has a slanted edge then the narrower teeth).. Clean sprockets, red/white grease a bit of the chain and see where it dabs off and/or squashes onto the sprockets you should be able to figure out exactly which bit makes contact and if the chain is riding correctly on its rollers (and sprocket tooth fronts and troughs) or if the side plates are carrying the strain (on sprocket shoulder).
But of course it could just be a bad China chain or maybe you put it together wrong.. Or it is too tight and it's binding.. You will feel it if its too tight though or the sprocket is off centre. I can't tell, can't guess.. Don't want to be responsible for telling you it's fine like this or like that if you could be hurt.

 

[HouseOfEl]

Well, I consider tonight it's maiden voyage. Went around a few blocks without the tensioner, it was working pretty well until the chain came off. Easy fix and I was riding again. Came off again and I said, "okay needs the slightest slack". But since my chain is fitted ALMOST perfectly without the tensioner, using it just made it too tight. Next thing I know, my chain bent one of the master links right in half and ripped the tensioner ball from the tensioner arm. So now I'm out of a master link and tensioner.
I think I'm going to get another 415 master link and just use it that way UNTIL I can afford a 41 chain, and just cut it perfectly with no tensioner necessary.

 

[45u]

Have you tired turning the sprocket over. I had to have it dish out instead of in to get mine to line up. I just did it the way the instructions said. I use a toothpick and took a rubber band to mount to the back down tub and used it to line it up. These China sprockets are not made real round and are out of round to begin with.

 

[KCvale]

Went around a few blocks without the tensioner, it was working pretty well until the chain came off. Easy fix and I was riding again.
Came off again and I said, "okay needs the slightest slack".
But since my chain is fitted ALMOST perfectly without the tensioner, using it just made it too tight..

This is simple, your back sprocket is not true to the wheel, it gets loose and then gets tight as you roll it.

Pull your left side chain off, prop up the back and spin the wheel looking at a fixed spot through the wheel at sprocket height and you will see it go up and down, maybe even wobble back and forth too from the rear.

When we put sprockets on we get them to loose fit, then mount them in a fork on the bench to spin them and adjust the sprocket nuts down in a star pattern until the sprocket is on tight and true.

If you can do that you are golden, if it not you can always get a clamsheel hub adapter, that will make it easy to mount a true sprocket, but what fun is in admitting to defeat to a Chinese kit? It's not like IKEA furniture hehehe ;-}