Chain question

[sprint_9]

Ive been looking at chains on ebay and was wondering if you get a longer chain with say 120 links can you cut it down to 110 safely?  Ive read in a couple of auctions that you can but I have no idea if that is true or if you need a special tool.  Thanks.

[Dom]

Yeah, you'll need a chain breaker, or at least something to drive out the link pin.  I guess you could do it on a bench vice with a hammer, an awl, some pliers, and a stead swing, but you should worry about kinking the chain or messing it up in some unforseeable way.  Worth a try, If you can't do it, bring the chain to the shop and have them do it.  On a 120 link chain you'll have about 9-10 links left over.

 I bought a chain breaker for a mini bike chain way back in the day but it fits on #520, so good for me...  So you don't actually cut the chain, just drive one of the link pins.  The chain breaker tool clinches onto the chain and then you screw a t-handle with a pin on the end and it and it drives one of the pins out, then you use a connector link with an elongated circlip type of thing to connect them back together..

[sprint_9]

Cool, thanks for the info, Ill have to see if I can locate a chain breaker.

[Kerry]

Check out these tools from Motion Pro.  Then buy one at Chaparral.    (Search for Motion Pro chain.)

For some related info, see this post and the rest of the thread.

[sprint_9]

Sweet, Thanks Kerry.  Wow Id give that post you linked up a vote to the FAQ forum, thats a real good post.