Extending and joining a T type chain (or any chain for that matter)

[EsPeGe]

Hi everyone, it's been a while. Hope all are well and been getting plenty of saddle time since the start of the year. So as the title suggests I'm after some info or help with extending a T type chain then joining it up. I'm building one of those new fangled high pivoty things and as a result need a 130 link chain. Now I've got a shiney new 126 link GX chain and I've also been given 10 extra links of which (doing the maths in my head and counting fingers) I need 4 to get the desired length. The issue though is I'm worried about joining the chain with 2 powerlinks (no option here as SRAM don't use pins for the T Type chains) so close together. Has anyone done this?

The issue is that if I want to put the 2 links as far apart as possible I'd have to buy 3 chains to get 2 chains. Um no I haven't had a stroke and neither have you. I'd have to cut one in the middle somewhere to make sure the powerlinks were far enough apart. I could then use the unused portion of that chain and the other 3rd chain to make a single chain for the next time I need to replace it. Confused yet? And to make matters worse these chains are $90 bucks each. You don't want to know the price of the XX1 chains.

So I guess I'm asking what people think about having 2 powerlinks so close together. Has anyone done it? Am I over thinking it? Would it be a weak point?

Cheers team, Scott.

 

[cokeonspecialtwodollars]

Zero experience with T Type chains however I have been able to rejoin chains by not fully pressing out the pin from the outer plate when splitting and then finessesing it back in. When you say that SRAM don't use pins for T Type what do you mean? What goes through the roller to hold it together?

 

[kten]

I've joined a standard X01 chain with numerous quick links (I had an unlucky run and kept breaking one particular chain....possibly a fake one but anyway) and it held together fine so I'd guess the T-type chain would be the same as it's the same quick link.

 

[Freediver]

To get the joining links as far apart as possible only needs 2 chains. 64links from one then a quick link, 64 from the other chain then another qick link for a total of 130 links. There's no need for the big seperation in my opinion, I've had a couple of chains fail but never at a joining link.

 

[EsPeGe]

Zero experience with T Type chains however I have been able to rejoin chains by not fully pressing out the pin from the outer plate when splitting and then finessesing it back in. When you say that SRAM don't use pins for T Type what do you mean? What goes through the roller to hold it together?

You can't do that with T type apparently. So SRAM use this:

They don't use pins like this:

 

[EsPeGe]

There's no need for the big seperation in my opinion, I've had a couple of chains fail but never at a joining link.

That's what I was driving at I guess. I think you are right.

 

[Haakon]

I made an oopsie cutting a Deore chain on the Orange and its got two quick links about 5 links apart... It's fine. Just use whatever link is appropriate for the chain in question.

 

[cokeonspecialtwodollars]

You can't do that with T type apparently. So SRAM use this:
View attachment 406537

They don't use pins like this:

View attachment 406538

Yes if they don't have a connector pin available it is possible to reuse the pin you've pressed out to shorten the chain if you don't press it all the way out of the outer plate, like this.

 

[EsPeGe]

I made an oopsie cutting a Deore chain on the Orange and its got two quick links about 5 links apart... It's fine. Just use whatever link is appropriate for the chain in question.

yeah i think i'm thinking too much.