# HALF link link needed ,using 9spd sram geared chain



## zippy895 (May 4, 2008)

i see that kmc makes a variety of half links with part numbers but no description as to what chain they fit. anyone have info on halflink for a geared 9 spd sram/shimano chain?i was hoping to forward the part number to the bike shop so it would be ordered faster without them looking it up.....pushed to the side.


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## scyule (Nov 8, 2009)

9-speed chains are 3/32" wide........personally I have not seen a half-link that ISN'T 1/8"

time to explore the other solutions


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## zippy895 (May 4, 2008)

kmc makes a 3/32 half link. but the shop seems to think it is a 7 or 8 spd size.not 9?and kmc must be closed today..answer machine


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## aka brad (Dec 24, 2003)

zippy895 said:


> kmc makes a 3/32 half link. but the shop seems to think it is a 7 or 8 spd size.not 9?and kmc must be closed today..answer machine


 3/32 is an inside diameter, the KMC 3/32 halk link will easily fit a 9 speed chain (why not use a 8sp chain?). Also a 9 speed chain is really not 3/32 it is 11/128; but what's 1/128" between bike friends?


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## bdickens (Oct 24, 2007)

*Half link chain*

Go with a 'shadow conspiracy' (brand name) BMX half link chain

You will have to order two complete chains to run on a mtn bike but you will be able to move your rear wheel where ever you want it i think they even offer 3/32 chain for the "weight weenies" out there


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

Personally I run 8 speed chains. Quieter than 1/8 chains and cheaper than 9 speed.


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## Fullrange Drew (May 13, 2004)

For what it's worth, you can't run a SRAM powerlink directly adjacent to a 9 speed half link, the step in the link plate means that it won't fit.


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## bdickens (Oct 24, 2007)

the half link chains work well if you have a wierd gear ratio and cant get the rearend in the dropout. (I.E. chain is to long for the chain stay length or too short ) If the gear works out that you can fit it in the dropout I would run a kmc 415 chain about $10 and they are great i have run one on my bmx bike and single speed mtb a long time 1 a year and they do not stretch


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## randonneur (Sep 25, 2007)

*give it a shot*

KMC makes both 1/8" (common for BMX, Track, Single Speed) and now 3/32" width (7and 8 speed) offset links ("half links"). Several other companies (Izumi, etc) make 1/8" half links. I am not aware of any 9-speed offset link on the market.

As mentioned earlier, a 9- and 10- speed chain is 1/128" narrower than standard 3/32" 7- and 8-speed chain, so whether a 3/32" half link will work for you will depend on what chain tensioner or derailleur you are running. It is likely it will be fine on single-speed setups with traditional road or mtn rings. Just don't attempt to run ultra-narrow chain on wide BMX/SS cogs and rings. Note also that 9 and 10-speed clearances are tight, so there is little or no pin exposed on the side of the chain. If your offset link has a wide pin or screw, you could have problems in a derailleur or chain tensioner. You might be able to grind down the excess pin -- your risk.

Narrower, bushingless chains are designed to have more lateral flexibility - these are of course all the multispeed chains on the market. Their lateral flex isn't an advantage to a singlespeeder, however, it should not be considered a drawback if your chainline is straight, rings unworn, and chain slack properly adjusted. Bushingless chains do have the advantages of lighter weight and better lubrication. Strength of chains is all over the map. Needless to say, the cheaper the chain, the weaker the material, so even heavy chain can be weak. Alternatively, some cheap chains will be strong but will wear quickly, necessitating frequent chain and ring replacement. Few manufacturers advertise their strength ratings, however, most 3/32" chains handle more than 2000 pounds of force, some as much as 3000 pounds or more. SRAM and Shimano chain part numbers are indications of strength test -- higher the number, the stronger the chain. The materials used on those more expensive chains are superior, so they can also drill holes in it to take out some weight with no serious loss in strength. All that said, chains seldom break when straight. They break when (stupidly) hammering the pedals in the middle of a shift, binds in a derailleur, gets sucked into the lower chainstays, or when debris tweaks the chain off of its centerline, putting severe bending loads on it. No chain is or ever will be perfect.

One final note: some manufacturers make entire chains of "half links". These are heavier and stretchier than standard flat-plate chain. If you need a half-link, install just one.

Final notes: As with everything, you DO get what you pay for. You can't go wrong with the right choice of SRAM (Sachs), Wipperman, Rohloff, or Regina chains. See also the late great Sheldon Brown's guidance on chains at the Harris Cyclery web page.


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## randonneur (Sep 25, 2007)

*give it a shot*

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/chains.html

http://www.pvdwiki.com/index.php?title=Bicycle_Chains


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## Andy R (Nov 26, 2008)

Gussett make a 3/32" link-and-a-half, which I think is better than a normal half link as you can just fit it with two master links.
I wouldn't bother with a complete half link chain as it doesn't offer any advantages, plus they suffer from more stretch as the joggled sideplates tend to straighten under load.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

The problem with every 3/32 half link out there is joining it to a 8 spd or 9 spd chain since the half links are just a bit too wide. This also keeps you from joining it with a Powerlink, since the Powerlink is too narrow to fit.

The best way to fit a half link into a SRAM chain is with two of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013CVW56/ref=oss_product

And one of these in 3/32:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=22297


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## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

bdickens said:


> Go with a 'shadow conspiracy' (brand name) BMX half link chain
> 
> You will have to order two complete chains to run on a mtn bike but you will be able to move your rear wheel where ever you want it i think they even offer 3/32 chain for the "weight weenies" out there


no, using a 1/8th half link chain on a 3/32 drivetrain is pretty stupid. also, they dont make it 3/32. spank makes a 3/32 but i wouldnt suggest that one either. half link chains stretch out rediciously fast. once theyre all stretched out they want to explode.



bad mechanic said:


> The problem with every 3/32 half link out there is joining it to a 8 spd or 9 spd chain since the half links are just a bit too wide. This also keeps you from joining it with a Powerlink, since the Powerlink is too narrow to fit.


i have a kmc half link in a kmc 8spd chain with a kmc powerlink, i actually just installed it yesterday. works fine and dandy with my ebb. i can only see it being an issue if you were trying to use a magic ratio, but if you were a powerlink would be a pain anyways.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

veloreality said:


> i have a kmc half link in a kmc 8spd chain with a kmc powerlink,


Do you have a link to the KMC masterlink you used?

I'm not a fan of the KMC half link though, since the Gussett one is just a much nicer unit with a bushingless design, nickel plating, and peened pins.


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## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

bad mechanic said:


> Do you have a link to the KMC masterlink you used?
> 
> I'm not a fan of the KMC half link though, since the Gussett one is just a much nicer unit with a bushingless design, nickel plating, and peened pins.


http://harriscyclery.net/product/kmc-half-link-3-32quot-1274.htm


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## ksturner3 (Jul 14, 2009)

veloreality said:


> no, using a 1/8th half link chain on a 3/32 drivetrain is pretty stupid. also, they dont make it 3/32. spank makes a 3/32 but i wouldnt suggest that one either. half link chains stretch out rediciously fast. once theyre all stretched out they want to explode.
> 
> *i have a kmc half link in a kmc 8spd chain with a kmc powerlink, i actually just installed it yesterday.* works fine and dandy with my ebb. i can only see it being an issue if you were trying to use a magic ratio, but if you were a powerlink would be a pain anyways.


Was it easy to install the half link? I just ordered a couple of KMC half links from harris cycles yesterday (3/32"), and now i'm wondering how easy/difficult it is to install. what did you use to install both ends to the chain?

I have a vertical dropout, and I'm running a Singleator. I want to set the Singleator up, so it pushes up on the chain, but the chain is too long at this time. I went out for a test ride with the push-down set up and i had too much chain slip. I need to get the chain shorter.

ETA, I'm using a SRAM singles speed chain, which is a 3/32" chain.


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## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

crappy cell phone picture but heres proof.


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## donglow (Nov 18, 2009)

bad mechanic said:


> The problem with every 3/32 half link out there is joining it to a 8 spd or 9 spd chain since the half links are just a bit too wide. This also keeps you from joining it with a Powerlink, since the Powerlink is too narrow to fit.
> 
> The best way to fit a half link into a SRAM chain is with two of these:
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013CVW56/ref=oss_product
> ...


This is great advice! If you don't do it this way for a 9-speed chain, either the half-link narrow end gets binded by the narrower 11/128 chain or you don't have enough of the bin in the side plates and it falls out. Also the 3/32 half-links are pretty beefy and seem to catch the smaller gears with the wider side plates, which means the pins don't get all the way down in the slots between the teeth of the gears.

Another alternative for a weight watching single or 8-speed might be Clarks Self Lubricating Chain 8 Speed Chain at http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=56341, and then use your normal 3/32 half-link. I've never tried this chain yet, but I would, if I hadn't already spent $130 on a YABAN Titanium. If you live in the US you can buy it and get it shipped to your home for just over $30!

On another note, chain-lube is becoming history. The small advantage, less-friction, advantage it gives is gone as soon as a little dust sticks to it. I know it's hard to believe. I was die-hard chain lube for many years. Yea, right it more than just lubing between the side plates and pins, but the gear teeth, etc. (I and many others had the same argument). Once a person tries a self-lubricating chain and see the difference in how their bike performs over the whole ride, how much easier it is to keep everything clean, and how little wear their actually is in the rest of the drive train, they will never go back to chain lube. If you want to argue, wait 3-years from now and then try. One of us will be wrong by then.


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