A not perfect rag

GoldenMotor.com

Toadmund

New Member
Jan 19, 2012
792
6
0
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Even though I had a severely warped rim that I trued as much as I can with a spoke wrench, it appears upon close examination that one side of my rag joint seems thicker causing a wow in my sprocket which would result in side chain scrub.

I'm thinking a piece of inner tube shoved into the low side?
I am open to suggestions.
 

AslansMonkey

Member
Oct 2, 2008
194
1
16
That may work, but I'll tell you what most of the old-timers on this forum are probably thinking...

...Get rid of that rag joint.

It's undoubtedly the weakest component of these kits and while it DOES work in a pinch, it all too often leads to broken spokes and taco'd wheels. Every build I've done I've worked to get rid of the rag joint.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Properly installed the rag joint will work and give you no problems. In your case you have a defective part. Order new parts, they're available from most of the advertising vendors you see down the sides of the page.

The sprocket-rubber-spoke rubber sandwich, so called 'rag joint' gets a lot of bad press here. Bent or broken spokes, out of alignment, wobbling, on and on. The fact is that, as I said above, installed properly using a sprocket that is not warped and making sure the rubber parts are of consistant thickness, properly torqued bolts and correctly centered on the hub, there is no reason that the kit sprocket attachment parts will cause you problems.
You could sand or grind your rubber spacers so they are the same thickness across their surface. I'd just order new ones.
Tom
 

killercanuck

New Member
Dec 17, 2009
1,748
6
0
47
Wallaceburg ON
Tom said:
You could sand or grind your rubber spacers so they are the same thickness across their surface.
^That

Or torch it till its straight... heat the rubber on the 'high' side, and the spokes will sink into the rubber better. Your sure you can't loosen the offending spokes?(making sure :p)

Just don't overdo it, or you'll be chasing it(the perfect fit) forever...
 

Toadmund

New Member
Jan 19, 2012
792
6
0
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Or torch it till its straight... heat the rubber on the 'high' side, and the spokes will sink into the rubber better. Your sure you can't loosen the offending spokes?(making sure :p)
You mean without dis-assembly?
I want to not have to disassemble the rags and bolts, that's why I thought of the innertube piece.
I already took it apart once because against my better judgement I followed the instructions to put the rags both inside, OK, I'll try it, pulled the sprocket way to close to the spokes, so I re-assembled it to a spoke sandwich, much, much better.

I like the heat idea.
Just heat the high side right? I am thinking the pressure of the bolts will pull it down, correct? (sorry, you just said that, ADD strikes back!
 
Last edited:

killercanuck

New Member
Dec 17, 2009
1,748
6
0
47
Wallaceburg ON
Roger roger Toadman, no dis-assembly. Just heat the high side until the spokes sink into the rubber enough, or until your happy with it. But like I mentioned, just do a little bit at a time, eh.

gl.
 

DaveC

Member
Jul 14, 2010
969
1
18
Boise, ID
One of the disks will be flatter that the other, usually. Have that one against the sprocket. A warped disk isn't important on the backside. The space that is between the sprocket and the wheel spokes is the critical distance.

I hope the heating and melting thing works out for you. The rubber disks are cheap luckly.