24"wheel & 44Tsprocket: A Wee Dab of Eccentricity

rohmell

Active Member
Hi to All on the Forum,

I am working with a 24 inch wheel and 41T rear sprocket, and no matter how many times I try to assemble it (I have tried about 30 different times, different ways) invariably, at least two, sometimes three of the sprocket holes line up smack dab in the center of a spoke, and cannot easily take a bolt through it.

If I force the bolts through, they will ruin the centering of the sprocket on the hub, causing a little bit of eccentricity. I can push and pull and shove and yank, but the spokes have no 'give'. This eccentricity means that the drive chain will have more play in it in parts of the sprocket's rotation and less in other parts of rotation.

I am thinking that I will have to assemble it as best as it can be done, and then modify the chain tensioner to make it spring-loaded, so that it will follow the drive chain more closely and reduce its whipping around.

I see that most people here on the forum are working with 26" wheels, so do not come across this problem. Is this a common problem for the smaller 24 inch wheels, with its shorter spokes and greater resilience to bending??
 
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Your wheel should have 36 spokes in order to get all the bolts through properly... count yours.
Are you running a stock 9 hole sprocket??
 
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yeah, what he said.

running a spring loaded tensioner wouldn't work too well. probably end up with a jumping chain and a destroyed wheel.

i've got a 24" wheel but i run a sprocket adapter so i can't help you on fitting the stock rag joint, but it seems to me that the spokes would be in the same position as a 26, just shorter.
 
Hi Venice Motor Bikes and Bairdco, thanks for your replies to my posting.

My wheel has only 28 spokes on it, so I guess that is the problem. I am using a stock 41 tooth sprocket from a BGF kit.

The wheel is from a small 10-speed bicycle from I'm guessing 1994, based on the date codes on some of the components on it.
 
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that's the problem. you'll either have to rig up something custom for the 28 spoke rim, or get a 36 hole.

i'd get a 36. it's easy enough to find an old wheel, or even a new one. they're not too expensive.
 
this will effectively gear the bike lower if you get the 24 to work let me know as i would like to change from 26 inch road bike rims to 24
 
Re: 24"wheel & 41T sprocket: A Wee Dab of Eccentricity

Yes, I got the 24" to work, it seems OK, but I think I will go to a 36 spoke wheel eventually. Torque on the low end is nice, almost pulls from a standstill, and am able to hit 35 MPH according to GPS.
 
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