# Chain & Sprocket Clicking/Creaking



## slowroller1842 (Oct 8, 2009)

Ever since I put my bicycle together a couple weeks ago the chain creaks.
It's a 1-inch skiptooth chain together with a Sweetheart and a Morrow hub on a prewar Schwinn frame.  I know people are going to say the noise could be coming from my stem or seatpost, etc. but it's not.  It's coming from when the chain disconnects with the sweetheart (at the bottom of the sprocket).  I can actually here it standing next to the bike, slowly hand cranking it along. It seems to be just as the chain disengages with the tooth it clicks.  When pedaling, the noise is louder the more torque or force is used.  If I use very little pressure pedaling it makes little to no sound.  The tighter the chain tension the less noticable it is... but it never goes away.  

The chain seems to be good (well oiled, good links).  I've tried using a different sweetheart, thinking the first one was warped or oblong, but it sounded the same.  The bearings are well greased and the crank isn't loose in it's shell. I did notice that with both sweetheart sprockets the chain tension wasn't even through their rotation.

Anybody have any ideas as to what my problem could be?  The one thing I'm waiting to try, is a different chain. I have a nice Diamond but it's one link too short. D'oh!

Thanks.


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## Monark52 (Oct 8, 2009)

It seems as though the teeth on the front sprocket may be too big and is getting slightly "stuck" in the chain. Does it do that on the rear sprocket?
I would try a different front sprocket.


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## slowroller1842 (Oct 8, 2009)

I tried that.  One of the sprockets I used had noticably smaller teeth when put side by side.  It didn't seem to make any difference and it also had uneven chain tension when rotating.  The rear cog seems to be fine.


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Oct 9, 2009)

slowroller1842 said:


> I tried that.  One of the sprockets I used had noticably smaller teeth when put side by side.  It didn't seem to make any difference and it also had uneven chain tension when rotating.  The rear cog seems to be fine.




I had the same problem and it was the pedal.Try turning the sprocket by useing the pedal arm.and hold the pedal so it cant rotate.


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## Strings-n-Spokes (Oct 9, 2009)

I recently had some problems with a noisy chain, due to the fact that my frame was out of wack, not allowing the sprockets to line up.

Is there a chance that your frame is tweaked a bit?


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## slowroller1842 (Oct 9, 2009)

The frame being tweaked could be the culprit. Another old bike guy told me my frame was slightly bent last weekend. The bend, he said, was around underneath the seat where all the tubes come together.  I however couldn't see the bend.  He told me you could fix it by stepping on the frame (horizontally). The idea of this kind of freaked me out.  I will take a much closer look into this being the problem.


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## AntonyR (Oct 10, 2009)

This may seem too easy, but also try turning your chain around. It helped a chatter problem I had once.


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## militarymonark (Oct 10, 2009)

i've had a couple things, the bearings in one of the pedals was bad, I had bearings in the crank backwards, and the crank wasn't tight enough.


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## OldRider (Oct 10, 2009)

Could it be a stretched  chain? Repairing a dumpster tossed mountain bike this summer I solved all kinds of issues by getting a new chain.


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## supper15fiets (Oct 11, 2009)

...i have the same problem with a skiptooth chain, first i tought it was to tight,
but it wasn't, it is a used chain also...


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## slowroller1842 (Oct 12, 2009)

I have a feeling that it's my chain being too streched out. It doesn't seem to fit over the cogs quite right. Now I just need to track down a link for my other chain or shell out for a NOS one.  Too bad they're so pricey these days!

Thanks for everyones input.


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## AntonyR (Oct 13, 2009)

I've got a nos Diamond link set I can get to you, but the bluing will stand out against an old chain. $5 shipped if you want it.


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## ChadB (Oct 14, 2009)

I had this problem with the bike I'm building for my wife. I got the bike, as just a frame, so I bought new wheels for it. I wanted to use the original skip tooth crank, and the chain I paid $35 for, so I put on one of those skip tooth rear sprockets that are designed for new hubs, adjusted the chain to fit, and put it on, only it made that clicking/creaking racket from that rear sprocket. I thought maybe the frame, being 60+ years old, might be out of whack (same goes for me, getting wound up in all these Roadmasters), and thought maybe if I shimmed that side of the rear hub with a washer, it would help. I put a lock washer in there, tightened it all back up, and voila! No more noise.


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