If you have
been following project Raptor you know that we have built it with
the intention of desert racing. The desert and desert races are a
brutal environment. We wanted a chain and sprockets that we do NOT
have to worry about.
You should always
replace the chain and sprockets all at once. A worn chain with new
sprockets or worn sprockets with a new chain will not allow
everything to "wear" together as 1 unit. It will cause premature
wear to the opposite component. An easy call for the whole setup?
Vic Krause at Sidewinder Sprockets.
Sidewinder has a number of different options depending on your
application. We decided to go with the "Ti-Moly" ATV racing
sprocket. Titanium and Chrome-Moly alloys are brought together in a
complex composite material to produce a sprocket with a number of
advantages. The sprocket is much lighter than a comparable
stainless steel sprocket yet it has nearly twice the hardness of
stainless steel without being brittle. You may have seen our
reviews in the past on the stainless sprockets
and now, thanks to this new technology from Sidewinder, we can go
to the next level with the "Ti-Moly" sprocket.
For a chain we chose the Quadra-Max "Ti-Series" O-ring Chain.
This chain is built to handle the monster HP drag racing quads that
some are building with a tensile stregth of nearly 14,000 pounds.
While we are not putting out that kind of HP we wanted the
strongest drive system we could get. As with all the Quadra Max
chains it is built with heftier sideplates and larger pins than the
standard motorcycle chain. The quadra max chain is built to
minimize stretch and also has a one year warranty against breakage.
For wet conditions, which we don't see much of in the desert, and
minium friction losses the Teflon O-rings pass the most power to
the rear tires.
Installation
.In preparation you will need to clean your new
Sidewinder chain. It comes with a preservative grease on it that
should be removed. Mineral spirits are the recomended solvent for
this process. We found a small pail just the right size to cover
the chain with mineral spirits, then with the help of a small
brush, we got the preservative grease removed.
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Remove sprocket
guard to access front sprocket |
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You need to bend
tab back to allow removal of front sprocket. |
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Remove your current chain. If it is an original it
may not have a master link and will require a chain breaker. You
can pick one up at most tool stores or you could order one along
with your chain and sprockets from Sidewinder.
With the chain removed you can remove your front and rear
sprockets. We had some difficulty getting our front sprocket
removed even with required socket. We ended up enlisting the help
of our local shop, SandTech Racing. We installed the new 41 tooth
Ti-Moly sprocket on a GYT-R aluminum sprocket holder.
With new sprockets mounted you will need to
determine the proper length for your chain. If you are using the
same size sprockets and same swingarm you may be able to use your
old chain as a guide. Just take your time and make sure you don't
cut it too short. You can always shorten it but you can NOT
lengthen it. Since we had a complete new swingarm we installed the
chain and marked the proper length. We then shortened the new
Quadra Max chain to the proper length with our chain
breaker.
Now install chain and master link.
Make sure to install the master link with the closed end pointing
in the direction of rotation to prevent it from getting knocked
loose. Also make sure the clip is all the way in the groove.
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Installing the
sidewinder "Ti-Moly" sprocket. |
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New Sindewinder
sprocket and chain installed on GYT-R sprocket holder. |
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With chain installed you can set the proper
tension on the chain. Move your suspenion through its complete
range of motion to make sure you have chain properly
adjusted.
Summary
The Sidewinder sprockets and chain should last us
a longtime and a lot of miles in the desert. We can concentrate on
the terrain and not worry about our drive system. The Sidewinder
Titainiam series chain and sprocket are not cheap but if you have a
high HP quad or you are racing and want something you can rely on
then then we believe this is a good option. Sidewinder does have
other options if you are on a tighter budget.
"Ti-Moly" Series Rear Sprocket - $149.99
Front Srocket
Quadra-Max "Ti-Series" O-ring Chain - $129.99 as part of
package
Krause Racing - Sidewinder
Sprockets
Dept: ORC
3705 Stern Avenue
St Charles, IL 60174
(630) 513-1000
www.sidewindersprockets.com
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