A rock & a hard spot. Any ideas?

[Rock Doctor]

So I'm about 10 miles put in the bush right now. Problem: I've ripped my middle chain tensioner off, as well as the square bar that it locks against. I managed to baby it to where I was going, but the chain is popping and cracking, trying to climb off the back sprocket. Without the tensioner to take up slack and guide the chain, it wants to walk off. I removed one link to shorten the chain, but that's too much. I have a halflink on it's way out, and that will allow me to get the chain together, but the chain will still drag along the bottom of the tub.
I might be able to get the tensioner back under the chain, just to hold it up, but it won't work as a tensioner without the brace bar.

Any ideas for a temporary tensioner I could make up??


RD

[reiddo1]

[QUOTE=Rock Doctor;98941]So I'm about 10 miles put in the bush right now. Problem: I've ripped my middle chain tensioner off, as well as the square bar that it locks against. I managed to baby it to where I was going, but the chain is popping and cracking, trying to climb off the back sprocket. Without the tensioner to take up slack and guide the chain, it wants to walk off. I removed one link to shorten the chain, but that's too much. I have a halflink on it's way out, and that will allow me to get the chain together, but the chain will still drag along the bottom of the tub.
I might be able to get the tensioner back under the chain, just to hold it up, but it won't work as a tensioner without the brace bar.

Any ideas for a temporary tensioner I could make up??
If you can get a piece of nylon between 1/4 and 3/8 inch thick and cut it about 3 inches wide with the length just enough to place over the chain but still fit below the lips of the frame, you can move that piece back towards the sprocket which will tighten the chain somewhat. The nylon can be held in place by bolting down through the frame lips and into the nylon. There should be enough flex in the nylon that when the chain tightens against it it will bend. Hope you can follow my explanation. Good Luck..................Don

[thebuggyman1]

10 miles is a long way to limp on anything rigged up. I can only assume that you can't remove that one chain and still make it through the terrain?
Could you rig up something like these floating tensioners? McMaster-Carr

[Mike]

The first thing I thought of was this chain tensioner: Roll-Ring Chain Tensioner If you had something big enough for this or even if you could use something like a roll of duct tape in between the top and bottom of the chain.

[mrtlc]

Cut a piece if tree 2" 3" 4" in diameter what ever it takes to take up the slack. Wire or rope it in place on the bottom and drive it out of that hard spot. hope it works. Terry :-)

[Rock Doctor]

Bad service with iPhone
Halflink is about 3 miles away now. Tks for ideas, chain needs to be held up away from bottom tub, so block of wood might work. Not sure how to hold it in place, working on that. If I can hold the old chain tensioner in place, it should work in the same way.

Yes 10 miles is a ways, and I have the family with me. Worst case scenario, I take the quad (ugh), out to the truck, drive home and get the other Argo and return for the family

RD

[jerseybigfoot]

Maybe wrap a piece of plastic form a Poly drum around the the top and bottom chain like a tube and pull the chains together with a cinch strap,wire or tywraps. Probably make a few layers and hold the slider in place near the original tensioner. You can always lace the plastic together with wire or rope.

[lewis]

If you can wedge a 2x4 into the frame rails the would act as tensors and they would not hurt the chain. You could use two if they would fit and back them up against the cross braces. I don't what you have available to work with out in the wild. If you have a circular saw you could even cut out a section and change the height to fit the tension needed. If you have a few tools.

[fasteddiesllc]

I must admit that I thought these were the junkiest things I have ever laid eyes on..I have a million dollar custom made machine where I work and we are running this float style tensioner on a 120 chain. It is holding up quite well and does not require quick change outs. it seems to last for some time and wears really well....I am impressed to say the least...wish I had a pic to show ya

10 miles is a long way to limp on anything rigged up. I can only assume that you can't remove that one chain and still make it through the terrain?
Could you rig up something like these floating tensioners? McMaster-Carr

[thebuggyman1]

My thought, just to get out of the woods, would be to rig up 2 pieces of HDPE for above and below the chain. Drill some holes in them and hold them together with tywraps.
If the tywraps contacted the chain I'm sure they would wear thru. Tightening the tywraps would provide more chain tension.

[spookum]

So sorry to hear the bad news!

I dont think you can bind it top and bottom, it would evently get sucked into a sproket.

Wedge a piece of wood ( i know you have a chains saw!) between the frame rails on the bottom of the tub to hold the chain tight. You will have to secure it from moving back and forth, i would hate to see the carnage if it gets sucked under a sprocket, it my not come back out or wreck something.

good luck

[msafi65]

I've used the Snapidle tensioners fasteddiesllc mentioned above. One ARGO slider cut in half lengthwise and held above and below the chain might get you home. Snapidles thump in an amphib when you turn but I've never worn one out or broken one. good luck , I know I dont want want to walk home from where these vehicles can take you.

[Rock Doctor]

Testing a couple of theses ideas today, if I feel confident about getting out I will head out on Monday. If I think it's a little chancy, I will head out tomorrow with friends that brought halflink to me.

RD

[mrtlc]

Hope you get out with no extra damage. This sounds like something to make some kind of an emergency repair kit for. Let us know how it comes out. Terry

[countrycummins99]

take a log cut to length between frame rails for a tight fit wedge under chain to gain tension if not enough tension get bigger diameter log make two or three of these that way if the chain wears through it half way home you can just throw another one in