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Single 1" chain vs double 1/2" chain

K

Kyne

New member
I haven't been able to find any info on this subject but since the 1" chain is so expensive to produce apparently and as far as I've read not in production currently why couldn't a double chain be used with two smaller chains? I'm not sure how many MEs there are on this board and I am still working on my undergraduate ME but I don't know any pro/cons to two smaller chains. Any insight? Seems like a cheaper alternative to the hard to find and expensive 1" chain for these transmissions.
 
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if your breaking 7/8th chain then you need to pay to play....... then you need to look into the zzp 1 inch chain zzperformance.com or ask around neither the zzp one or a real GMR 1 inch chain will be had for under 1k. GMR 1 inch chains to pop up in the classifieds once in a while because people demod all the time and quite honestly this is a dying platform so just troll the classifieds.
 
Yeah I realize where to buy the chains, I'm wondering what the stresses are that a dual 1/2" chain set up isn't as strong as a single 1" or even a single 7/8" provides. What's the physics behind it. To me two 1/2" chains would seem to be stronger than a 7/8" but that's the upgrade. So would two 7/8" chains be stronger than a 1"? I assume there is only enough room for 1" so that wouldn't be feasible. Is it that the stock chains are made inferior too? Could the Gemini design be fixed and made stronger. Maybe I worded my question better this time.
 
LOL if one is made of double 1/2" play-dough and the other is made out of 7/8" steel don't you think the 7/8" would be stronger. Its not the size that matters grass hopper its what its made out of and how the metal is treated. Hence why the zzp alternative chain is 1 inch but isn't as strong as the GMR ones.......
 


matt5112 said:
One set engages while the other disengages.

So only one of the two is engaged at any given point in time.

It's quieter, but not as strong.

Another interesting point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_chain#Chain_strength

Seems it's all about the pitch. Width just happens to follow that.

Strength also appears to go up much faster than chain width or even pitch does.
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This makes sense, two chains only one is used at a time.

98GrandPrixIraqVet said:
LOL if one is made of double 1/2" play-dough and the other is made out of 7/8" steel don't you think the 7/8" would be stronger. Its not the size that matters grass hopper its what its made out of and how the metal is treated. Hence why the zzp alternative chain is 1 inch but isn't as strong as the GMR ones.......
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This doesn't really help.
 
What he is saying is the material in the dual 1/2" chain is inferior to the material in the GMR (GM Racing) 1" chain... I'd run what you got till something breaks, then fix it, lol!

As for the dying platform? Really? Only because nobody wants to sink $ into it and know it is a cheap man's raze Kar! Hahaha...

But there are still plenty of these engines around, parts are available if you look for them and $ for $ is a good setup for a 2ton vehicle. I for one would rather find, fix and mod a GP, than pay $20k+ for a used beat to crap newer car that is supposed to be fast. At least with the GP I know what I got, lol.

I have (3) by the way, so maybe I'm a little biased!
:D
 
From what I've encountered in a 4t65e there's no way that only one chain can run at a time. Both chains drive the gears together. One chain doesn't disengage while the other engages.
They are both engaged at all times.

But the 7/8 and 1"chain are quite a bit stronger than the stock dual chains.
 
The GTP is my DD/ drive in the rain car. I don't consider them to be very fast but it sucks that the engine is so good but it's mated to the Achilles heal of the platform with this transmission. If I want a powerful car I'll get in my GTO, but mine isn't best to crap and probably the cleanest GTO that I've ever seen.
 
Twizted 1 said:
From what I've encountered in a 4t65e there's no way that only one chain can run at a time. Both chains drive the gears together. One chain doesn't disengage while the other engages.
They are both engaged at all times.

But the 7/8 and 1"chain are quite a bit stronger than the stock dual chains.
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The gears are offset. So, only one chain is being pulled on at a time....well, not completely, but that's kind of how it works.
 


Ookie dokie..... Lol.

The chains are the same length, the gears are offset the same amount.
The only reason the gears are offset is because of the pins In the chains. It was designed to keep the pins on each chain from hitting one another, not for each chain to pull separately. The chains each pull the same at the same time.

OP, unless your running over 300-320HP I would buy a set of Gemini dual chains from a 2004+ 4t65e and run the hell out of it.
 
Twizted 1 said:
Ookie dokie..... Lol.

The chains are the same length, the gears are offset the same amount.
The only reason the gears are offset is because of the pins In the chains. It was designed to keep the pins on each chain from hitting one another, not for each chain to pull separately. The chains each pull the same at the same time.

OP, unless your running over 300-320HP I would buy a set of Gemini dual chains from a 2004+ 4t65e and run the hell out of it.
Click to expand...

No, actually the reason the chains are offset, is to reduce the noise it makes. They produce opposite frequencies that cancel each other out.
 
I think that when they say driving separately, that since they're offset, the most force goes through the one with the tooth at the right angle. Since they're not at the same angle, one may take more torque than the other, back and forth. Am I on the right track? I always knew they were offset to reduce noise but didn't think about any other differences til now.
 
02NavyBlue said:
I think that when they say driving separately, that since they're offset, the most force goes through the one with the tooth at the right angle. Since they're not at the same angle, one may take more torque than the other, back and forth. Am I on the right track? I always knew they were offset to reduce noise but didn't think about any other differences til now.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's correct. That's not 100% the way it works, but it's close enough for this conversation.
 


I don't understand how that works or how it's possible to work like that, that's just what I picked up from reading this thread lol
 
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