hey guys as i was cleanin my bike today i noticed my vortex sprocket was missin bout seven teeth . .any idea how this occurs ..is it time to upgrade to steel ? or just continue with aluminum??plz help ..and if i run steel what would be best ?? thanks guys

 

i find that they don't last long , i have had better luck with thrust aluminum sprockets...

and it is a good idea to change both sprockets and chain at the same time cause if you put a new sprocket on a warn chain it will wear out the sprocket faster

 

as the chain stretches it's alignment with the teeth on the chain gets off and puts stress on the wrong part of the sprocket and binds some, something has to give.

 

cool. .thanks much ..so aluminum is ok ..just no vortex

 

that is my experience .

my thrust sprocket has about 20000 miles on it and it still looks like new but i do clean and lube my chain alot

 

The hillbilly's by my house are missing 7 teeth, its not a big deal to them. You should be fine.

 

on my stock sprocket all the teeth were filed down to half of what they started and i was also mising a ton of teeth, it felt like my chain was skipping and randomly throwning power to my rear we=heel., i ended up gettin vortex sprockets and they were ok

 

How is the WEAR on your teeth you still have?

if the teeth you still have are good, sounds like you other issues.. like a bent sprocket, or crooked wheel or something..

If your teeth are hooked, then it just sounds like wear.. Did you install a new chain and front sprocket when you got your rear?
Do you keep your chain CLEAN and lubed? (I don't mean lubing it once a year, I mean lubing it every hundred or couple hundred miles)
And is your chain properly adjusted, not to tight, not too loose?


Once your sprocket gets worn enough, that the teeth are hooked, its only a matter of time before they just sheer off..

Considering your already missing 7 teeth.. I bet if you hit the spot for a hour, you'd come back missing 20 teeth

 

I run a vortex now and it will be the last time. as soon as I have the money for the rest of the kit I will put on my steel one I got from http://www.myspace.com/tandem_designwurx they do custom sprockets too.

 

+1 on using http://www.thrustcompany.com/ like OMR said ... email Phil...he will take care of you

 

vortex is fine thats all i have ever run and never had any problems, it sounds to me that your problems are related to poor/improper maintenance.

 

if thrust does better than vortex without maintenance then by process of deduction it's better :-p

kinda like how hondas are better than ducati's

T

 

poor maintenance with any sprocket/chain combo will cause failure or premature wear.

 

I use sprocket specialties. chainged chain at the same time and have had no problems with it and I even have taken one for the team a time or two and been good.

 

i run PMP and havent had a problem out of them on either one of my bikes aslong as u clean and lube them

 

I've had two different front vortex sprockets that were slightly egg shaped. I didn't catch the first one till it broke a tooth and bent my chain. (just glad the chain didn't snap). Needless to say I don't run vortex anymore.

 

only sprockets I have ever seen break teeth are vortex and renthals

 

Renthals are junk

 

+1...I run vortex on all my bikes without any problems. As long as your chain is adjusted properly and lubed you shouldn't be breaking teeth.