Loving my new(ish) soul, but it seems I am getting chain suck quite often. Was chatting to another soul owner at the big dog yesterday who said he had similar problems.

I'm running new chain rings and a new chain, so that isn't the problem.

I just about the replace the BB and wondered whether I could add an extra spacer on the drive side (2 in other words) to move the granny ring out a bit to improve the chain angle, and alleviate the problem a bit. I'm currently running a double and bash setup so that should in theory make the angle better for those 2 rings?

Is this a sensible idea? or should I just put up with the suck, or is it a common soul problem?

Adding an extra spacer is exactly what I did when I had my soul.

Not a Soul owner but I had lots of issues with chain suck on my charge duster, over 2 years I've tried 3 seperate drivetrains all suffered suck (changing down from middle to granny it would wrap and jam). Fiddlied around with spacers to no avail.

I've solved it (yet to ride in really muddy conditions) by swapping to deore steel 26 / 36 setup. Lost a few top end gears but I only notice that on the road.

I have to say I have had this with my 2010 soul also. Gouged out a fair bit of paint on chainstay behind the granny.
I had switched cranks+bb off my previous marin HT frame, no such issues with that…..
not sure if there are particular cranks / BB setup that cotic recommends or that will give more clearance?

* watches thread with interest **

I've run shimano XT stuff on mine with a sram chain for 3.5 years and never had chainsuck.

sorry I can't help

bikes don't get chainsuck, people do (or something like that).

a fresh new chain will sometimes 'suck' – cos the grease is sticky.

mud can cause it, if it's sticky enough.

an old rear mech can cause it, if the springs are tired and it doesn't have the strength to pull the chain off the chainring.

you're more likely to suffer if you have a triple chainset – cos you need to run enough slack chain to fit over the big ring, so the rear mech isn't pulled tight.

other causes are available, i'm sure someone will list them shortly.

or, you could just sacrifice a chicken, within a pentogram of salt, under a full moon – that worked for me…

ahwiles – Member

bikes don't get chainsuck, people do (or something like that).

but do all bikes have the same horizontal width of chainstays close to the BB? I guess some have wider chainstays, arising to the need for more 'caution when shifting/ chain maintenance' required?

a fresh new chain will sometimes 'suck' – cos the grease is sticky.

mud can cause it, if it's sticky enough.

Nope sucking on a normal use chain, and with no mud around so its not these, its more an issue as somebody else as pointed out with chainstay clearance, so the chain sucking a little bit when changing means it gets wedged in the chainstay really easily.

Running a correct length chain and using a double set up so its not a slack train / triple issue

Interesting that 2 others have had similar issues on their souls,

My Souls @ three years old – got chainsuck using Middleburn rings and since switching to XT it's been better though can't remember if it was cured 100% as not ridden it for a while.

my soul is fine, never had suck -evan during 2 laps of the big dog – but it is one of the slightly older ones with I think a narrower BB shell – I'm already running 2 spacers on the drive side (but this is the "correct" set-up for a shell of that size)

Try another spacer – what have you got to loose?

Steel Deore inner and middle chainrings for the win.

Suffered right old chainsuck on my Inbred. Haven't had it for a while though since switching to Deore steel chainrings, Rock N Roll Gold lube (wax based and the chain stays relatively clean of gunk unlike the Finishline Green I used before), and having lots of zipties on the chainstay for when it does occur.

Middleburn chainrings suck from new. Deore steel don't.

Squirt Lube also very good, applied after stripping out the sticky gunk that comes on most new chains with some degreaser.

http://www.in2dust.co.uk/Squirt.html

I had a BFe and began using a dual ring setup on Shimano Hones with Middleburn chainrings and raped a load of paint off the stays. I recommend you switch to Blackspire rings. I've had no issue since.

Ran a Soul pretty heavily for over 2 years with a triple set-up and never had any chain suck issues. Mismatched chainrings, chain, lube, mud, incorrect chain length – loads of potential causes.

If it was a frame-specific issue then I think the issue would have surfaced before now as there are plenty of folk on here with them.

Squirt Lube also very good, applied after stripping out the sticky gunk that comes on most new chains with some degreaser.

I use Squirt as well as Rock N Roll Gold and Squirt is good but with RnR Gold you apply it and then remove it which, on every application, cleans the chain as well as lubricating it and I would think this is good if you suffer chainsuck.

Hmm… new 2010 Soul here – and chainsuck. Almost relieved to see I'm not the only one, but then this thread isn't conclusive that it's down to the frame. May go back to steel Deore rings as suggested.

Ok had a go at setting up new BB with 2 spacers, but it doesn't work with my Raceface Crank set which I guess must be specific to the 73 mm shell. So i'm back to 1 spacer again.

I am using middleburn chain rings, so maybe it is them that are the issue… shame as I just bought them ;(

I got the Blackspire Super Pro Ramped 36t middle using with the 22t XTR inner and they work great.

Tape and/or zipties round the chainstay in appropriate places to make the gap too small for the chain to be trapped is another option.

I think den dennis is correct a bike can get chain suck if the chainstay is too close to the chainrings, I had ruddy awful problems with a 456 with all new chainset, sort of fixed it with two extra spacers. I can run my bullit with the worlds oldest chaqin and chain rings as there are no chainstays nearby so it can suck to its hearts content..

(this will go badly wrong one day when the chain will get sucked all the way round…)

I used to have a 2008 Soul with 2005 XT triple chainring set & 2005 XTR rear mech.
No chainsuck issues at all.
I've got a 2010 Soul with an M960 triple and 2009 XTR rear mech.
No chainsuck issues at all.
One drive side spacer is all.

I cured mine with a mahoosive zip tie from work, wrapped around bb shell with the head just below the gap that the chain gets stuck in, works a treat up to yet,the head of the ziptie stops the chain getting stuck in the gap and seems to unwrap the chain off the ring, I think a big jubilee clip with the screw head below the gap would do the same

Yup, 2010 Soulh here too, chainsucked only once but it was enought to make it a bugger to get out, XT drivetrain, no mud.

What hubs are you guys using?

I have only encounted chainsuck with really cack hubs that don't spin back to take up the slack – Maybe upgrade the rear wheel to something better (or) service current freehub body

Hope Pro 2 here. Its only happened once so may have been a fluke, surprised me a bit though and made a nice mark in my chainstay.

I'd be fascinated to hear how a frame can cause chainsuck. (other than by being incredibly out of alignment I guess, if you had the BB shell about 10 degrees squint I imagine that'd do it) What they can do, is make chainsuck more of a problem but the chainsuck has to come first, that's just a fact.

I've had no bother with my Soul but my Hemlock does tend to make a meal of the chain if it sucks up, the clearance between the swingarm and chainrings is just about right for the chain to push through under pedalling then get stuck, especially with the shock under compression. Getting it back out can be a total sod.

But chainsuck should be uncommon in the first place, if you're getting it regularily in anything but horrible muddy conditions you have a hardware or software problem. It doesn't matter how new the parts are, if they're chainsucking regularily there's something not right. Have you checked the chain for bent or stiff links? Or the rings for that matter? I managed to bend a middle ring in an epic chainsuck bout at 10UTB after the drivetrain filled with sludge

Well its not a Soul issue then, thats good to know. Hub seems fine so I don't think it's that. New middle chainring has improved matters now, so its not such a huge issue.

The idea of blocking the chain from sucking sounds quite good though. I Might give that a try. Just worried that continual even occasional sucking is going to kill my frame..

Well. to be fair, I think the Soul probably is a wee bit worse than many designs- it's so compact in the rear yet has pretty good tyre clearance so there's less space than I might like. I'd say have a really good look at your chain, if it's been clashing that badly then there's a decent chance it's damaged, you can twist some chains very easily but even really sturdy ones are up against it if you chainsuck under power and really mash it all together.

I had a 2008 soul which had a load of chainsuck. The drive train set up was transfered from another bike and was fine on it. I then switched to a new set up which also sucked but then was fine when i moved it to a different bike…..

another attempt it

n

s the chain rings try a file. 😉

never mind.