MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I've fitted a new 7 speed drive chain to a friend's bike (chainset, derailleur, freewheel, chain) It's one of those ones with a 14-34 freewheel and a derailleur with big jockey wheels. I can't seem to be able to index the ****er and am having real trouble getting the front gears to shift smoothly or consistantly. In fact, it's driving me bloomin' mental.
The only explanation I can see is the chain. It's a cheapish one I got from one of the big online retailers and was marked up on the web as a 7-speed but when it arrived the box said it was a multi-speed chain but I had my doubts at the time. Any thoughts?
Cheers.
Edit: Come to think of it, I've probably answered my own question.
you stuck new cables on ?
if not have you checked its actually gear outer , a favourite from the manufacturers on cheapo bikes was to fit brake outer.
the other was cheap fat cable inners
Is the BB axle the right length? Normally 122.5 if it's a 3 ring riveted tourney jobber. The other thing would be the front mech position. Cheaper rings are a lot more sensitive to crap positioning than the posher ones.
If it's indexing then it's a rear mech/shifter/cable/hanger issue.
A cheap chain may run rough but won't affect indexing significantly.
Bommer appears to have front and rear mixed up.
and am having real trouble getting the front gears to shift smoothly or consistantly
focused on that, as the indexing had been covered, more or less
Oops! 
Did it work properly before? You've not done anything to affect the front shifting, from what you say.
Cheers for the replies guys. I've done it now but not up to proper groupset type perfection.
Is the BB axle the right length? Normally 122.5 if it's a 3 ring riveted tourney jobber. The other thing would be the front mech position. Cheaper rings are a lot more sensitive to crap positioning than the posher ones.
BB is 122.5 and you're certainly right about the sensitivity of the cheap Tourney chainrings. Spent ages tinkering with the mech positioning so it would work adequately with all three chainrings.