Tried using a dollar bill as a feeler gauge on my chain, and now I'm second-guessing everything | Bicycle Mechanics - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Tried using a dollar bill as a feeler gauge on my chain, and now I'm second-guessing everything
I was adjusting the rear derailleur on a customer's old Trek 820 and couldn't find my feeler gauge, so I grabbed a dollar bill out of my pocket. I slid it between the chain and the pulley, and the gap looked fine, but after a test ride the chain skipped under load. I checked the chain wear with a Park Tool CC-3.2 and it was at 0.75 percent, which I should've caught first. The bill trick gave me a false sense of security because it's too thick for some tolerances. I ended up replacing the chain and cassette, and the skip went away. Has anyone else used a bill or something weird as a gauge and had it bite them later?
Using a receipt from Taco Bell as a shim once, so you're in good company. The part that gets me is the wear gauge sitting right there while we're out here measuring stuff with lunch money. At least the skip is gone now.
Man, the Taco Bell receipt is a classic. I once used a beer coaster to shim a scope mount because it was the only thing in my toolbox with the right thickness. The wear gauge watching us do this from its display case is just cold. It leads me to ask what exactly is on my lunch menu today.