Wondering When You Should Replace Your Chain? There's A Tool For That
We've all been there — your chain is jumping all over your cassette and falling off after bumps in the road. It's probably time for a new chain, but how do we make sure that it's not just a fickle derailleur?
The Park Tool CC-4 is a drop-in style gauge that measures bicycle chain wear. The laser-cut CC-4 accurately measures a long section of chain and strategically comes in contact with the chain in three places, quickly and easily taking the guesswork out of knowing when chain replacement is necessary.
A worn chain will cause poor shifting as well as accelerate drivetrain wear. The tool works on any 5 to 12-speed derailleur chain (including SRAM® AXS®) and is designed to accurately indicate when a chain reaches .5% and .75% wear, the points at which most chain manufacturers suggest replacement.
Instructions
- Lower the CC-4 onto the chain while keeping the gauge tip above the chain.
- Apply and maintain tension on the chain. Note: It is crucial to maintain pressure on the chain in order to obtain an accurate reading.
- While maintaining tension on the chain, push the chain onto the gauge tip to determine if the chain is worn.
B-Stock - This product has one or more B-Stock units available. These units can be purchased at a discount (see option select). B-Stock units were returned from other customers and may have missing or damaged packaging materials. These units are otherwise as new. The full manufacturer warranty applies. Click Here for more information.
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Reviewed 6/2/2023
by Anonymous
Daily Commuter
Greater Philly Area
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Easy to use and seems more accurate than earlier model
I bought this to replace my (now previous) chain-checker, the CC-3.2. This newer model compares chain distance between different points on the chain than the prior model (in a Park Tool reply to a question about the 3.2 on their site, they mention the 3.2 checks 'from inside of a roller to the inside of a roller' while the 4 checks 'from the front of a roller to the front of a roller', which '...eliminates roller diameter from the measurement').
Since chain wear is about the pins and not the rollers wearing, this newer gauge is apparently the more trustworthy of the two. For what it's worth, testing both back-to-back on the same chain that had about 1,600 miles on it had the CC-4 indicating it was time for replacement where the CC-3.2 didn't; I'll be using the CC-4 from now on.
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Reviewed 6/23/2022
by BB
Cycling Enthusiast
So CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Very simple tool for checking chain wear
I have a more comparative Park Tool for checking chain wear. I bought this one as a secondary check. So far both are giving similar readings.
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1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Quality Tool
Simple tool, works as expected. Don't let a stretched chain prematurely wear your cassette.
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