What sprocket tooth wear is
Sprocket teeth wear on the driving flank and hook backwards as material is removed. Once the tooth profile no longer matches the chain pitch, load concentrates on fewer teeth and the chain sits higher, which quickly destroys a replacement chain.
Common causes
- Running a chain past the elongation limit on unworn sprockets
- Lack of lubrication at the chain and tooth contact
- Abrasive material between roller and tooth
- Sprockets made from a material or hardness below the chain rating
Warning signs
- Teeth visibly hooked, sharpened or offset from the original profile
- Chain riding high on the teeth with a visible gap at the tooth root
- New chain that elongates unusually fast after fitting
- Noise and snatching from the moment the drive starts
Prevention and correction
- Replace chain and sprockets together as a set
- Check tooth profile when measuring chain elongation
- Match sprocket hardness to the chain specification
- Lubricate the tooth contact as well as the joints
Fix it with the right product
Sprockets and chain drive setsNeed a second opinion?
Send us the chain, the running hours and a photo. Our engineers will confirm the failure mode and quote the right replacement.
All chain failure modes
Chain ElongationFatigue FailureSide Plate CrackingPin and Bush WearRoller Wear and SpallingAbrasive WearAdhesive WearCorrosionStress Corrosion CrackingHydrogen EmbrittlementGallingSurface PittingTensile OverloadShock LoadingImpact FractureLubrication StarvationTight Links and KinkingMisalignmentChordal ActionSprocket Tooth Wear
Same & Next-Day Delivery Areas
Roller chain supply across South Yorkshire & the North
Dispatched from our Rotherham depot — order by 1pm for next-working-day delivery, or collect same-day within our 30-mile radius.
RotherhamDepot location
Sheffield9 mi · ~25 min
Barnsley6 mi · ~15 min
Doncaster16 mi · ~30 min
Mexborough3 mi · ~8 min
Maltby5 mi · ~12 min
Wath-upon-Dearne4 mi · ~10 min
Wakefield20 mi · ~35 min
Leeds25 mi · ~45 min
Huddersfield30 mi · ~50 min
Scunthorpe22 mi · ~35 min
Mansfield28 mi · ~45 min
Chesterfield18 mi · ~30 min
Worksop14 mi · ~25 min