1996 MXZ 440 Gearing, Need Help Please!

I am working on a 1996 MXZ 440 that I bought from my father for my wife. (Basically paid nothing!) I am trying to get it setup up to run a little better off trail. I have a 121"x15"x1.5" track that I putting under it and am trying to gear it down. (A suggestion by my delear) I have been told to go down 2 teeth. It runs a 23T top and 44T bottom stock. I got a 21T to bring down the top but cannot seem to find a chain that will work. I tried a 68, 70 and 72 link chain and none of these have worked. The 72 seems too sloppy, the 70 and 68 prevent the gears from even sliding onto the shafts!! Arghh. I am the point that I think I got some bad information and it just won't work. Any help would be much appreciated!

more-torque said:

Do you understand the chain tension adjustment? It needs to be loosened to get it all together and then tightened to take the slack out...(I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but it sounds like you might be totally unfamiliar with the chaincase...)

Click to expand...

more-torque,
thanks for trying to help, but I fully understand the chaincase. It's a very simple machine.

The information that 2zeros sent me was exactly what I needed and confirmed that the 44T bottom and 21T top do use the stock chain, a 72 link. The information that I was given from my dealer said that a 68 link was necessary. They were wrong.

My concern was that increased angles from the sprockets to the tensioner were too extreme for the chain to handle. But, I am not going to worry about it and just run it! It is only a 440.

A big thanks to 2zeros for all the help. I will start with a 21T and maybe go to a 19 if I don't get the result I am looking for!

TTThrasher