Setting the chain tensioner upwards

[reine]

Hello everybody!

I have a surly singelator (practically the same as any spring tensioned one) which is currently pushing down. I would like to have it push up but when I tried my chain will touch the underside of the chainstay. It seems it wont matter if I would change the chainline slightly... Isn't this a problem for everyone having the tensioner up? I've seen photos where it looks very tight and I was wondering how it works for you.

Tips welcome!

[john trials]

Many things will determine if you tension it up or down. The frame, the number of teeth on the cogs, etc.

I can tension my chain up with a 17 tooth cog, but have to tension it down with a 16, or the chain hits the chainstay, due to the extra slack in the chain (from 1 less tooth).

Some people use a half-link, but others say they are weak, and don't trust them.

[goose]

I had the same problem, so I modified my tensioner to make it fit. Mine was a rigid, rennen type thing, though. Is there space between the inside of the chainstay for the jockey wheel to go up? You can always try to offset the jockey wheel with some sort of hack like I did.
http://www.observedtrials.net/album/data/500/DSC01248sm.JPG

I much prefer the tensioner going up, it has so much more tooth engagement, I swear I could feel a difference when pedaling (I could be imagining things). And it gets everything so nicely tucked up there, out of the way. Can you take a pic?

[trials_stud]

I have a surly as well but I have a low bb so its not the same issue that you have im sure. I ended tensioned it upward but it lost tension really easy so I just put a giant zip tie on the arm and my chainstay.
Did you have problems keeping it tensioned?

[durkie]

i've had chainline be the difference between it hitting the chainstay and it clearing. sure it's not worth a shot?

[Trialsaddict]

Make your chain as short as you can, without half links. Try pushing it up, if that doesn't work, then downward it is. Mine pushes down, and it really makes no difference. You lose a little contact area on the rear cog, but nothing that is going to affect your riding.

I also find it a bit easier to take the wheel out if the tensioner is pushing down...

[reine]

I have the surly downwards now and it works fine, the main reason I would like it to go up is cause it looks much cooler =)

About changing the chainline... I would have to move the front sprocket in a bit and then maybe it would work, so that's not really an option. I guess it doesn't work with my frame and such a tensioner!

Another question about bolting tensioners like DMR, Gusset etc, can you adjust the wheel position after your chainline? It doesn't look like that.... In that case you have to adjust your rear cogs after it, and that would most likely create a bad alignment against the front sprocket.