Pit Kit / Calculators / Chain Length

Kart Chain Length Calculator

Enter front and rear sprocket teeth and the sprocket centre distance, choose a chain pitch (#219 kart standard, #35 or #428) and get the exact link count, the chain to buy rounded up to the next even number, and its length in metres. Works offline.

Free, no limits · Works offline

Chain Length tells you how many links a chain needs for a given gearing. You enter the front and rear sprocket teeth and the centre distance in millimetres, measured sprocket centre to sprocket centre with the engine mid-slot. Then pick the chain pitch: #219 (the karting standard, 7.774 mm), #35 (9.525 mm) or #428 (12.70 mm). The app notes that KZ and some 4-strokes run larger pitches.

The tool uses the standard chain-length formula: twice the centre distance over the pitch, plus half the sum of the teeth, plus a correction for the difference between the sprockets. It shows the exact, unrounded link count first.

Chains join in even link counts, so the main answer, "Chain to buy / make", rounds up to the next even number. You take up the remaining slack with engine position. It also gives the length of that chain in metres.

This is useful when you change sprockets and want to know what chain the new gearing needs. It runs entirely on the phone, so you can check it in the paddock with no signal. It is free with no cap and needs no sign-in.

How to use it

  1. 01Open Pit Kit and choose Chain Length under Calculators.
  2. 02Enter Front teeth, Rear teeth and Centre distance (mm), measured with the engine mid-slot.
  3. 03Under Chain pitch, pick #219 (kart std), #35 or #428.
  4. 04Tap Recalculate and read Exact, Chain to buy / make, and Length.

Questions

How many links do I need for a kart chain?
It depends on the sprocket sizes, the centre distance and the chain pitch. Enter those in the Chain Length tool and it gives the exact count, then rounds up to the next even number of links.
Why does the tool round to an even number of links?
Chains join in even link counts, so the tool always rounds up to the next even number. You take up the extra slack by moving the engine.
What pitch is a standard kart chain?
#219, with a 7.774 mm pitch, is the karting standard and the tool's default. KZ and some 4-strokes run larger pitches, which is why #35 and #428 are also available.

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