Date: 28-03-24  Time: 19:00 pm

Author Topic: Chain tension/wheel alignment  (Read 3069 times)

F4celess

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Chain tension/wheel alignment
« on: 07 March 2019, 06:47:38 pm »
Hello all,

Fitted rear wheel back on, with new chain etc, however have an issue after setting chain tension (the two nuts on thread at rear of Swingarm).

The rear cover at back of Swingarm is loose, so something isn't right. Plus if I'm tightening those adjustment nuts so it pushes the end 'caps' tight against back of Swingarm then chain becomes too tight.  :rolleyes

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

20190307 184400
20190307 184400

Cheers.
« Last Edit: 07 March 2019, 06:53:32 pm by F4celess »

daviee

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #1 on: 07 March 2019, 06:54:04 pm »
looks like the cover plate is bent prolly over tightened when the spindle was  already tight would be my guess

His Dudeness

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #2 on: 07 March 2019, 07:43:18 pm »
I think you'll have to re-adjust it. Undo the axle nut and sit on the ground behind the bike and give the tyre a few kicks so the wheel moves forward. Be careful not to kick the bike off the stand. If the wheel moves forward the cover in the swingarm should go back in where it's supposed to be but the chain might go slack and you'll have to re adjust to get the correct slack. Something that's often over looked when adjusting the chain is the torque arm that connects to the rear caliper. It needs to be free to move when you're adjusting the chain. I think it can seize from rust and makes adjusting the chain more difficult.

bandit

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #3 on: 07 March 2019, 07:54:55 pm »
Also the rear spindle should be the other way round so the spindle nut is facing you in your picture.

robbo

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #4 on: 08 March 2019, 09:25:16 am »
Another way of ensuring the spindle is against the adjusters is to place a rag across the lower chain run and rotate the wheel forward, causing the chain to tighten and forcing the spindle forwards and tight against the adjusters.
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F4celess

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #5 on: 08 March 2019, 09:50:22 am »
Thank you all for your observations plus feedback, all very valid possibilities - could have turned out to be any of them.

The actual problem was mentioned in His Dudeness post below - highlighted - I had not loosened off the Torque arm bolt to Caliper bracket.
Once this was loose the Wheel on its axle was free to slide forward and back in the Swingarm holes and could be correctly aligned.  :thumbup

I think you'll have to re-adjust it. Undo the axle nut and sit on the ground behind the bike and give the tyre a few kicks so the wheel moves forward. Be careful not to kick the bike off the stand. If the wheel moves forward the cover in the swingarm should go back in where it's supposed to be but the chain might go slack and you'll have to re adjust to get the correct slack. Something that's often over looked when adjusting the chain is the torque arm that connects to the rear caliper. It needs to be free to move when you're adjusting the chain. I think it can seize from rust and makes adjusting the chain more difficult.

bandit - your mention of the rear spindle being fitted the wrong way round is also an interesting one.
I've compared it to pics I've taken of my bike in the past, it's been fitted this way in all of them (Nut on right).
Watching a youtube video where someone was removing rear wheel I did notice his nut was on the Left! Had me thinking.

BBROWN1664

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #6 on: 08 March 2019, 10:50:09 am »
bandit - your mention of the rear spindle being fitted the wrong way round is also an interesting one.
I've compared it to pics I've taken of my bike in the past, it's been fitted this way in all of them (Nut on right).


Depending on the end can you have, you sometimes have to have the nut on the right hand side as theres not enough clearance to remove the spindle from that side without removing the end can. You need to get the torque right though, or it can undo itself due to the rotation of the wheel.
Putting the spindle in from the RHS mitigates the self loosening by always trying to tighten the spindle into the nut..
« Last Edit: 08 March 2019, 10:52:06 am by BBROWN1664 »
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F4celess

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #7 on: 08 March 2019, 11:28:24 am »
My end can is aftermarket. It did have the standard Yamaha 'bazooka' (500mm) on there before, perhaps the reason someone decided to fit the spindle from the left side for convenience. Do based on your feedback it would be more advisable to insert the Spindle from the other side! Will consider swapping it round.

Taken from the manual, rear axle nut torque states 117Nm / 11.7m kg. I was tightening using a torque wrench and it didn't click, plus was giving it ALOT of force, didn't want to snap or bend something!..


mtread

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #8 on: 08 March 2019, 11:33:10 am »
Quote
Another way of ensuring the spindle is against the adjusters is to place a rag across the lower chain run and rotate the wheel forward, causing the chain to tighten and forcing the spindle forwards and tight against the adjusters.
That's a good idea  :thumbup

fazersharp

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #9 on: 08 March 2019, 11:34:20 am »
bandit - your mention of the rear spindle being fitted the wrong way round is also an interesting one.
I've compared it to pics I've taken of my bike in the past, it's been fitted this way in all of them (Nut on right).


Depending on the end can you have, you sometimes have to have the nut on the right hand side as theres not enough clearance to remove the spindle from that side without removing the end can. You need to get the torque right though, or it can undo itself due to the rotation of the wheel.
Putting the spindle in from the RHS mitigates the self loosening by always trying to tighten the spindle into the nut..
I knew there would be a good reason but I was too embarrassed to ask
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daviee

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #10 on: 08 March 2019, 05:37:05 pm »
the spindle dont turn so it wont loosen itself off , if the spindle did turn then yes but it dont do wont undo itself

BBROWN1664

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #11 on: 08 March 2019, 07:38:59 pm »
the spindle dont turn so it wont loosen itself off , if the spindle did turn then yes but it dont do wont undo itself

Agreed, but on the off chance it tried, it would tighten itself rather than loosen itself :pokefun
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daviee

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #12 on: 08 March 2019, 08:09:06 pm »
if you spindle was that loose you would crash as the wheel would pull to one side due to the chain being on one side and the chain adjusters would snap


fazersharp

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #13 on: 09 March 2019, 01:02:36 am »
if you spindle was that loose you would crash as the wheel would pull to one side due to the chain being on one side and the chain adjusters would snap


I remember on my old Suzuki GS 125 on the way to Peterborough bike show, I lost my rear axle nut and stopped and pulled up i piece of wire from a hedge and wrapped it around the thread and carried on. Seems nuts thinking about it now and how could I of carried on - there and back   
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darrsi

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #14 on: 09 March 2019, 06:22:28 am »
My end can is aftermarket. It did have the standard Yamaha 'bazooka' (500mm) on there before, perhaps the reason someone decided to fit the spindle from the left side for convenience. Do based on your feedback it would be more advisable to insert the Spindle from the other side! Will consider swapping it round.

Taken from the manual, rear axle nut torque states 117Nm / 11.7m kg. I was tightening using a torque wrench and it didn't click, plus was giving it ALOT of force, didn't want to snap or bend something!..


As daft as it sounds it can simply be that it was fitted unwittingly by a left handed person!
I normally tap mine back in with a rubber mallet, and if i was left handed it would make natural sense to tap from the left with my controlling hand.
I get a similar scenario at work when i'm cleaning/unreeling a cable drum that's come back in from a job and i know when it's been reeled up by a left handed person because they will have reeled the cable onto the drum anti clockwise, instead of a right handed clockwise which makes things a bit cack-handed if you're the opposite.  :lol
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daviee

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #15 on: 09 March 2019, 09:19:52 am »
if you spindle was that loose you would crash as the wheel would pull to one side due to the chain being on one side and the chain adjusters would snap


I remember on my old Suzuki GS 125 on the way to Peterborough bike show, I lost my rear axle nut and stopped and pulled up i piece of wire from a hedge and wrapped it around the thread and carried on. Seems nuts thinking about it now and how could I of carried on - there and back   



done the same on my ap50 but their is a huge difference in power i doubt you would get away with it on a 600


BBROWN1664

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #16 on: 09 March 2019, 11:05:08 am »
I get a similar scenario at work when i'm cleaning/unreeling a cable drum that's come back in from a job and i know when it's been reeled up by a left handed person because they will have reeled the cable onto the drum anti clockwise, instead of a right handed clockwise which makes things a bit cack-handed if you're the opposite.  :lol

Turn the drum over and it will go the other way :pokefun
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His Dudeness

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #17 on: 09 March 2019, 12:02:08 pm »
I was at a mechanic's shop and a guy I knew happened to already be there. He had just bought a TRX850 and he rode it straight to the mechanic to get it looked over. He rode it I'd guess about 100 miles to get to the mechanic. I was talking to him and we were admiring the bike and the mechanic came out and started giving it a once over. He put his arm over the back of the bike and flexed the back end side to side and he noticed movement in the rear so it looked like there was wear in the bearings in the rear suspension but it turned out the axle nut was completely loose. You could spin it off by hand. I don't know how he didn't feel it when he was riding but luckily it stayed on.

darrsi

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #18 on: 09 March 2019, 12:12:00 pm »
I get a similar scenario at work when i'm cleaning/unreeling a cable drum that's come back in from a job and i know when it's been reeled up by a left handed person because they will have reeled the cable onto the drum anti clockwise, instead of a right handed clockwise which makes things a bit cack-handed if you're the opposite.  :lol

Turn the drum over and it will go the other way :pokefun


Oh you mean wind it up with the handle on the far side of the drum away from me?
That wouldn't look retarded at all. 
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fazersharp

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #19 on: 09 March 2019, 12:35:43 pm »
if you spindle was that loose you would crash as the wheel would pull to one side due to the chain being on one side and the chain adjusters would snap


I remember on my old Suzuki GS 125 on the way to Peterborough bike show, I lost my rear axle nut and stopped and pulled up i piece of wire from a hedge and wrapped it around the thread and carried on. Seems nuts thinking about it now and how could I of carried on - there and back   



done the same on my ap50 but their is a huge difference in power i doubt you would get away with it on a 600


Ahh you know what - it has just come back to me. Well it was over 30 years ago.
    It wasn't the rear axle at all it was the swing arm bolt/shaft nut that I lost. Which makes more sense as the pulling forces are different.
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daviee

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #20 on: 09 March 2019, 03:46:41 pm »
if you spindle was that loose you would crash as the wheel would pull to one side due to the chain being on one side and the chain adjusters would snap


I remember on my old Suzuki GS 125 on the way to Peterborough bike show, I lost my rear axle nut and stopped and pulled up i piece of wire from a hedge and wrapped it around the thread and carried on. Seems nuts thinking about it now and how could I of carried on - there and back   






done the same on my ap50 but their is a huge difference in power i doubt you would get away with it on a 600







Ahh you know what - it has just come back to me. Well it was over 30 years ago.
    It wasn't the rear axle at all it was the swing arm bolt/shaft nut that I lost. Which makes more sense as the pulling forces are different.


difference with the wee suzuki is the back sprocket carrier bolts on to the swing arm separate from the spindle so that you caan remove the rear wheel without touching the chain or adjuster great idea also stopped forces of the chain moving the wheel


F4celess

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #21 on: 11 March 2019, 10:52:08 am »

As daft as it sounds it can simply be that it was fitted unwittingly by a left handed person!
I normally tap mine back in with a rubber mallet, and if i was left handed it would make natural sense to tap from the left with my controlling hand.
I get a similar scenario at work when i'm cleaning/unreeling a cable drum that's come back in from a job and i know when it's been reeled up by a left handed person because they will have reeled the cable onto the drum anti clockwise, instead of a right handed clockwise which makes things a bit cack-handed if you're the opposite.  :lol

Agreed.  ;)

The 2nd point you made about the cable drum reeling, reminds me of the days I flew big Powerkites, and reeling up the flying lines.
If you happened to hold the Bar with the opposite hand on the previous outing winding/unwinding, you ended up with 4 x 25metre lines all tangled and then had to spend a further 30+ minutes fixing the 'birds nest' before you could fly... all while your 13+ metre wide powerkite was trying its best (on its own) to take off in the wind.... also the embarrassment of having your mates out and flying already, while you were grounded working on your lines!   :\ :lol

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Re: Chain tension/wheel alignment
« Reply #22 on: 09 April 2019, 06:24:01 pm »
Hello all,

Fitted rear wheel back on, with new chain etc, however have an issue after setting chain tension (the two nuts on thread at rear of Swingarm).

The rear cover at back of Swingarm is loose, so something isn't right. Plus if I'm tightening those adjustment nuts so it pushes the end 'caps' tight against back of Swingarm then chain becomes too tight.  :rolleyes

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

20190307 184400
20190307 184400

Cheers.
It's a bit late now but I saw another good tip to prevent this. If you pull the slack side of the chain up towards the swingarm as you're tightening the axle bolt. That should pull the adjusters forward and seat the covers in the swingarm