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Chain allignment tool

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Xyloft 
#1 ·
so last June, I hit a nail in my rear tire. it's been sitting in my garage since, a sad reminder of some summertime fun. :( now that it's winter, i'm trying to make sure the bike is ready for next season.

I would like to pull the rear wheel off, and take that to the shop. That would save me some money and I'd like to start doing this stuff myself.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-To...Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c63f350dc&vxp=mtr

I looked at the chain maintenance how to thread (awesome) but that kind of assumed the wheel is already aligned. I've also read (and tried on a previous bike) the milk jug/fishing line alignment method, but this looks a little simpler.

anyone used one of these before? worth the $6?
 
#2 ·
If all you are doing is pulling your wheel off there should be no reason to use that. Those from my understanding are for when your chain needs to be adjusted since then you are going to have to adjust both sides of the wheel to make it straight and take extra slack out of the chain.

Your chain should not need adjusting if you bike has just been sitting. You may want to clean and relube it, but it should be a simple pull the wheel off get new tire put wheel back on type of deal.
 
#3 ·
I have that exact Motion Pro tool - don't waste your money on it. You are much better off using a trammel to measure the swingarm pivot-to-axle if you want a good alignment. Chains are very flexible, they can tolerate quite a bit of misalignment. Sometimes I think we make way too much of this. The dots at the adjustment point are good enough in every manufacturer's engineering design for everyday, non-pro race level riders, and how it is set up from the factory or when the new bike left the dealership.
 
#4 ·
I haven't really looked at this bike, but I was under the impression that chain alignment = rear tire alignment.

when I pull the rear rim and tire off, i'll still have to re align it when i put it back in? or do i simply push the rear wheel back into place and the check chain tension?
 
#5 ·
I haven't really looked at this bike, but I was under the impression that chain alignment = rear tire alignment.

when I pull the rear rim and tire off, i'll still have to re align it when i put it back in? or do i simply push the rear wheel back into place and the check chain tension?
Correct. Chain alignment = rear wheel alignment.

When you are pulling the rear wheel off, you will need to turn the chain adjusters in to give the chain enough slack to get the rear wheel out. So yes, you will need to realign upon installation. The factory hash marks on the swing arm are adequate enough for everyday street use. IF you have a good eye, that is. I also use measuring tape for extra piece of mind.

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#6 ·
You do not need to touch the chain adjusters to remove the rear wheel. You pull the axle at which point the adjusters aren't holding anything anymore so you can push the wheel forward and pull the chain off.

Chain alignment does not equal wheel alignment. They can be related but assuming the engine is square in the frame left to right and will center the rear wheel with the front is a big assumption.

For basic chain alignment that's more precise then the marks just measure the axle to the rear of the swingarm.

If you want to true the rear wheel to the front then you can go the cheap route and use a string and any of the dozens of instructions you can find with google. This will get you close but it doesn't tell you if the alignment is compensating for a frame or swingarm misalignment.

My recommendation is to not worry about wheel alignment and just focus on chain alignment as long as the bike is tracking straight when you take your hands off the bars. One way you can tell if the alignment is off a bit is to rotate the wheel one direction then rotate it back the other while watching the chain as it goes over the rear sprocket. If it shifts from one side to the other as you switch directions then you probably have a chain alignment issue.
 
#7 ·
You do not need to touch the chain adjusters to remove the rear wheel. You pull the axle at which point the adjusters aren't holding anything anymore so you can push the wheel forward and pull the chain off.

Chain alignment does not equal wheel alignment. They can be related but assuming the engine is square in the frame left to right and will center the rear wheel with the front is a big assumption.
Yess! Pull the axle!! I feel dumb for not seeing that. That method would have/will save me loads of time. Lol. Mental block I suppose. Hoping the adjusters were set properly and the locknut was tight before removal. :)

You right..I was picturing chain alignment in relation to the rear wheel (like parallel). Which is what the tool in question would essentially be illustrating, right? (Since the tool should remain parallel to the rear wheel, and the idea is to make adjustments until the rod of the tool lines up with the chain). I didn't consider misalignment of the engine (front sprocket) in frame.

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#8 ·
bike has about 5,000 miles on it, and all the work has been done by a local shop up until now. it's out of warranty, so my plan was to start doing maintenance my self (i did a little bit of maintenance on my old bike in 2007-2008).

the bike felt true in the spring, and i've never touched the alignment before i ran over the nail. the wheel is still on the bike actually. i'm trying to set aside the funds now to get everything ordered and read before I pull it.

so the hashes on this bike's swing arm are good enough? on my GS500F everyone said the hashes were worthless, but I can tell on this bike the alignment mechanism is a lot different.
 
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