captainkool4 Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Hey i recently tightened my chain for the second time, bikes at 700 miles. First time the dealer did it. Three noob questions: 1) where do you start the measure from? See my attaches picture. Do I put the ruler into the the black "A" spot or the red "B" spot? 2) how much downward pressure should you put on the chain when measuring? As much as you can with two fingers? Just a little pressure? Medium amount? The measurement changes big time depending on how much pressure you apply. 3) I don't have a torque wrench, and I think I tightened the Axel nut more than it was originally. Is it harmful to overtighten the Axel nut? Thanks in advance for any input. It may be hard to tell but that whole piece is one piece of plastic, but there's that smaller ledge that ends halfway down. I don't understand from the manual which point we should measure from. Bonus question: I turned each end nut half a turn at a time to tighten the chain, but when I put everything back together, the Axel nuts on each side were not touching the same markings etched on the swing arm. I had to take it back apart and tighten the right side an additional turn and a half to make the Axel nut line up at the same mark on each side of the swing arm. But that means I've turned those end nuts a different amount on each side. Have I misaligned my wheel? I measured the amount of Bolt sticking out behind the end nuts on each side and the side I have the extra tightening to has .8mm less exposed Bolt. Is there any way to make sure my wheel is properly aligned? Edited: mixed up nut and Bolt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted July 17, 2018 Premium Member Share Posted July 17, 2018 B, the red, is how I interpreted the owner's manual. I just push a little down on the chain, but that's all relative as you know. The markings on the swingarm are what you use to align the wheel. Those will get you close enough. If they match you are good. BTW, mine are a 1/2 marking off, it's actually hard to tell for sure, but the bike seems fine. If you were a perfectionist there are methods to measure and confirm the factory markings are correct, but they are surely close enough. Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainkool4 Posted July 17, 2018 Author Share Posted July 17, 2018 22 minutes ago, blackout said: B, the red, is how I interpreted the owner's manual. I just push a little down on the chain, but that's all relative as you know. The markings on the swingarm are what you use to align the wheel. Those will get you close enough. If they match you are good. BTW, mine are a 1/2 marking off, it's actually hard to tell for sure, but the bike seems fine. If you were a perfectionist there are methods to measure and confirm the factory markings are correct, but they are surely close enough. Yeah mine was a half mark off after I turned each end nut an equal amount. Then I tightened the right mire to match up the marks. Maybe I'll go undue those extra turns. I practice doing wheelies so I really don't want a misaligned rear wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liquidmetal Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 B is my interpretation as well. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted July 17, 2018 Premium Member Share Posted July 17, 2018 19 minutes ago, captainkool4 said: Yeah mine was a half mark off after I turned each end nut an equal amount. Then I tightened the right mire to match up the marks. Maybe I'll go undue those extra turns. I practice doing wheelies so I really don't want a misaligned rear wheel. I would leave it. Those aluminum fugly pieces might move a little every time you torque down as they are always a little sloppy with no torque. Just forget about it and ride. With that being said, you could put the rear wheel in the air on a pit stand and spin the wheel to see if everything looks smooth and aligned.... Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainkool4 Posted July 17, 2018 Author Share Posted July 17, 2018 Heres a video showing my question about downward pressure on the chain when measuring: https://streamable.com/kjmol The manual does mention to pull down with 3 foot pounds of force. Now just gotta find a way to estimate that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT27 Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Over tightening the rear axle can be hard on the wheel bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 1 hour ago, MT27 said: Over tightening the rear axle can be hard on the wheel bearings. only if the factory f'kd up the spacers. Overtorquing is never a good idea and people have had to replace the entire axle because of failed threads. The Yam torque spec is asinine high already. Go buy a friggin' wrench. HF units work well enough. rest your hand on the chain is good enough for '3ft/lb'. A little loose is no big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT27 Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 8 hours ago, pattonme said: only if the factory f'kd up the spacers. Overtorquing is never a good idea and people have had to replace the entire axle because of failed threads. The Yam torque spec is asinine high already. Go buy a friggin' wrench. HF units work well enough. rest your hand on the chain is good enough for '3ft/lb'. A little loose is no big deal. Over tighten the rear axle on a honda 919 and the rear wheel bearings are toast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 It doesn't have to be precise, a little on the loose side is OK. A little sag in the chain is what you want but just a little. Anything over tightened is going to make it harder to turn and wear your chain/sprockets faster and don't over tighten your nut either, think bearings need to be loose. Just keep in mind that 'too tight' creates excessive wear & tear on just about anything that moves. Turn your tire while standing behind it and look to see if it's centered/wobbles. If it appears off too much it probably is. Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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