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Aligning your rear wheel.


snowdriftless

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scordiaboy515
no sh*t DUDE..........was just making an illustration
Let refer to page 7-23 user manual
    let's not smart guy.... 
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  • 3 weeks later...
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2wheeler, I've been doing it this way (centre of rear axle to centre of swingarm pivot) for 30 years. Works for me! :) 
007
I agree this method works well. Do this on both sides of the cycle after tension is achieved. If identical then alignment is balanced.
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BUT, can't we all be nice about it, no matter what we suggest??? Sheeeeesh!!!

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  • 2 months later...
pineappleunderthesea

Adjusted my chain today, the motion pro tool was telling me the chain was straight, but chain was a bit loose out of spec. I put the rear wheel on my swing arm stand and I loosened the axle bolt most of the way, so things were loose (the metal plate could move around). Well I'm not sure if I should keep it loose but snug from now on, since the adjuster nut on the other side was turning as I removed the outer nut. As well, it would not loosen the plate (it would turn but the plate did not move, but it would move the plate when tightening). Putting a screwdriver in the teeth and turning the wheel to tighten the chain did solve that issue, Everything was tight and plate would move back and forth as it should. But I had to realign from scratch.
 
I had the bike on a rear swing arm stand. So does this happen if you loosen the axle bolt too much when the wheel is off the ground? Should I have either kept the chain tight or not loosened the axle bolt so much?
 
Anyway, motion pro tool seems to show chain is straight. Not sure about rear to front wheel alignment, I'll save that one for later!

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FYI I only use the marks but the other day I threw a laser on it and it was true

2015 FZ-07 2003 2014 GSXR 1000

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Guest ChicagoAJ
Adjusted my chain today, the motion pro tool was telling me the chain was straight, but chain was a bit loose out of spec. I put the rear wheel on my swing arm stand and I loosened the axle bolt most of the way, so things were loose (the metal plate could move around). Well I'm not sure if I should keep it loose but snug from now on, since the adjuster nut on the other side was turning as I removed the outer nut. As well, it would not loosen the plate (it would turn but the plate did not move, but it would move the plate when tightening). Putting a screwdriver in the teeth and turning the wheel to tighten the chain did solve that issue, Everything was tight and plate would move back and forth as it should. But I had to realign from scratch.  
I had the bike on a rear swing arm stand. So does this happen if you loosen the axle bolt too much when the wheel is off the ground? Should I have either kept the chain tight or not loosened the axle bolt so much?
 
Anyway, motion pro tool seems to show chain is straight. Not sure about rear to front wheel alignment, I'll save that one for later!
I keep mine on the kick stand when I tighten the chain. That's what the manual recommends, you'll get less slack that way when tightening everything because the weight of the bike will help with excess slack. 
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  • 1 month later...

The owners manual may recommend putting the bike on the kickstand but the service manual has a tip in it to use a rear bike stand to lift the rear tire off the ground before tightening the chain.

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  • 4 weeks later...
I don't understand why people make this task so difficult...go to Northern Tool and by a cheap pair of dial calipers, take off the lock nut on the adjuster, loosen the axle nut but keep it snug, make your adjustment, measure how much of the stud is exposed...make the other side the same and your done....7a4hRxJ.jpgvM9lJmG.jpg
 
 
Haha, that's exactly how I have been doing it for years.
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  • 1 year later...

I tried to do the string method a few days ago. What I can't figure out is how to tell when/if the front wheel is straight? What reference point are you guys using when using the string method? Also I found that the string had to be pretty low on the rear wheel in order to clear the muffler, etc which means that the rear wheel reference points are fairly close. Not sure if that matters or not. My bike wasn't giving me any issues for the past 650 miles, so I just scrapped the string and went back to hash marks, which were even before I did the chain tension adjustment and are now even once again. I would still like to do the string method as a secondary check, but without solid reference points to ensure that the front wheel is aligned "perfectly" straight, then it seems that the string method is rather flawed.

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I use my chain as a reference. If I have a straight-edge at hand, I put it against the tyre and check that the chain runs straight. If not, I turn the wheel and make sure that the sprocket runs in the centre of the chain, not preferring to rest against either side. My final test is while riding; I let go of the bars and if the bike goes straight, I'm happy. If I have to lean to either side, it typically means I made something wrong - although some bikes are not perfectly balanced and will demand me to lean even with the wheels in line..

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A simple method is to visually watch how the rear sprocket teeth are riding in the chain. Esnure you have the proper slack as a start and basic alinment at the swing arm, spinning the tire while focused on the chain and how the teeth are tracking. The goal is to align the teeth ride center of the chain inner sides. of course bent sprockets will hinder this and a Mucked up chain. When I do this, I get with in MM's of allignment.

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“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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With all the MFG. Tolerances I'd be amazed if everything is ever perfectly straight.
 
My other bike is a shaft. If it's not straight I can't even do anything about it.

Got new red 2015 FZ-07 on 7/22/16!
Black 2006 Honda ST1300 53K miles.

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  • 1 month later...

just a note on chain tightness:
If you have raised the rear end via the suspension , DO NOT adjust the chain to the tension in the manual. With the axle lower ,it is also CLOSER to the countershaft sprocket. Adjusting it to the stock specs will make it too tight in the alignment position ( CS sprocket/swingarm pivot/rear axle). This can cause chain breakage or more commonly, rear wheel bearing collapse. It must be tensioned looser than stock.

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Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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  • 11 months later...
captainkool4
On 7/26/2017 at 7:14 PM, gregjet said:

just a note on chain tightness:
If you have raised the rear end via the suspension , DO NOT adjust the chain to the tension in the manual. With the axle lower ,it is also CLOSER to the countershaft sprocket. Adjusting it to the stock specs will make it too tight in the alignment position ( CS sprocket/swingarm pivot/rear axle). This can cause chain breakage or more commonly, rear wheel bearing collapse. It must be tensioned looser than stock.

Are you talking about if I changed the rear suspension with that weird wrench?  I think it starts at like 4 or 5 and can be knocked up to 7 or 8? I stiffened my suspension with that wrench tool, so I should make my chain looser than stock?  

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3 hours ago, captainkool4 said:

Are you talking about if I changed the rear suspension with that weird wrench?  I think it starts at like 4 or 5 and can be knocked up to 7 or 8? I stiffened my suspension with that wrench tool, so I should make my chain looser than stock?  

no, @gregjet means if you're using something like AP Motoarts link or a shock (eg. K-Tech Razor-RR) that is considerably longer than stock.

bannerfans_1095431.jpg
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6 hours ago, captainkool4 said:

Are you talking about if I changed the rear suspension with that weird wrench?  I think it starts at like 4 or 5 and can be knocked up to 7 or 8? I stiffened my suspension with that wrench tool, so I should make my chain looser than stock?  

The chain will be looser, but also the difference between the resting position and the tightest oosition will be greater. So you need to adjust some extra slack.

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  • 3 years later...

Two 6ft lengths of square aluminum tubing is the easiest way for me to get things lined up.

FZ 07 Wheel Alignment 001.JPG

FZ 07 Wheel Alignment 002.JPG

FZ 07 Wheel Alignment 003.JPG

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Yamaha is pretty damn good at manufacturing precision things. I mean, of the people that are good at this game, they're at the top. 

 

I find it difficult to imagine that Yamaha struggles with producing chain adjustment marks. 

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  • 1 month later...

I've been using the motion pro alignment rod tool. Quick and easy. I noticed when i aligned the bike using the frame markings when i wheelie the bike it leans to one side. When i use the tool it wheelies straight every time.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Global Moderator
On 6/15/2016 at 9:46 PM, kawinight said:

 
 
Haha, that's exactly how I have been doing it for years.

Me too, I posted somewhere in this thread way back on your approach- but I changed to the motion pro tool today.  Note - with the calipers I measure from end of factory swingarm stamped part to the axle "sliding blocks" or whatever they call those bottom bin part.

Why MP? (1) because I bought it cause it was cheap when I was already on their website buying motion pro tools I actually need (2) and now because it's quicker with my old eyes, to go MP.

I did like I remember reading somebody else recommended, I got a 5/32" drill bit w/ long reach (Lowes black & decker $6), about a foot long (MP rod is about 7" and mine was bent - my fault I expect).

It's just easy and interesting to compare with my caliper way, I think my old brain likes to resolve objects in space more than caliper numbers (opposite of what I expected, but that's where I am as of today). MP thing does work if you want it to work

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M. Hausknecht

I've used the MP unit with a 12" long drill bit rod. I've used the measure the bolt end with a caliper method. And I've used a 6' long straight edge up against the rear tire method. Only the latter allows me to set up my alignment such that the chain is consistently centered on both sprockets. Since I use an aluminum rear sprocket (and I'm a bit OCD) , minimizing wear is a priority.

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I don’t understand the issue here, I use the marks on the swing arm and have no issues.

 

Edit, I do have to hold the right adjuster nut with a wrench while I tighten the locking nut, but once it’s tight, the Yamamarks keep my rear true….

Edited by Mt707
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