culcune
02-20-2014, 01:21 PM
I was just pulling out of my driveway at about 6:15 am this morning looking forward to another day of teaching inmates GED tips in the state prison where I work. Right at the end of my driveway, the bike stops moving as if something was in my rear wheel. I am thinking "great, another broken chain issue" but low and behold, my chain was not broken, but wrapped around the rear axle and stuck.
I loosen up the bolt of the axle, and both chain tensioners to loosen the rear wheel and release the stuck chain. The left chain tensioner bolt is kind of bent out of shape, but I could still tighten it up whenever I needed to tighten the chain. However, the metal cup-like item (rectangular shaped ) that is there for the nut to tighten up when you are tightening your chain was twisted sideways (it has been beaten up with the several broken chain issues that had to do with the aftermarket sprocket I used to have).
Anyway, I freed the chain, pulled the wheel back to desired place, tightened the axle nut, then both chain tensioners. However, both would not tighten, as if both were stripped. Sure enough, both were stripped. Stupidly, I tried my best to tighten them down, as well as the axle nut and bolt. Tried to ride, and bam! the chain was off once again.
Okay, so the inmates will have to do without me today, and I took the rear wheel off, and pulled out both chain tensioners. Sure enough, both bolts are stripped (and the left one is still beaten up).
Of course, no one carries them in Yuma, but one dealer had replacement bolts and nuts for $6. They said I should try "so and so" who can grind the weld off, remove the stripped bolts, and weld the new bolts on the old chain tensioners.
I figured I would save money and take both of them to a good friend of mine who owns a custom awning and upholstery business (he has just recently done some welding jobs for me in which I now have my engine welded straight to the frame thanks to ripped and torn off engine mounts, as well as welding my exhaust directly to my frame thanks to the exhaust bolts broken off, and him not wanting to weld it directly to the engine).
So, my question; could chain tensioners that don't tighten anymore cause one's chain to fall off? Shouldn't the axle nut and bolt at least be able to keep the wheel in place for a while? Will my reworked chain tensioners (I ordered two new replacement tensioners from Excalibur) "fix" this problem in the meantime (while waiting for the stock ones to come) if they are properly made with the new replacement bolts while I wait for the new ones to come? Or is there something more sinister going on when it involves rear wheels dropping chains?? I did check the sprocket, and it is tight on the rear wheel and the teeth are all there.
I loosen up the bolt of the axle, and both chain tensioners to loosen the rear wheel and release the stuck chain. The left chain tensioner bolt is kind of bent out of shape, but I could still tighten it up whenever I needed to tighten the chain. However, the metal cup-like item (rectangular shaped ) that is there for the nut to tighten up when you are tightening your chain was twisted sideways (it has been beaten up with the several broken chain issues that had to do with the aftermarket sprocket I used to have).
Anyway, I freed the chain, pulled the wheel back to desired place, tightened the axle nut, then both chain tensioners. However, both would not tighten, as if both were stripped. Sure enough, both were stripped. Stupidly, I tried my best to tighten them down, as well as the axle nut and bolt. Tried to ride, and bam! the chain was off once again.
Okay, so the inmates will have to do without me today, and I took the rear wheel off, and pulled out both chain tensioners. Sure enough, both bolts are stripped (and the left one is still beaten up).
Of course, no one carries them in Yuma, but one dealer had replacement bolts and nuts for $6. They said I should try "so and so" who can grind the weld off, remove the stripped bolts, and weld the new bolts on the old chain tensioners.
I figured I would save money and take both of them to a good friend of mine who owns a custom awning and upholstery business (he has just recently done some welding jobs for me in which I now have my engine welded straight to the frame thanks to ripped and torn off engine mounts, as well as welding my exhaust directly to my frame thanks to the exhaust bolts broken off, and him not wanting to weld it directly to the engine).
So, my question; could chain tensioners that don't tighten anymore cause one's chain to fall off? Shouldn't the axle nut and bolt at least be able to keep the wheel in place for a while? Will my reworked chain tensioners (I ordered two new replacement tensioners from Excalibur) "fix" this problem in the meantime (while waiting for the stock ones to come) if they are properly made with the new replacement bolts while I wait for the new ones to come? Or is there something more sinister going on when it involves rear wheels dropping chains?? I did check the sprocket, and it is tight on the rear wheel and the teeth are all there.