Chain and Wheel Adjustment

RAMHawk19 · 09-23-2019, 11:26 AM

I've done some searching but have yet to find a thread that resolves my issue...

I am running the stock chain and sprockets (at the moment). For the life of me I cannot get the chain within spec as far as the slack goes. It always seems to "re-tighten" itself once I start riding. I had it adjusted using the 1 inch/3 finger method, road for 15 miles and now it's back to being way too tight. Does anyone have a step by step procedure for insuring proper adjustment of the chain and tire alignment?

Tire alignment- I also noticed the driver side of the bike was 3.5 lines back and the pass side 4 lines back. When I adjusted them to be the same either the chain would become too loose or too tight. What is the remedy for this? I also noticed the pass side swing arm where the axle bolt goes through it looks like it bent the arm at the axle bolt hole. It bent it inward? I was thinking of bending it back with a pry bar and adding a large washer to the axle bolt to spread the load to a wider footprint against the swing arm. Has anyone experienced this?

Sport Rider · 09-23-2019, 01:15 PM

as far as alignment goes, I never trusted the marks.

OneLeggedRider · 09-23-2019, 03:48 PM

The swingarm is cheap thin rectangular tubing and each side has a spacer inside the tubing that slides forward and back with the axle. They didn't make the spacers quite wide enough so when you tighten the axle bolt the tubing crushes slightly inward leaving a low spot on each side. When you try to adjust the chain the axle automatically tries to return to it's previous position when you tighten it. This can be frustrating to say the least.

What I do is put a pry bar in between the sprocket and the chain guard mounting tab on the swingarm and physically hold it in the position I want while a buddy tightens the axle bolt. My friend Justin remedied this by machining slightly wider spacers to go inside the swingarm.

kingofqueenz · 09-23-2019, 04:06 PM

Man...I had this same problem when I swapped my 17 tooth on my TBR.

Damn thing was hell trying to get straight...never dawned on me that it was a 2 man job

**JerryHawk250** · 09-23-2019, 04:22 PM

I found that snugging up the axle bolt while there is still some slack in the chain then use the chain adjuster to pull the axle until it is at the right amount of slack before final tightening of the axle bolt works for me. I also install a 2nd nut to lock the adjuster nut in place so it doesn't vibrate loose.

OneLeggedRider · 09-23-2019, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

I found that snugging up the axle bolt while there is still some slack in the chain then use the chain adjuster to pull the axle until it is at the right amount of slack before final tightening of the axle bolt works for me. I also install a 2nd nut to lock the adjuster nut in place so it doesn't vibrate loose.

Yessir I agree, as long as you're moving the axle back. The adjustment nuts do nothing for you when you're making the initial adjustment because the factory always sets the chain way too tight. On both bikes when we tried to put some slack in the chain (even with snugging the axle bolt down a little), upon final torquing the axle always found it's way back to the original (too tight) position. I had never had this happen on any other bike so after the 4th attempt I was ready to throw a large wrench across the room. We had to physically hold the tire forward while tightening the axle.

OneLeggedRider · 09-23-2019, 05:21 PM

That being said, you could probably leave the chain off and hold the tire all the way forward with a pry bar or ratchet strap, torque it down there, then keep pulling it back in 1/8" increments with the adjustment nuts and re-torque it each time till you ran out of adjustment. That sounds a little extreme but if the box tubing was equally crushed from front to back then maybe you wouldn't have any low spots for the axle to wander back to..

Or maybe I've just had too much coffee today.

Kivi · 09-23-2019, 05:46 PM

I grab a piece of wood and put it between the sprocket and the chain, and then turn the wheel so the wood gets snugged between sprocket and chain, tightening the chain and thus moving the axle to the front. Then, tight the axle bolt and release the wood by turning the wheel.

09-23-2019, 11:26 AM	#1
RAMHawk19 Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 4	Chain and Wheel Adjustment I've done some searching but have yet to find a thread that resolves my issue... I am running the stock chain and sprockets (at the moment). For the life of me I cannot get the chain within spec as far as the slack goes. It always seems to "re-tighten" itself once I start riding. I had it adjusted using the 1 inch/3 finger method, road for 15 miles and now it's back to being way too tight. Does anyone have a step by step procedure for insuring proper adjustment of the chain and tire alignment? Tire alignment- I also noticed the driver side of the bike was 3.5 lines back and the pass side 4 lines back. When I adjusted them to be the same either the chain would become too loose or too tight. What is the remedy for this? I also noticed the pass side swing arm where the axle bolt goes through it looks like it bent the arm at the axle bolt hole. It bent it inward? I was thinking of bending it back with a pry bar and adding a large washer to the axle bolt to spread the load to a wider footprint against the swing arm. Has anyone experienced this?
	0

09-23-2019, 04:22 PM	#5
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,846	I found that snugging up the axle bolt while there is still some slack in the chain then use the chain adjuster to pull the axle until it is at the right amount of slack before final tightening of the axle bolt works for me. I also install a 2nd nut to lock the adjuster nut in place so it doesn't vibrate loose. __________________ 2025 Lifan KPT 400 2024 Linhai 300 ATV 4x4 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S (Sold) 2004 Honda ST 1300 (Sold) 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
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09-23-2019, 01:15 PM	#2
Sport Rider Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Mooresville NC Posts: 2,148	as far as alignment goes, I never trusted the marks.
	2

09-23-2019, 03:48 PM	#3
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	The swingarm is cheap thin rectangular tubing and each side has a spacer inside the tubing that slides forward and back with the axle. They didn't make the spacers quite wide enough so when you tighten the axle bolt the tubing crushes slightly inward leaving a low spot on each side. When you try to adjust the chain the axle automatically tries to return to it's previous position when you tighten it. This can be frustrating to say the least. What I do is put a pry bar in between the sprocket and the chain guard mounting tab on the swingarm and physically hold it in the position I want while a buddy tightens the axle bolt. My friend Justin remedied this by machining slightly wider spacers to go inside the swingarm.
	3

09-23-2019, 04:06 PM	#4
kingofqueenz Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Strong Island New Yawk Posts: 464	Man...I had this same problem when I swapped my 17 tooth on my TBR. Damn thing was hell trying to get straight...never dawned on me that it was a 2 man job
	1

09-23-2019, 05:21 PM	#7
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	That being said, you could probably leave the chain off and hold the tire all the way forward with a pry bar or ratchet strap, torque it down there, then keep pulling it back in 1/8" increments with the adjustment nuts and re-torque it each time till you ran out of adjustment. That sounds a little extreme but if the box tubing was equally crushed from front to back then maybe you wouldn't have any low spots for the axle to wander back to.. Or maybe I've just had too much coffee today.
	2

09-23-2019, 05:46 PM	#8
Kivi Join Date: May 2017 Location: Serbia Posts: 217	I grab a piece of wood and put it between the sprocket and the chain, and then turn the wheel so the wood gets snugged between sprocket and chain, tightening the chain and thus moving the axle to the front. Then, tight the axle bolt and release the wood by turning the wheel.
	2