Any improved rear wheel adjusters?

[JasonJ]

So I installed a 15T front sprocket.. then realized my previous alignment markings would be useless since the chain will be shortened by the additional diameter of the front sprocket. OK, realign and adjust chain tension (which kinda sucks to do).

Man those pregen rear adjusters are sloppy, stupid and inaccurate! Are there any better ones that can be fitted to the 88-07 models?

I must not have it right as well, I have a rotational scuffing noise when moving (just went down and back up the driveway). I also installed a newgen rear shock, which raised the rear, not lowered it, so I doubt my rub is from that.

Any suggestions?

[Kruse08]

Did you measure the adjusters with a tape measure? Count the threads? Check your chain slack and then make sure it was aligned?

[agentbad]

Originally Posted by JasonJ

So I installed a 15T front sprocket.. then realized my previous alignment markings would be useless since the chain will be shortened by the additional diameter of the front sprocket. OK, realign and adjust chain tension (which kinda sucks to do).

Man those pregen rear adjusters are sloppy, stupid and inaccurate! Are there any better ones that can be fitted to the 88-07 models?

I must not have it right as well, I have a rotational scuffing noise when moving (just went down and back up the driveway). I also installed a newgen rear shock, which raised the rear, not lowered it, so I doubt my rub is from that.

Any suggestions?

It's really not that bad once you adjust it a few times. That would be nice if you could throw a quick adjuster on there like for race bikes.

[JasonJ]

I made the tool like is described in the ninja250.org wiki. An aluminum rod with a 90 degree bend and a zip tie attached. It works quite well. I did not use it this last time. I can never seem to hold it steady enough.

I thought one was to adjust alignment FIRST, then chain slack?

[Kruse08]

It is a combination of both from what I did. Work on setting the slack and then see if the adjusters are of equal length. Go back and check slack, then check adjusters. I mean I have only done it once so some of the veterans may know better but the adjusters are not that difficult to align.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by JasonJ

I made the tool like is described in the ninja250.org wiki. An aluminum rod with a 90 degree bend and a zip tie attached. It works quite well. I did not use it this last time. I can never seem to hold it steady enough.

I thought one was to adjust alignment FIRST, then chain slack?

Alignment first, then slack by turning same on both sides.

Consider that adjusters are locators for the rear shaft and that they only work under tension.
For that reason, you should do the adjustment with the shaft just loose enough to be able to slide aft while pulled by the adjusters and pushed forward by your foot or hand.
Keep pushing forward while the nut is torqued down to the specified value (high).
It is that torque and only that what keeps the shaft and wheel from moving under the forces of chain and brake.

[Ghostt]

How-to properly do an alignment

The String Thing
Motorcycle rear wheel alignment

(Pictures at the bottom)

This applies to chain driven bikes the have two sided swing arms
The most common cause of a lot of the shakes and wobbles that afflict single track vehicles is, they are not on a single track. This set of instruction will fix it.

Mount the bike upright on the center stand or a race stand or lacking those, a pair of cinder blocks and 2X4s.

Wrap a long string around the back tire as high up as it will go without fouling some other part of the bike. A piece of tape will hold it.

Run the string forward on both sides and tie them to a set of moveable objects.

Check to be sure the string is just touching the same part of the rear tire on all four points and not touching any other part of the motorcycle. Move the front stands so that the string just lightly touches the front edge of the rear tire and is not bent over it.

Now the strings show the path the rear tire is taking on its way to the point where the front tire was. I said that strange sentence to illustrate the point of what were doing here.

Now turn the handle bars to make the front tire parallel to the strings.

Now measure the space from the string to the front wheel rim on both sides. Both measurements should be the same w/in 1/16”

If they are you’re done.

If they are not: adjust the rear wheel chain adjusters to correct the error.

Re- set the strings and measure again. Repeat till OK.

Rocking the Forks

While the bike is still rigged for the horizontal work, do this.
Before we go into the vertical plane it’s important to be sure your front forks are parallel to each other. Forks are often not. This can be easily corrected.
Obtain a flat piece of metal or glass about 3” wide and long enough to span the forks.
Rock this piece across the bare part of the fork tubes just below the bottom triple clamp.
By rock I mean the plate should touch both tubes evenly from top to bottom. If it rocks like a chair with a short leg, that means your tubes are twisted.

To fix this loosen all the pinch bolts on the triple clamps the top center triple clamp nut and the front axel.

Now with you a knee holding the front wheel twist the bars till the plate doesn’t rock.

Then gradually tighten all the bolts while constantly checking the “rocker” till all is tight and the plate doesn’t rock.

Re check the center alignment of the front tire.


Vertical alignment
Not a necessity but if you want to be really really good about this alignment thing.

Your wheels are really big Gyroscopes and as such the angle or Tilt they are on will determine which direction they want to roll in.

Example: Roll a bike (pedal) wheel first straight up and down the with a slight tilt to the right, then left. See what I mean?

Now back to those two Gyros: The back one is much larger, Guess who rules?

While the bike is still rigged for Horizontal alignment.

Rig a plumb line near the rear tire as close to the wheel center as possible.
Measure from that line to the top and bottom of the rear wheel rim, and shim the stands till the rear wheel is square to the earth. That is parallel to the plumb line.

Now rig another plumb line near the front wheel.

Measure from the line to the top and bottom of the front wheel rim. Both of those measurements must be the same.

If so you’re done.

If not:
Depending on how bad, you may be able to adjust this condition.
If worse than ¼” you have a bent frame
If less than ¼” try this:

If the wheel tilts away from the line at the top extent that fork tube in the triple clamps 1/8” conversely shorten the opposite side the same amount.

Re check. Go another 1/8” if necessary.

Re check the horizontal alignment, because you just moved the wheel to the side.

Suplemental instructions: Adjusting the alignment and chain slack

Loosen the big castelated nut, Release the 2 12 mm lock nuts from each other. With the big nut snug but not tight use the 1st 12mm nut against the end cap to adjust the wheel position, mind the chain slack. when a satiafactory alignment is achieved tighten the big nut to 80 lbs. FT. Be sure you have not affecxted the alignment. the back off the 12 mm 1st nut and retighten it to the frame Only finger tight. While holding the 1st nut with a wrench tighten the 2nd nut against it to preserve the settings and secure the end plates. There shoul be no tension on the end plates except the finger tight.


That’s it. No alterations or changes to these instructions will work.


Some pictures of my setup



Not a whole lot of clearance here...


This was about as high as I could get the string without hitting the center stand on the right side.

Link to original page on YouTube.