Wheel mis alignment

[vinnycr2]

I adjusted my chain and did the string method to align the wheels.

I used four 2 foot long metal stakes that I made at work to drive into the ground in my back yard and line up the wheels. Two on each side of the bike.

First the front. 2 measurements on each side of the front wheel to the line on each side. I get the same 2 measurements on each side of the front wheel to the line on each side of the wheel.

When I had the front wheel aligned after the 4 measurements I proceeded to align the back wheel to the front.

I can only get the rear wheel in a straight line with the front and not aligned with it. It is off an 1/8 th of an inch to the caliper side of the bike.

I cannot get an even measurement at the rear wheel on four points 1 on each side of the front and back of the wheel.

If I make the measurement even at the front of the rear wheel the back of the wheel is way off even though the front has 4 even measurements 2 equal in the front of the wheel and 2 at the back of the wheel.

The best I could get was the right side of the rear wheel front and back measurements to the line coming off of the front wheel an 1/8 th of an inch off.

I took the measurements from the wheel to the line and not the tire. I used dial calipers to take the measurements. It helps being a machininst.

The string was strung super tight so there wasn't any sag in the line.

I have the shop manual and didn't see anything missing. An 1/8 th of an inch off almost seems like a spacer is missing.

I know this sounds crazy but I checked the front a half dozen times and it was the same each time.

 

[ranman]

i used a dial caliper from home depot.24.95 very easy

 

[Tufbusa]

Dude, Wrap your string around the rear portion of the rear tire and then just measure the front side wall side to side to your string. You are all fouled up trying to measure both ends of your rear tire to a staked string that is not touching the bike at any point.

Take your bike into the garage on the concrete, put it up on the rear stand and leave the front tire on the concrete. Put the tranny in gear so the rear tire will not turn. Wrap the string around the rear portion of the rear tire so you can pull the string tight on both sides of the front tire just low enough to miss the cowling. I use two antifreeze jugs with water in them for weight and tie each end of the string to the two jugs. I use jugs so I can move them side to side to get the exact same distance from the front wheel on both sides. I try to get the string within an eighth of an inch from the rear tire. Once you are adjusted on the front then it's just a simple adjustment on the rear tire to get the front of the tire the same distance from the string on both sides. Very easy and quick.

I've never heard of anyone aligning the tire with your method? But, could be a new invention, I don't know

 

[vinnycr2]

Dude, Wrap your string around the rear portion of the rear tire and then just measure the front side wall side to side to your string. You are all fouled up trying to measure both ends of your rear tire to a staked string that is not touching the bike at any point.

Take your bike into the garage on the concrete, put it up on the rear stand and leave the front tire on the concrete. Put the tranny in gear so the rear tire will not turn. Wrap the string around the rear portion of the rear tire so you can pull the string tight on both sides of the front tire just low enough to miss the cowling. I use two antifreeze jugs with water in them for weight and tie each end of the string to the two jugs. I use jugs so I can move them side to side to get the exact same distance from the front wheel on both sides. I try to get the string within an eighth of an inch from the rear tire. Once you are adjusted on the front then it's just a simple adjustment on the rear tire to get the front of the tire the same distance from the string on both sides. Very easy and quick.

I've never heard of anyone aligning the tire with your method? But, could be a new invention, I don't know

The way I did it was basically the same as from this post:


The string was a hair off of the front tire on both sides strung out to just past the rear wheel.

I've seen a few that wrap the string around the wheel and tire of the front wheel and then string it back to the rear wheel.

I've also seen a few that did it the way that you described.

I will give it a try your way.

Don't know if I will get to it tonight after work. If not it will have to wait until Wednesday.

 

[Tufbusa]

Good Luck on your wheel alignment. I've done this alignment for years and it works well for me. I do it to every new bike I buy and mark the adjustment screws so when I take the tire off I can realign the tire by using the marks on the adjustment screws.

I've had some bikes that the marks on the swingarm were right on and some that would be off by nearly a whole mark. I'm with you, I want my rear wheel in perfect alignment with the front. Once it's aligned properly, you should be able to sit straight up on the bike, turn loose the handle bars and the bike will continue straight down the road as long as the pavement is flat. If the road is cambered, the bike will drift to the right.

Another way I check mine is to pull it up on a tall wheelie, sit square in the middle of the seat and see how she tracks. If the wheel is out of alignment, the bike will drift off to one side or the other.

 

[boribusa69]

You wouldn't have this problem with the Gilles chain adjuster. It's super easy and quick to adjust your chain and aligned your wheel.

 

[bigoltool]

You wouldn't have this problem with the Gilles chain adjuster. It's super easy and quick to adjust your chain and aligned your wheel.

You still gotta measure though.

 

[boribusa69]

You wouldn't have this problem with the Gilles chain adjuster. It's super easy and quick to adjust your chain and aligned your wheel.

You still gotta measure though.

Measure where?

Talk to anybody that has it and they'll tell you that there 's no extra measuring. And if you have one and still doing extra measuring then you need to call gilles and tell them they sent you a defective product.



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[justintime2]

I think your clobbering a mouse with a sledge hammer. Use the indexing marks on your swing arm as there are very close. I have used that on the Busa and race bikes with no problems so maybe your over thinking the need to have that high a tolerence. Remember also that you are lining the tire up with the motor and not the front tire. Forget your front tire unless you think your forkes are tweeked.

 

[bigoltool]

You wouldn't have this problem with the Gilles chain adjuster. It's super easy and quick to adjust your chain and aligned your wheel.

You still gotta measure though.

Measure where?

Talk to anybody that has it and they'll tell you that there 's no extra measuring. And if you have one and still doing extra measuring then you need to call gilles and tell them they sent you a defective product.

I have no doubt that Gilles can make some very precise chain adjusters! But there is no way for a “chain adjusterâ€￾ to compensate for frame irregularities, bent forks, sloppy bearings etc. For these you simply have to measure accurately if you want precision. Yes in a perfect world you could safely rely on the lines on your swingarm (or Adjusters in this case) to get you close to the mark. Some people believe that simply measuring the distance from the centers of the swingarm pivot and axle on both sides is sufficient. But by measuring the actual alignment between the front tire and the back tire you are then able to accurately determine your wheel alignment, which is something entirely separate from Chain alignment! But that’s another topic.

 

[vinnycr2]

I think your clobbering a mouse with a sledge hammer. Use the indexing marks on your swing arm as there are very close. I have used that on the Busa and race bikes with no problems so maybe your over thinking the need to have that high a tolerence. Remember also that you are lining the tire up with the motor and not the front tire. Forget your front tire unless you think your forkes are tweeked.

Probably, I just here about the string method a lot so I thought I'd give it a try.

As for the lining up the rear wheel with the motor and not the front wheel that doesn't seem logical. I'm not saying your wrong I just don't know what to think because of all the posts and articles I have read on the different ways to align the wheels and that they should be aligned with each other.

Mine are not aligned but in a straight line to each other. I've read a few articles while searching google for wheel alignment that some bikes are purposely made where the front and rear wheel are not aligned. The most notable being a bike with a side car. I doubt that the busa would fall into the offset wheel category.

The rear wheel on my bike is defintely an 1/8 th of an inch off to the caliper side of the wheel but in a straight line with the front. Whether or not this is normal I don't have a clue.

My chain is definitely shot even though I still have 2 more nothches of adjustment. I set the tension right in the middle of the tolerance and then roll the wheel and get a tight spot that reduces the tension to half of what I had on not even a 1/4 revolution.

There is a rattle a low speed and slow acelleration that sounds like the counter sprocket is falling off and rubbing the cover.

Highway speeds and moderate to hard acelleration there is no noise and the bike is smooth.

Will a bad chain cause this noise even though it is adjusted correctly?

Tufbusa I'm 45 and been riding since I was 17 and have never wheelied nor do I plan to so that method is out of the equasion for me. If I ever do decide to try it I will buy a bike that has been beat on and do all my one wheel riding with that. I had the front wheel a few inches off the ground on my busa when I cracked the throttle in first and immediately backed off. Didn't like it.

Not afraid to hit high tripple digits or hang off of either side of the bike in a corner. Wheelies just don't tempt me. Seen read herd of far to many first time wheelies gone bad.

Thank you to all for the suggestions. I was looking at a laser tool called the Profi Laser Chain Alignment Tool. It attaches to the rear sprocket and shoots a beam to don't know if it is the front sprocket or along the chain or both.

Something isn't right whether it is the bad chain causing all the problems, wheel mis alignment if it is really that or I'm just in an uproar over nothing.

 

[BusaWhipped]

Will a bad chain cause this noise even though it is adjusted correctly?

yes! Very loud nasty noises.

 

[GPW]

Using a tread depth tool may be the cheapest and now the easiest way to assure your rear tire is properly aligned. Thought of this today. Plenty of measurements on the tool and it holds your last measurement. Tire and chain adjustment just got really easy. Hope it helps someone.

GPW