Chain adjustment advice please...

[CookMySock]

If you want to tighten your chain in 60 seconds, slacken nut, tighten both adjusters half-a-turn, tighten nut. Done. Spray and walk away!

Steve

[emaN]

Hmm, not too sure about some of the advice you've been given here Hans.
Loosen that chain up; our bikes are road-going bikes & need 'room to move'. We hit wallows & slumps, which means our bikes need to go up and down, freely & without wrecking chains.

I've watched a suspension guru demonstrate how 'loose' it should be, ie: you want your biggest baddest mate to put all his weight over the back end of the bike, and, as if that's not enough, he's to reach down & grab the swingarm & bear-hug the tail end of the bike, compressing everything as much as poss.
Does that give an impression of how loose it needs to be?
Having it too tight will only stretch the chain, put pressure on bearings & wreck things. It'll also hinder the shock from doing its work.

And no, don't trust the factory 'notches'; use the stringline method, get an idea of how things sit so you know for next time.
And next time, back the nut off only enough to adjust the axle; it doesn't need to be 'sloppy loose'.
Hope this helps.

[Blackbird]

The stringline Oceans mentioned is one way, another is to find yourself a straight edge or two, long enough to reach past both the rear tyre and the front, stand the bike upright (perhaps using tiedowns or rope to hold it on the point of ballance) block the straight edges up as high as possible so they touch two edges of the rear tyre and the distances of the two edges of the front should be exact on both sides !

Hi Hans, the stringline method is the time-honoured way but if you want to to make a laser alignment rig which is cheap and fast to use, have a look at this: http://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2010/...-handling.html.

Cheers,

Geoff

[firefighter]

Nothing you're doing wrong, this is entirely normal for Suzuki. There's a reason Suzuki's are cheap.

Yep, same thing happens on mine. I allow a little "give" when I do it. Also putting a screwdriver on the chain and rolling the bike back so it's between the sprocket and chain seems to help.

[motor_mayhem]

Hey Team,

I just did a chain adjustment on my road bike last night and it seems to be making a clunking sound which I have since found out is refered to as a tight spot. I have had dirt bikes for years and done plenty of chain adjustments and have never come across this phenomenon. Is there a way to fix the tight spot or is the chain buggered?

[motor_mayhem]

Hey Team,

I just did a chain adjustment on my road bike last night and it seems to be making a clunking sound which I have since found out is refered to as a tight spot. I have had dirt bikes for years and done plenty of chain adjustments and have never come across this phenomenon. Is there a way to fix the tight spot or is the chain buggered?

[kwaka_crasher]

Hey Team,

I just did a chain adjustment on my road bike last night and it seems to be making a clunking sound which I have since found out is refered to as a tight spot. I have had dirt bikes for years and done plenty of chain adjustments and have never come across this phenomenon. Is there a way to fix the tight spot or is the chain buggered?

The only real solution is replacement of chain and sprockets.

[jonbuoy]

1. Normal. Everything changes once you retighten the axle.

2. Definite maybe, either way. I have had a number of methods described to me. My chain now runs quite tight - certainly little or no slop in it with rider on, but it shouldn't be guitar string tight. I keep it firm so backlash is kept at a minimum - keeps gearchanges nice and smooth.

3. +/- 0.5 mm ish. Check to see if the chain is running straight on the sprocket.


Steve

Given the choice between ultra smooth gear changes or worn countershaft bearings? I´ll take a bit of slop in the transmission over splitting the crank cases.

[CookMySock]

... clunking sound which I have since found out is refered to as a tight spot.

jack the rear wheel and rotate it - it the chain goes loose then tight, its rooted. Replace it or else it will snap and bite the back of your gearbox off. Chomp!

Steve

[sinfull]

jack the rear wheel and rotate it - it the chain goes loose then tight, its rooted. Replace it or else it will snap and bite the back of your gearbox off. Chomp!

Steve

2. Definite maybe, either way. I have had a number of methods described to me. My chain now runs quite tight - certainly little or no slop in it with rider on, but it shouldn't be guitar string tight. I keep it firm so backlash is kept at a minimum - keeps gearchanges nice and smooth.


Steve

You have to wonder sometimes aye steve ! Advice, stop giving it !

[CookMySock]

You have to wonder sometimes aye steve ! Advice, stop giving it !

It really bothers you doesn't it? Perhaps only your advice should be given? Only your opinion is worthwhile?

Steve

[sinfull]

It really bothers you doesn't it? Perhaps only your advice should be given? Only your opinion is worthwhile?

Steve

It don't bother me bro, i aint gonna listen to it !
I have mentioned before that you often post some seriously silly advice and you asked me to find them, did you not ? Well i aint that bothered about it, to go looking at all your old posts but hello if i see you doing duh moments, i will laugh at you !

You should engage brain before you type and then perhaps even refrain from contradicting yourself !

How does a chain get tight/slack spots steve ?
Could it be perhaps, that if someone does not leave enough slack in their chain to allow for hitting a rut which will invariably stretch it ?
Or have Hyosung come up with a unique swing arm design, so as not to alter the chain tension when you add compression ?

[CookMySock]

How does a chain get tight/slack spots steve ? Could it be perhaps, that if someone does not leave enough slack in their chain to allow for hitting a rut which will invariably stretch it?

I don't think you are genuinely interested, but on the off-chance - the chain gets alternating tight and slack spots where some pins in the links wear and extend, and others do not. When the worn parts are around the rear sprocket the chain will run tight, and when they are on the inline part, the chain will run loose. Your summary of a high-tensile steel chain being "stretched by hitting a rut" is an absurdity, and furthermore your fixation on attempting to embarrass others with their apparent lack of knowledge serves only to reveals yours.

Steve

[sinfull]

I don't think you are genuinely interested, but on the off-chance - the chain gets alternating tight and slack spots where some pins in the links wear and extend, and others do not. When the worn parts are around the rear sprocket the chain will run tight, and when they are on the inline part, the chain will run loose. Your summary of a high-tensile steel chain being "stretched by hitting a rut" is an absurdity, and furthermore your fixation on attempting to embarrass others with their apparent lack of knowledge serves only to reveals yours.

Steve

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah aha ! You are such an idiot aye ? Where in your wealth of knowledge library did you find that chains should be tight ? Do you not think that if you have a pilion on board, your chain will get tighter ? Same would apply if you bounced up and down as you rode, would it not ! And of course the whole time causing undue wear on the chain and sprokets aye ?
Have to wonder how some pins and rollers wear more than others when the chain goes round and round (unless you don't lube all yr chain, or they made some pins/rollers out of less tensile materials) explain that to me Oh wise one !

[The Stranger:Me]

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah aha ! You are such an idiot aye ? Where in your wealth of knowledge library did you find that chains should be tight ? Do you not think that if you have a pilion on board, your chain will get tighter ? Same would apply if you bounced up and down as you rode, would it not ! And of course the whole time causing undue wear on the chain and sprokets aye ?
Have to wonder how some pins and rollers wear more than others when the chain goes round and round (unless you don't lube all yr chain, or they made some pins/rollers out of less tensile materials) explain that to me Oh wise one !

Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
And no one's had more experience at that than db.