Rear Wheel Alignment

[connorleeneil13]

Yeah I know It straight forward mate no prob's right, well yes and no.

Mine is a 1990 with no holes in the swingarm for alignment and there is no marks were the rear axle goes in so the only option I have is to try to measure from the rear bolt centre to the end of the swingarm, look down the chain to see if it is straight.
Now what I would like to know is what is the best and most accurate way to get this thing dead centre cause when she is dead centre the handling is fantastic and if I miss by a little It just doesn't want to go around corners.

Any advice would be appreciated

[stevo]

stringline it......still the best way..

and then measure from the and of the swingarm to the axle centre and record the difference between each side so ya don't have to do it again...

I use a magnetic laser that I put on the front disc...just a fancy stringline

[IronMick]

When i had the back wheel off of my 1980, i measured in exactly a certain distance from the back of the swingarm on each side, and drilled a small hole - just like on my 1998. I made it as big a distance as possible, up to where the s-arm has a bulge or whatever; about 10" i think. There you go. Just do it.

[stevo]

When i had the back wheel off of my 1980, i measured in exactly a certain distance from the back of the swingarm on each side, and drilled a small hole - just like on my 1998. I made it as big a distance as possible, up to where the s-arm has a bulge or whatever; about 10" i think. There you go. Just do it.


Unfortunately there nothing to say the back of each side of the swingarm is gonna be parralell to the axle when it's lined up correctly

[IronMick]

<<
stringline it......still the best way..
>>

... run the string from where to where else?

[stevo]

Stringline from the front of the front wheel to the rear of the rear wheel


it can also be done a with a long straight edge...

the string is offset on one side of the front wheel to give it an offset of about 1/2" more than half the width of the rear wheel.

the string is pulled taught and the front wheel moved until it is parralell to the centre line...

then the rear is adjusted to suit..


This is bloody hard to explain and would take about a minute for me to show how it's done.......

WHat you are trying to achive is a line parralell to the centre line of the bike off to one side, this is done by turning the front wheel untill the straightedge is parallell to the front wheel and the same distance from centre on the front wheel as the middle of the rear wheel..

You then adjust the rear wheel untill it is parrallell to the stringline/straightedge....

[dwardy]

I've had the string trick explained to me a few times and I never quite got it either. I'm sure if I witnessed it firsthand, it'd be a snap. I've just been using the hash marks on the swingarm. I can look down the chain run and it seems to be tracking nicely and no noticeable wear on the sprockets.
I have wondered though just how accurate the nifty lazer alignment tools are that clamp onto the rear sprocket/pulley.

http://www.steelthundercc.com/tools.html
Prolly does a nice job but worth nearly a hundred bucks?

[74FeHeadXLH]

I do basically the same as the string method...but being in construction ( alot of ceramic tile and hardwood floors ) I have long 6, 8, 12 ft long steel straight edges, I just lay the 12 ft'r on the ground, then make the adjustments, and I still eyeball the chain for straightness while back of bike lifted a little and rotate rear wheel to be sure

[stevo]

I use a magnetic laser I bought off ebay for about $25

I sit it on the front disc and then measure from the centre of the wheel to the laser...

I turn the front wheel untill the light is the same distance from the centre of the reaer wheel...

Then I measure the front and back of the rear wheel and kick it whichever way it needs to be to be parallell

then nip it up and check, then tighten it up


DONE :D :D