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worldfamous
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Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 245
Location: Kernow
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 Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:17 pm Post subject: Aligning your wheels |
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An easy and accurate way of aligning your rear wheel
Requirements;
Fishing line, about 5 or 6 meters (or strong thread)
A nut or similar to use as a weight
A piece of strong wire bent into an S shape making a hook about 2 long (a coat hanger is perfect)
A long rubber band (about 6 is ideal or 2 shorter joined together)
1) Check the tyres
Check that the tyre pressures are correct, ensure that the tyres are fitted true to the rim.
2) Prop the bike vertically
Use a lift if you have one, otherwise manoeuvre onto blocks or get your mates to hold it, Check for vertical alignment using a piece of fishing line with the nut tied on the end to act as a plumb line, shim the blocks or lift until the line just touches at the top and bottom edges of the tyre, nearly is good enough.
3) Attach the fishing line
Attach one end of the remaining fishing line to your hook, string the line around the back wheel, down the side, around the front tyre and down the other side, trim to length, tie to rubber band and clip the hook attached to the first end to the rubber band.
Ideally, the line should be as far up the wheels as possible. Make sure that the line touches only the tyres! Sometimes rear wheels are offset 8-13mm so it will touch one side but will have an equal gap on the other side.
4) Test the alignment
Slowly turn the bars clockwise, keep checking the line, hopefully you should be able to get the line to touch the tyres at all 4 points A B C & D see illustration below, check by inserting a thin piece of paper (a cigarette paper is ideal) at points B & C dont worry if B & C dont touch, but if A or D dont then boy do you have a problem! If the line is touching, the paper will be held in place by tension only.
...
______________
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____________
Front [______________]
Rear
[_____________]
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.^.
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.^.....
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...
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......^.
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^
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.A.
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. B
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.C
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..D
Repeat, this time turning the bars anti-clockwise, if your really lucky, the line will touch the tyres at the same points on the opposite side, if this is the case, then your wheels are aligned.
A rear wheel skewed to the right will not allow the line to touch the left rear tyre (point D) and a wheel skewed to the left and you will not be able to touch the right rear tyre (other side of point D) to correct remove the split pin, loosen the axle nut and tighten or slacken the adjuster on the right side, (left on a Sporty) tap the tyre until it settles against the adjusters, tighten the axle nut and repeat from section 4 until in line.
You may be tempted to adjust the left adjuster, (right on a Sporty) DONT, it will either slacken or tighten the drive belt or chain, possibly causing damage!
Check your belt/chain tension by turning the wheel, leave the wheel where the tension is highest, sit someone on the bike, the belt should move about 10-13mm if you put 4.5Kg of pressure on it, (chains should have about 25mm of movement) turn each adjuster the same amount until the tension is right, tighten axle nut (60ft 1b torque) recheck tension and alignment just to be sure.
Easy eh? Thanks to Keith Jordan BSc.
P.S. for those of you with Dynas, there should be a hole in the swingarm just up from the axle nuts, bend a bit of wire, stick it in the hole and measure the distance from the axle (a piece of rubber or tape on the wire should suffice) then repeat on the other side, if the measurement is the same, sorted! if not adjust until it is the same!
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BigBore
Adminstrator
Joined: 08 Jul 2007
Posts: 321
Location: Kernow County
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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"Ere Do This Yer Method Work For Me Aswell"
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worldfamous
Adminstrator
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 245
Location: Kernow
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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No you need gaffa tape as well! 
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Kernow Bys Vyken! GEDDON |
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BigBore
Adminstrator
Joined: 08 Jul 2007
Posts: 321
Location: Kernow County
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| Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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| worldfamous wrote: | | No you need gaffa tape as well! |
"Well, Cheeky Barsteward"
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"That,That is,is,That,That is not,is not".!!!!!!! |
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