What!....no alignment marks?!

[andyw]

Please tell me I don't have to mess around with bits of straight wood and lengths of string to get the rear wheel aligned.

Just put new chain and sprockets on and...............????????????...no alignment marks on the end of the swingarm. Am I missing something?

(Mastiff 2002)

[keithcross]

No marks I'm afraid. Its back to the planks of wood etc. I keep meaning to mark my swinging arm once lined up, even one mark on each side would help - a lot.

Keith

[cat]

No marks I'm afraid. Its back to the planks of wood etc. I keep meaning to mark my swinging arm once lined up, even one mark on each side would help - a lot.

Yes, it would - you could at least measure from the mark.

I was thinking the other day, those laser things they have for household DIY and so on, how you could use those. ...I thought pity you couldn't borrow one to see if it was actually suitable.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

I clamp a stright edge to the rear chain sprocket and let it lay on the
bottom run of chain
and adjust it to follow the chain

see my blog for picture as i am out of posting room on site

http://spaces.msn.com/wd8cyv/photos/

click on comments tab upper right to see info
about picture and tool
for other info look here
http://spaces.msn.com/members/wd8cyv/

chain line up tool

[cat]

see my blog for picture as i am out of posting room on site
http://spaces.msn.com/members/wd8cyv/

I can't find the picture.

[keithcross]

Found the picture OK, but on the Baghira the chain guide is in the way. Should work on the top run of the chain though

Keith

[DAVID THOMPSON]

fast as a cat

it should be there now in the photo album
i had to make a new picture and post it
as i lost the original some where in my confuzer
you guy's read faster than i can take pictures and
post them

[andyw]

I clamp a stright edge to the rear chain sprocket and let it lay on the
bottom run of chain
and adjust it to follow the chain

see my blog for picture as i am out of posting room on site

http://spaces.msn.com/wd8cyv/photos/

click on comments tab upper right to see info
about picture and tool
for other info look here
http://spaces.msn.com/members/wd8cyv/

chain line up tool

Neat ..........you're a mine of information Dave, appreciate the PM's

Maybe you could get the camera out again for me and take a piccy of the electrices (>>>>> http://www.mzriders.com/viewtopic.php?t=1374 )

[andyw]

I've been giving this some more thought - the sprocket chain alignment method is neat but that doesn't guarantee that the wheel is dead square in the swingarm. Goin to rig something up so I can measure the distance from the centre of the swingarm pivot to the centre of the rear axle - get measurements on both sides the same and the wheel should be exactly aligned.

[DEmark]

Yeah, I think measuring center to center of swingarm bolt to axle is the best way to line the rear wheel up. I have been thinking about buying an EXTRA LARGE MARKING COMPASS for the job. See item 8989A71 at mcmaster.com to see what I am talking about. It could be used on other bikes too...

[keithcross]

Why go to that expense, use a piece of string with a majic marker tied onto one end of it

Keith

[phlat65]

I am sure the blocks are marked on my 01 BP. I have never had a problem with chain adjustment....

[cat]

Yeah, I think measuring center to center of swingarm bolt to axle is the best way to line the rear wheel up. I have been thinking about buying an EXTRA LARGE MARKING COMPASS for the job. See item 8989A71 at mcmaster.com to see what I am talking about. It could be used on other bikes too...

That is the best way - the most accurate. First get the exact center of the axles.
....?
This is the proper way even if there are markings on the swingarm/blocks/whatever, because they're only as good as..the casting/whatever /manufacturing tolerances.

[cat]

Yeah, I think measuring center to center of swingarm bolt to axle is the best way to line the rear wheel up. I have been thinking about buying an EXTRA LARGE MARKING COMPASS for the job. See item 8989A71 at mcmaster.com to see what I am talking about. It could be used on other bikes too...

?! Are you kidding? What y gonna do with that? Those beam rules and trammels above and below look more useful. But you still need a way to find the center of the axles - or at least I do, maybe you've found yours. One of those beam/rule/trammel things would be good for measuring once you've got the centers. I can see that a rule would be hopeless, I'd drive myself nuts.

mcmaster-carr is good.

B Trammels for Machinists' Rule— Simply attach these aluminum trammels to your graduated rule for precision measurements. They fit on any rule from 1/2" to 1 1/8" wide (rule is not included). Set includes two steel scribe points and two lead points; the points reverse into the body for storage.
19355A52 Per Set $15.64

.....I know - make a sleeve 12mm that slips over the end of the swingarm axle ...on the end of a rod/beam with one of those trammels with a scribe on the other end .....adjust rear axle so that scribe is at center of rear axle. ?

[keithcross]

Or you could find the centre of the swinging arm boly with an engineers square, fit a point to one end of a piece of string and a pen to the other. Mark one place on each side of the swinging arm with the pen, then put measured marks from this datum
I know, you all think I'm a cheapskte, maybe I am, but you should only need to do this once.

Keith