rear wheel alignment plate bent!!! what do i do????

[souljeroflight]

well i was adjusting my chain last week and noticed that when i went to tighten/ align the wheel the plate that covers the end of the swingarm is kinda pulled up into the swingarm.  soo i tried to re-align the edges of the plate  with the outside edge of the swingarm and retighten but it just popped back in again so now im thinking im gonna have to get a new plate. What do you guys think?  What is the actual name of this "plate"?  so i have continued to ride because....well......my GS is my only way to work and i noticed that the wheel had pulled forward a bit on that side so tonight while oiling my cahin i tightened up the nut just a bit more to get the axel even on both sides. what harm can this do? and what solution options do i have?

[DoD#i]

Loosen the rear axle nut before adjusting chain tension. The only way that plate gets bent is if you don't.

Remove cotter pin, loosen nut, adjust chain tension and alignment, tighten axle nut, replace cotter pin (use new cotter pin if old one is too bunged up).

Actually, get the alignment right first, then the tension.

As for the part, either drill a hole in a flat hunk of metal of about the right size, or buy the part.

PLATE,CHAINADJU       $4.78 (per bikebandit - likely similar at local dealer and without the shipping fee added)

[gsJack]

Those plates can get bent if you run it without getting the axle nut tight enough.  One of mine got bent when a rear wheel bearing failed allowing the axle to shift.  I layed it on a piece of wood and straightened it with a hammer.

[the mole]

The 05 might be like my 06, doesn't have a cotter pin it has a locking nut.

This nut has to be tight otherwise the tension in the chain when you take off in 1st will pull that plate out of shape.
You can straighten it with a hammer, I've done that twice before I realised that to get enough tension on the axle nut I needed to oil the thread. Now it tightens up nicely and no more bent plates. I think that plate is a POS (as Buddha would say!) and should be stronger. You could make one yourself pretty easily out of heavier gauge steel, but not really necessary as long as that nut is TIGHT!

[gsJack]

US models have the cotter pins in the axles to meet regs but most other countries get the ones with the nyloc type nuts and no cotter pin.

[nascarkeith]

I bent mine popping wheelies.  I cut a piece of steel and put behind my backing plate.  It ain't gonna bend no more!

[ATLRIDER]

Make sure you torque it down to spec.  Shouldn't have problems after that.

Self-locking nut (UK models)       60 to 96 Nm   (or)   44 to 71 ft./lbs
Nut with split-pin (US models)     50 to 80 Nm   (or)   37 to 59 ft./lbs

[souljeroflight]

You guys are great! i havent done anything to it yet but once i do i will update.

[DoD#i]

If you have a large vise available, you can probably flatten it with that - or use the hammer/block of wood (I'm assuming no anvil, or you wouldn't be asking) approach.

[the mole]

I just found a big rock in the garden with a hollow in it and put the plate across that and tapped it with my percussive adjuster (hammer ). Its not rocket science!