Chain adjustment axle nut question.

[user11235813]

The owners manual says only to loosen the chain side axle nut when aligning the chain. Is there any reason why the left nut is also not loosened?

[twocool]

The chain side nut is the left side.  The right side is really just the head of the bolt, so if you loosen the axle nut (left side) , the entire wheel becomes loose in the frame, allowing chain adjustment, in both sides of the swing arm, and and allowing the wheel to be adjusted so it is centered and aligned with the frame.

Use a wrench to hold the right side stationary while you loosed the chain side (left) nut.
Same when re tightening...


Cookie

The owners manual says only to loosen the chain side axle nut when aligning the chain. Is there any reason why the left nut is also not loosened?

[user11235813]

Sorry that was an error in my original post should have said left nut. The reason I asked is that I can't figure out a problem I'm having aligning the chain. So I've got the left side bolt loose and the chain was almost right, the wheel just needed to point a little to the left, but when I tightened up the right hand side adjusting nut, it screwed in but the wheel did not seem to point to the left, as indicated by my dot laser alignment tool, which is why I wondered if something was a problem on the right, now I know it isn't but I'm still having trouble getting this done.

Here's the problem, I start from scratch and back both the alignment nuts off so the chain is slack with a plan to tighten each side up, but when I back them off I then find that the backing plate at the end of the swingarm is loose, so I try to push it in so it butts up to the swingarm but one side just stays loose.

Maybe I'm getting a bit confused here so perhaps you can tell me if I'm doing this correctly... I was under the impression that if you wanted to make the chain loose you'd unscrew the alignment nuts a bit, then you'd push the wheel forward which would push the swingarm end plate flush with the end of the swingarm and then as you screwed the alignment nuts up it would pull the wheel back. Is this right? With the axle bolt loose and the alignment nuts screwed out should I be able to push the wheel forward to make the plates contact the end? Because I can only make that happen on one side, the left. Sorry to make a meal out of this.

[Atesz792]

Sometimes, it just needs a good old kick.
I mean to really push the wheel forward.

[twocool]

I think I know what you are talking about..On my bike, since new...the right side end plate of the swing arm...it seems to be a bit loose, when everything else it lined up straight and tightened..

I just get everything where I want it...tighten up to torque spec. ..and if that end cap plate is hanging loose...is just lightly snug up the 12mm (I think) nut just enough to hold the plate firm.

Cookie

Sorry that was an error in my original post should have said left nut. The reason I asked is that I can't figure out a problem I'm having aligning the chain. So I've got the left side bolt loose and the chain was almost right, the wheel just needed to point a little to the left, but when I tightened up the right hand side adjusting nut, it screwed in but the wheel did not seem to point to the left, as indicated by my dot laser alignment tool, which is why I wondered if something was a problem on the right, now I know it isn't but I'm still having trouble getting this done.

Here's the problem, I start from scratch and back both the alignment nuts off so the chain is slack with a plan to tighten each side up, but when I back them off I then find that the backing plate at the end of the swingarm is loose, so I try to push it in so it butts up to the swingarm but one side just stays loose.

Maybe I'm getting a bit confused here so perhaps you can tell me if I'm doing this correctly... I was under the impression that if you wanted to make the chain loose you'd unscrew the alignment nuts a bit, then you'd push the wheel forward which would push the swingarm end plate flush with the end of the swingarm and then as you screwed the alignment nuts up it would pull the wheel back. Is this right? With the axle bolt loose and the alignment nuts screwed out should I be able to push the wheel forward to make the plates contact the end? Because I can only make that happen on one side, the left. Sorry to make a meal out of this.

[MichaelM3]

I think I know what you are talking about..On my bike, since new...the right side end plate of the swing arm...it seems to be a bit loose, when everything else it lined up straight and tightened..

I just get everything where I want it...tighten up to torque spec. ..and if that end cap plate is hanging loose...is just lightly snug up the 12mm (I think) nut just enough to hold the plate firm.

Cookie

Yep that's exactly what I do on my 2007 machine. I too use the dot laser tool, get it all straight, then tighten it all up.

[user11235813]

OK I got it, yes I did have to hang on to my givi mounting rail and give it a proper kicking, but that was after I loosened more than what I need. I also had a bit of a brain spasm while trying to line it up with the laser tool, I can't believe I did this but I'm looking at the laser which is sloping from the outside of the chain to the inside so in my mind I'm seeing that line as an extension of the plane of the wheel, so I'm thinking 'I need that line to point more left' so I picture in my mind turning the whole wheel to the left, then I think 'right, I tighten up the right adjuster which will push the right axle forward, which I eventually saw was wrong. For some reason I did not see in my mind tightening the left adjuster would make the wheel turn to the left. I feel like kicking myself.

However now that is sorted I've got another issue I can't solve. I can't tighten the left axle nut to more than 40 ft lbs of torque without making the plate with the notches on it turn as well. I'll go and take some photos. The right bolt head is not turning so there's no problem there.

I've had that bit of metal off about a dozen times as I hammer the bend out when it snuck up the swing arm. The problem here is that the little hooks on the end are not very long and the swing arm tube is rounded on the edges...

You can see on the photo where I've dragged the pin around and scratched the paint off the swingarm before I realised that this was happening. You can also see where I've had to bash it with a hammer on the concrete to straighten it out. This is my final attempt after getting everything aligned perfectly, I had it straight, and was torquing it slowly keeping a close eye on it, and right when I got to 40ft/lbs it just began to ride up the rounded  swing arm edge which is where it is now and so I stopped. It's probably fine to ride as the range is 43 to 68, usually I like to get to about 56. It's already bent a bit again, maybe that's a good thing as it will act like a spring washer.

I cannot see any way to prevent it turning with the nut when the torque gets up to 40, I can't hold that plate still. I can see that there'd be no problem if the hooks were a few millimetres longer (or they actually fitted properly) and I really cannot understand why Suzuki has made them so frikken short. The only solution I can see is to weld a bit of metal on the end to lengthen the hook.

Wait, I might give it one more removal, bashing replacing and trying some grease between the mounting plate and the washer...

Some lithium grease on both sides of the washer did the trick. I was careful not to get any on the bolt.

[Watcher]

Assuming that I'm thinking of the same thing you are, that plate is just a sight gauge to ballpark chain wear.  It's not a critical gauge, and should not be used to make alignment.  That's what the laser tool is for.
That being said, if it rotates slightly when getting the axle torqued to spec, it's not a big deal.
It's more important to get the bolt to spec than to keep that plate straight, so I'd just torque away and not worry about it.

[user11235813]

Yeah I get that, before it dawned on me to grease both sides of the washer, if I torqued it any more it would drag that plate around with the bolt and the hooks at the bottom get pulled over the rounded edge, thats what all those circular scratches are, then because the hooks bend the plate and I have to remove it and hammer it flat.

Assuming that I'm thinking of the same thing you are, that plate is just a sight gauge to ballpark chain wear.  It's not a critical gauge, and should not be used to make alignment.  That's what the laser tool is for.
That being said, if it rotates slightly when getting the axle torqued to spec, it's not a big deal.
It's more important to get the bolt to spec than to keep that plate straight, so I'd just torque away and not worry about it.