Wheel alignment off.

[DavieSV]

As some of you may be aware, I've had tolerance issues with my swing arm.
The length of the pivot tube was not the same as the length of the spacer tube and top hat bushes, which gave it just over 1mm of end float
That is now sorted.

I have just tried to align my wheels.
I have lined my rear axle up to the markings on the swing arm. I was very carefull here, as I know the free play on the near side adjuster plate is more than that of the off side.
I sat my bike vertical on my abba stand.
I then set up two lines, one each side, parrallel to the rear wheel rim, that extended passed the front wheel.
I then measured from these lines, to the front rim.
I measured both the forward and aft of the front wheel to ensure the wheel was straight.
Near side 20mm front and back.
Off side 31mm front and back.

Thats over 5mm out of line. That seems a lot to me. Is it?

I had to turn one adjuster 1.25 turns to bring the wheels in line.

I now have the wheel in line, but now I may have the sprockets out of line.
If anything it may be 1/4 of a degree out.

Will the chain take this up ok?

With all the play in the links of the chain, I presume it should be ok.

IMO it must be better to have the wheels in line more so than the sprockets.
Opinions please..

Shouldnt the wheel and sprockets be parrallel ?
I would expect the sprocket to wear if it too out.

[DavieSV]

Yes the sprocket will be parrallel to the wheel.

but I've had to "twist" the wheel to the left, to align the wheels, therefore the sprocket will also be pointing to the left

[Biker Biggles]

What bike? How old and is the frame bent/twisted?

[andrewsmith]

never used the marks on the swingarm as they usually wrong.

The best way to align the wheel is to measure from the centre of the nut to the edge of the swingarm (not the cap cover).
What may be the best way to sort it out is:
Loosen off the adjusters fully and remove them
pull the wheel and chain tight or check the alignment (the latter may be enough)
replace the adjusters
then do the adjust

I do mine like this every 1200 miles means other things are also once'd over!

[Sid Squid]

If there is anything suspect do not rely on the swingarm marks - they're just not reliable enough. You've found approx 5mm discrepancy at the front, which could be perhaps 1mm or so at the rear spindle - well within the margin of error the swingarm marks will give when you consider the sloppy fit of the spindle plates.
To work out what's amiss first check the centre of the swingarm pivot to the centre of the spindle on both sides, whatever else is wrong that should be the same both sides. Then re-check the wheel alignment.

[DavieSV]

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

What bike? How old and is the frame bent/twisted?

SVS k5, only had a slight low side, no real impact. I don't think anythings bent/twisted.

Originally Posted by DavieSV

As some of you may be aware, I've had tolerance issues with my swing arm.
The length of the pivot tube was not the same as the length of the spacer tube and top hat bushes, which gave it just over 1mm of end float
That is now sorted.

I have just tried to align my wheels.
I have lined my rear axle up to the markings on the swing arm. I was very carefull here, as I know the free play on the near side adjuster plate is more than that of the off side.
I sat my bike vertical on my abba stand.
I then set up two lines, one each side, parrallel to the rear wheel rim, that extended passed the front wheel.
I then measured from these lines, to the front rim.
I measured both the forward and aft of the front wheel to ensure the wheel was straight.
Near side 20mm front and back.
Off side 31mm front and back.

Thats over 5mm out of line. That seems a lot to me. Is it?

I had to turn one adjuster 1.25 turns to bring the wheels in line.

I now have the wheel in line, but now I may have the sprockets out of line.
If anything it may be 1/4 of a degree out.

Will the chain take this up ok?

With all the play in the links of the chain, I presume it should be ok.

IMO it must be better to have the wheels in line more so than the sprockets.
Opinions please..

Did you later do something for this?
This is funny but last winter I was thinking also this. As DavieSV probably remembers I corrected my pivot tube by putting 1mm washer into only left side. (OT: after washer there is still quite big gap in the swing pivot but it is not so HUGE as original. Anyhow I can tell that now bike feels much better on the road.)

Before I put washer I measured wheel alignment. I measured it several times (it is quite easy to make a mistake with that measurement) and all results told that alignment was ok. After washer it wasn't. But there was only 2mm misalignment and I thought that I let it be. I don't have results in hands now but I remember other side was 20mm and other 22mm.

And yes I saw that those Suzuki marks in the swing are not so exact. I decided not to compensate whell misalignment by putting back whell "inclinated".

My friend told that if sprockets are not aligned you can see it by watching the chain from back. In my bike it looked ok so maybe sprockets are aligned, but wheels are not. Now I remember that my plan was to try driving without hands and chekc if bikes goes straight but I have forget to do it.

I am not concerned about this in my bike but it would be interesting to hear if people have measured whell alignments and how big errors there are?