First time chain adjustment
 

Ok its been a while since i had a new chain on my bike and its just passed the 30mm of play point. So im going to adjust it, Probably tomorrow. Soooo Having never done this before is it just a simple case of slackening off the nut and turning the adjusters by the same amount? Or do i have to worry about wheel alignment and stuff?

Also as its 20-30mm should i go for 25mm slack or 20mm?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

All this should be done with the bike on its sidestand and in neutral.

Get a 22mm socket to undo the rear spindle nut, you only need to loosen it, and take a 5mm spanner and turn the adjusters on either side equally until the chain is within 20-30mm. The tighten the rear spindle nut to 65Nm.

Some say the markings on the swingarm aren't equal on either side, in all the time I have been working on SV's I have never come across one in the flesh where the markings have been out of alignment.

Dave

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Dont worry too much about wheel alignment; just adjust each side by one flat of the bolt (like, of the allen bolt). Do one flat at a time, and check the tension. Thats how my dad showed me how to do it, and I've never had anything go wrong :mrgreen:

Oh how nice a correctly tensioned and cleaned chain feels, specialy gear changes :mrgreen:

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

mine arnt aligned :(

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

never realised it was actually that easy!!! was planning on doing mine tomorrow as well as the calipers so was perfect that this came up :)

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

But is it the wheel or the markings? I met a guy who told me that when I worked on his bike not to believe the markings on the swingarm, should have seen his face when I called him moron and showed him his wheel wasn't aligned when he arrived!

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Funnily enough at the same time you were posting this I was at Halfords buying a torque wrench and socket for exactly this reason. However when trying out the different size sockets it was the 24mm socket that fit the rear axel nut? I must admit that the halfords assistant didnt try a 22mm socket because the 24mm fit first time. Just wondering if you made a typo or the stupid little kid (read: Halford assistant) got it wrong?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

IIRC, 22mm is a curvy.

24mm is a pointy.

EDIT: Also, the torque for a pointy is 110Nm, not 65Nm as DD stated. I'm guessing he was applying curvy thinking.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

+1

I thought the same, a quick ride told me they were out of alignment, a quick undo of the bolt and a "Tap" made the wheel sit properly, also lined up again too.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

There is a very good reason for not trusting the marker plates. They are loose on the spindle and it is easily possible to have one marker plate set further back than the other.

I can tell you without even looking, the plates on my bike do not match up. I can also tell you categorically, the rear wheel is aligned correctly.

It's a different story when the markers are actually on the swingarm but the SV is not like that.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Any connection between this and the "disaster" thread?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

I was just thinking that.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

aye me too...

just wondering about the torque on the axle nut - i remember my haynes manual listing it was 65nm, but luke had a digital (ebook style) haynes manual for sv and it listed 110nm...

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

My Haynes manual also says 65nm and I have the new 2008 version.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Just got the Handbook out to check and for my K6 the axle nut should be tightened to 100 Nm if that helps?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

65, 100, 110 - anymore for anymore :razz:

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

I would trust the Suzuki Handbook before the Haynes manual myself but I know very little about bikes.

Newbie/Numpty question -

Do you turn the adjusters clockwise?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

I wish I had read this thread a few hours ago,

seeing that my marker plates either side weren't lined up exactly earlier this evening, I decided to adjust, only to discover that the there is a bit of play on the marker plates, once the rear nut is loosened. Then spent the next hour fretting about the alignment (wish I had read Big Apes post) and letting my battery go nearly flat....dooohhhh!!

Does anyone double check the alignment with string or a straight edge or is this going overboard??:confused:

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Be careful not to bend the alignment marker things and scratch the swingarm; it's easily done if you loosen too quickly.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

I find it best TO bend these, before taking the nut off. This stops the swingarm getting scratched, and you can pound them back into shape with a lump hammer & a kerb edge etc. :)

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Anyone?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

If i remember correctly i think it was clockwise to tighten.. you should notice pretty quickly by the movement along the markings


oh and as Glade mentioned careful with the adjuster makers bending and scratching the swingarm when loosening the nut.....................yep that's right....... I did exactly that scratched mine earlier this evening :(..

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

i always thought it was clockwise to tighten and anti clockwise to loosen for all threads except tow hitches (because the thread of the rope being used to toe will turn & loosen the bolt if it was a normal thread) and various other important components which usually rotate (and said rotation would undo the screw/bolt/fixing)?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

quite possably. Although i never got around to tightening the chain and it had about 32-34mm of free play so having the chain too slack may well have caused it to break. Although tbh im not sure.

now heres the think ive just checked the service record and that chain has done

1378 miles total!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i only had problms when i switched to that wurth lube that appears to be like water.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Just for argument sake, if you think your markers are out of alignment what is the best way to check the wheel alignment?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Bearing in mind wurth dry lube needs to be applied alot more often.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

yup i think thats where i went wrong. i just presumed it would e like the castrol stuff thats thick and sticky so sprayed it on and rode. didnt realise it would wash off after going through a puddle.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

It doesn't, it's good clingy stuff.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Just wanted to bump this one as I am wondering now.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

em good old fashioned way to parrelel straight strips of tape on the ground the width of the tyre :confused: one idea

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

can you not just push the plates all the way in one direction to ensure they are starting in the same place?? thats my way of thinking, or just measure it??

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

If your chain had only done 1300 miles and it broke it was faulty.Did it break at the soft riveted link?I suspect it was wrongly fitted,and the link wasnt riveted up properly.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

to be honest im not sure. Im going to let YC have a ganders at it whn he has a holiday.

Ill take some more pickys though if you like.

Care to take a look at the disaster thread to help spec me a chain and sprocket kit?

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

I use a DID set as fitted OE by Suzuki,but any good quality set will do.Just get it fitted properly and keep it lubed and adjusted.My DID is on about 20000 miles and lubed with used engine oil.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

The OP is about a Curvy, so I replied for a Curvy not thinking this thread was going to continue any further.

Axle Nuts;
Curvy: 22mm
Pointy: 24mm

Torque Settings (Recommended by Suzuki);
Curvy: 65Nm
Pointy: 110Nm

But they are not that loose to be unequal on both sides, if hey are they need replacing, however the plates are torqued down against the axle and shouldn't really get any wear (ovaling).

Yes

Go to the B&C Express website and look for some JT steel sprockets and a Tsubaki chain.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

ok so two things.....

1. when i tried to loosen the right swingarm adjuster it just came out rather than move the adjuster??

2. what do you do if there is a kink in the chain!!!!!

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

The adjuster inside is stuck to the inside of the swingarm with corrosion, can you give it a tap with a rubber hammer?

When you next have the bike on a rear paddock stand, take the wheel out and pull the adjusters and smear them with grease (helps preventing it happening again).

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

but it tightened ok?? the bolt was also covered in alot of white dry gunky stuff......surely to take the wheel off i need to take the chain off??

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

Yep, but you can just lift the chain off the rear sprocket & rest it on the swingarm for a minute or so. Then pop it back on when you're done. You don't need to undo the chain to get it off.

Re: First time chain adjustment
 

+ 1

Place the bike on a paddock stand, undo the spindle nut and remove the spindle. Push the wheel forward and the chain will slacken allowing you to un-hook it from the rear sprocket, then rest the chain on the swingarm.