Axle / swing arm alignment

Voodooo · Mar 7, 2021

So I noticed on my Dominator that my swing arm pivot mounting bolt was loose. One day while riding and making a turn through a intersection the back of the bike felt unstable and as if it had rear wheel steering.

I pulled over and checked the rear and I could literally hold the front brake locked and get about 1/16” to 1/8” of play at the swing arm.

I limped it home about 10 miles and put the bike on a paddock stand and sure enough the pivot bolt was loose. I’ve also noticed from the clear coat that the rear axle was never aligned correctly from the factory.
The rear axle bolt flanges on each side when assembled by the factory had curled the thick clear powder coat finish on the swing arm on the front and rear side of the flanges indicating that the axle has not moved from its original setting. The axle was in fact torqued to spec.

After seeing the rear axle slots, it’s 1/8” off from side to side. The right side of the axle is 1/8” to far forward compared to the left side.
The chain is too loose as well.

On my other bikes I can use a tram gauge to align the swing arm pivot point to the axle center to equal both sides to align the axle. On the commando and dominator I can not. This is due to the lack of clearance between the swing arm bolt and transmission housing.
I figured I can use the lower foot control arm mounting points as a location to measure from to the axle center.

Is this how you guys align the swing arm / axle?
Thanks

TonyA · Mar 7, 2021

Voodooo said:
So I noticed on my Dominator that my swing arm pivot mounting bolt was loose. One day while riding and making a turn through a intersection the back of the bike felt unstable and as if it had rear wheel steering.

I pulled over and checked the rear and I could literally hold the front brake locked and get about 1/16” to 1/8” of play at the swing arm.

I limped it home about 10 miles and put the bike on a paddock stand and sure enough the pivot bolt was loose. I’ve also noticed from the clear coat that the rear axle was never aligned correctly from the factory.
The rear axle bolt flanges on each side when assembled by the factory had curled the thick clear powder coat finish on the swing arm on the front and rear side of the flanges indicating that the axle has not moved from its original setting. The axle was in fact torqued to spec.

After seeing the rear axle slots, it’s 1/8” off from side to side. The right side of the axle is 1/8” to far forward compared to the left side.
The chain is too loose as well.

On my other bikes I can use a tram gauge to align the swing arm pivot point to the axle center to equal both sides to align the axle. On the commando and dominator I can not. This is due to the lack of clearance between the swing arm bolt and transmission housing.
I figured I can use the lower foot control arm mounting points as a location to measure from to the axle center.

Is this how you guys align the swing arm / axle?
Thanks

Hi Voodoo , I have only used a ruler and measured from the rear of the swing arm to the axle guide . I consider the swingarm pivot more or less fixed in its place of rotation .

TonyA · Mar 7, 2021

TonyA said:
Hi Voodoo , I have only used a ruler and measured from the rear of the swing arm to the axle guide . I consider the swingarm pivot more or less fixed in its place of rotation .

Voodooo · Mar 7, 2021

TonyA said:

I used vernier calipers exactly where you shown and it’s in fact 1/8” forward on the right side.
My chain is also very uncomfortably close to the swing arm tube. It’s always been that way. I guess another reason why we need to check all of the stuff when we get these bikes.

When I noticed this while riding, it was a unnerving feeling. Felt like the rear tire slid on some oil or tar snake.

TonyA · Mar 7, 2021

Voodooo said:
I used vernier calipers exactly where you shown and it’s in fact 1/8” forward on the right side.
My chain is also very uncomfortably close to the swing arm tube. It’s always been that way. I guess another reason why we need to check all of the stuff when we get these bikes.

When I noticed this while riding, it was a unnerving feeling. Felt like the rear tire slid on some oil or tar snake.

Yes , That right (chain drive) side looks like it's pulled forward .

Voodooo · Mar 7, 2021

TonyA said:
Yes , That right (chain drive) side looks like it's pulled forward .

How do you check the crush drive bushings while it’s on the bike? Does simply checking for sprocket free play work?

TonyA · Mar 7, 2021

Voodooo said:
How do you check the crush drive bushings while it’s on the bike? Does simply checking for sprocket free play work?

They have to be really bad to detect it that way . Or you may see rubber sticking out ? I would pull off the axle , get it greased and check the cush drive . You may want to grease the front axle too.

Voodooo · Mar 7, 2021

TonyA said:
They have to be really bad to detect it that way . Or you may see rubber sticking out ? I would pull off the axle , get it greased and check the cush drive . You may want to grease the front axle too.

I did the front axle and steering stem bearings beginning winter. I’ll do the rear, thanks.

VMI · Mar 7, 2021

Voodoo said
How do you check the crush drive bushings while it’s on the bike? Does simply checking for sprocket free play work?

Put the rear end up on a stand, brag the sprocket and the wheel by the spokes and try and move the sprocket back and forward the way that the chain would move the rear wheel when your giving gas and the way the rear wheel would act on the transmission when you get off the gas. When up on the rear stand apply the rear brake and check for play on the rear sprocket the same way. Peter the ex Norton Canada President told me what to do, and I had about 1/8” play. I could feel something not right when on the gas and the to off the gas, the rear end didn’t feel right.

cliffa · Mar 7, 2021

Voodooo said:
I used vernier calipers exactly where you shown and it’s in fact 1/8” forward on the right side.
My chain is also very uncomfortably close to the swing arm tube. It’s always been that way. I guess another reason why we need to check all of the stuff when we get these bikes.

When I noticed this while riding, it was a unnerving feeling. Felt like the rear tire slid on some oil or tar snake.

Have you noticed the difference in the quality of the welding? Perhaps one of the 'Apprentices" welded the right side?

Anyway back to your problem. If the spindle is tight, and you didn't notice this before I would say it's not your issue. How are your tyres? I used to run Bridgestone's on a variety of bikes and noticed that once they were down to around 50% tread the handling really went off and got progressively worse.

Voodooo · Mar 7, 2021

cliffa said:
Have you noticed the difference in the quality of the welding? Perhaps one of the 'Apprentices" welded the right side?

Anyway back to your problem. If the spindle is tight, and you didn't notice this before I would say it's not your issue. How are your tyres? I used to run Bridgestone's on a variety of bikes and noticed that once they were down to around 50% tread the handling really went off and got progressively worse.

This bike only has 600 miles on it. I check the tire pressure before each ride. I check the chain slack each season. It’s definitely not the tires. The rear wheel alignment is way off.

Now I have to go look at the welds, looking at those pics it looks terrible, I clean the bike after each ride, never even noticed the poor weld job. Hopefully it’s the pic / lighting. I will say that the powder coating is thick.

Voodooo · Mar 7, 2021

VMI said:
Voodoo said
How do you check the crush drive bushings while it’s on the bike? Does simply checking for sprocket free play work?

Put the rear end up on a stand, brag the sprocket and the wheel by the spokes and try and move the sprocket back and forward the way that the chain would move the rear wheel when your giving gas and the way the rear wheel would act on the transmission when you get off the gas. When up on the rear stand apply the rear brake and check for play on the rear sprocket the same way. Peter the ex Norton Canada President told me what to do, and I had about 1/8” play. I could feel something not right when on the gas and the to off the gas, the rear end didn’t feel right.

That’s basically how I checked it. Like checking wheel bearings and ball joints on a car / truck. Zero play.

ntst8 · Mar 7, 2021

Voodooo said:
So I noticed on my Dominator that my swing arm pivot mounting bolt was loose. One day while riding and making a turn through a intersection the back of the bike felt unstable and as if it had rear wheel steering.

I pulled over and checked the rear and I could literally hold the front brake locked and get about 1/16” to 1/8” of play at the swing arm.

I limped it home about 10 miles and put the bike on a paddock stand and sure enough the pivot bolt was loose. I’ve also noticed from the clear coat that the rear axle was never aligned correctly from the factory.
The rear axle bolt flanges on each side when assembled by the factory had curled the thick clear powder coat finish on the swing arm on the front and rear side of the flanges indicating that the axle has not moved from its original setting. The axle was in fact torqued to spec.

After seeing the rear axle slots, it’s 1/8” off from side to side. The right side of the axle is 1/8” to far forward compared to the left side.
The chain is too loose as well.

On my other bikes I can use a tram gauge to align the swing arm pivot point to the axle center to equal both sides to align the axle. On the commando and dominator I can not. This is due to the lack of clearance between the swing arm bolt and transmission housing.
I figured I can use the lower foot control arm mounting points as a location to measure from to the axle center.

Is this how you guys align the swing arm / axle?
Thanks

I have a clamp on laser thingy, fix to the rear sprocket, rotate the beam up and down and check that is on the same place on the front and rear of the chain. Need to take the chainguard off the 961 to use it.

batrider · Mar 8, 2021

New to lasers but would like to try this... What laser thingy do you have? I have been looking for something to check chain alignment (and also ground leveling for a new shed).
Russ

TonyA · Mar 8, 2021

ntst8 said:
I have a clamp on laser thingy, fix to the rear sprocket, rotate the beam up and down and check that is on the same place on the front and rear of the chain. Need to take the chainguard off the 961 to use it.

I also have this Motion Pro chain alignment tool in my box , but I don't use it much. It clamps on the sprocket and you sight down the chain and rod and check for sprocket to chain alignment .

ntst8 · Mar 8, 2021

batrider said:
New to lasers but would like to try this... What laser thingy do you have? I have been looking for something to check chain alignment (and also ground leveling for a new shed).
Russ

Chain Monkey make the one I have, not sure it would be much help for ground levelling

Axle / swing arm alignment

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