Perfect chain tension/ wheel alignment

[muttley]

Is a right pain in the arse! Why? Because i cant stand chain tensioners because i like me frames to look how they came out of the factory whether it be new school or old school.

So what do people do for this apart from shoving a rubber handled hammer behind the back wheel? 

[JT71]

bike upside down, one foot on seat, one hand pulls wheel back so it's straight and chain taughtish, other hand tightens the nuts. lol.

sounds easy eh? but I know it's not that easy, I need some spacers for mine really, like that maybe an engineer could make specially, custom built. hint hint to the engineer i see reading this thread.

[SaMAlex]

I need some spacers for mine really, like that maybe an engineer could make specially, custom built. hint hint to the engineer i see reading this thread.

 

[muttley]

like that maybe an engineer could make specially, custom built. hint hint to the engineer i see reading this thread.

Its funny you should say that, I'm having a prototype knocked up at the moment   

[JT71]

lol.

cooooooool. Alex has some he made, very nice they are too. 

[muttley]

Lets have a look Alex 

[SaMAlex]

Here you go 

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=95153.msg944898#msg944898

[Gary72]

I have tried a few methods to get my chain tight, 1 involved hanging my bike by it's back wheel and tightning the nuts, Wheel alignment is hard this way.
Also have let my tyre down wedged a hammer handle between tyre and frame and pumped the tyre back up.

[muttley]

I have designed something that let's you get your wheel in position, tighten your nuts then you take it off, so no horrible looking bits on your dropouts, not that yours was ugly Alex, thought that was a bloody good idea.

[SaMAlex]

so no horrible looking bits on your dropouts, not that yours was ugly Alex, thought that was a bloody good idea.

Haha. Thanks.


I never have any problem getting the wheel in the right place, its just getting it to stay there! Usually I get the wheel close to the correct place. Tighten the non chain side wheel nut. Pull the wheel across to get the chain tight (force the tire or spokes against the chain-side chainstay) and tighten the chain side wheelnut. Then adjust the non chain side to get the wheel in the middle.

Then do an over-to-ice, send the wheel crashing forwards, and try and ride the trick out with the tire jammed against the frame! haha.

[gt_lover]

well i m new here to the site

 but what i do is i get my kitty kat wege it between the back tire and the frame realy tight in there and then i tighten the nuts, after that i remove the kitty, and wala my chain is tight.

 and no cats where harmed in the tighting of my wheel  j/k

but what i use is a handle to a car jack with a pad on it, so it wont scratch the frame that usally works for me hope that helps

[subversion]

First ensure your chain line is bang on as chain tension on a pissed set up will just lead to premature failure of chain & sprockets.






Clean looks & hasn't moved yet:

[jon_e]

Then there's always the loose and tight spot I always seem to get.