The rear axle on my 2000 SH keeps slipping forward. I put 75# of torque on it and it will still start to slide forward and loosen up the chain after a few rides in town. I crank out the adjusters and retighten it each time. Any ideas?

AJ

 

Do you have the proper spacers in there? I have never heard of this problem on the SH, mine certainly never move.

 

Rear axle nut torque is 93 Nm, but as lazn says check that you have the correct spacers in the right place

 

Yes but here in the colonies we set them at 69 ft lbs........

 

How is it sliding forward with the adjusters in place? Or are they missing? Are you sure you're not adjusting the chain on the "tight spot"?

 

Well... I'm gonna make a little guess... When you adjust the chain, you just set the axle at where the chain is the correct tension, and then lock it... Right?

Wrong... If you do that, and then ride a few miles (like you describe) it's going to be loose, because then the tension has "transfered" to the part of the chain that gets pulled on, and the lower part is a lot looser... The reason being that the engine is much stronger than you...

Tip one... Take a screwdriver with a round stem, that fits in the teeth of the sprockets... Hold it at the bottom of the wheel sprocket and roll it into the chain/sprocket semi hard 2-3 times after you have set the chain... That way you get all the slack in the lower part, just like after riding a few miles... End result, you can then tighten the chain a little bit more, before locking it...

Tip two... The stock adjusters on the VTR sucks, bigtime... They have to much play in them and are notoriously inaccurate... The only way to know that you have set the chain straight, is to measure with a set of calipers and looking along the chain...

Keep in mind that until you have locked the axle, the play in the adjusters combined with the weight of the chain/wheel will pull the wheel crooked, so you need to use your hand to push the wheel forward into the adjusters when you measure and look otherwise it will sit crooked once you lock it and the chain moves...

Tip three... Another thing I found that helped me on the stock swingarm, was to reverse the axle... Ie put the nut on the chain side instead on on the brake side... For whatever reason (rotation of nut vs play in the adjusters probably) it made it easier for me to get the axle, adjusters and chain lined up all at the same time...