Let me run this by all you gearheads……….

[Bluehole]

Yesterday I decided to check my 2014 RT-L for rear wheel alignment. I got 2 carpenter’s squares.

View attachment 89291 View attachment 89292



Butted one up against the spokes of the rear sprocket and butted the other up against the outside of the swingarm. To my surprise they aligned perfectly touching all along their edges.

So I hopped on the bike and went for a short ride stopping in the middle of a long straight stretch. Got off the bike and checked the gap at the rear of the belt/flange area. Had approx. .060” which is about 1.5mm or the size of a quarter standing on end.


With this knowledge I am going to come up with a way to permanently mark a line across the top of the swing arm so that I can simply check alignment by putting a square up against the spokes of the sprocket and looking to see that it aligns with the mark made. Simple/quick & easy.


The reason for the ride is I do not have a long enough straight stretch leading into my garage and the “jacking & turning the rear wheel” just does not seem to work for me.

 

[Bob Denman]

While I can't comment on how accurate this may be...
I still have to congratulate you, for your ingenuity! :clap:

 

[spydaman60]

as a cabinet maker that uses those tools daily, i would think your concept is sound, but i too am not sure how accurate that would be on your spyder. i can assure you however, that a laser allignment is well worth the money!!nojoke

 

[Bob Denman]

:agree: Ron is doing my bike tomorrow morning! :thumbup:

 

[StanProff]

I simply notice my belt on the rear flange about everytime I ride. I don't have a long streight to my house or garage but it never veries hardly over a 16th from the position it should be on the rear flange (a credit card width or so off the flange). I have had to adjust the belt alignment after every rear tire change, they say it shouldn't change the alignment putting on a tire but it does. I use the visual method to confirm the belt alignment cause it is what it is. Either it is good or not. It doesn't take any more measuring to confirm that. Just my two cents anyway. Now I'm going home and check it with a couple of squares anyway,

 

[exwinger]

using squares

I may be missing something here . Are you trying to actually check alignment ? If I read your method correctly , you're just checking the rear wheel to the frame. You can still be out of alignment with the front tires .

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Yesterday I decided to check my 2014 RT-L for rear wheel alignment. I got 2 carpenter’s squares.

Butted one up against the spokes of the rear sprocket and butted the other up against the outside of the swingarm. To my surprise they aligned perfectly touching all along their edges.

So I hopped on the bike and went for a short ride stopping in the middle of a long straight stretch. Got off the bike and checked the gap at the rear of the belt/flange area. Had approx. .060” which is about 1.5mm or the size of a quarter standing on end.


With this knowledge I am going to come up with a way to permanently mark a line across the top of the swing arm so that I can simply check alignment by putting a square up against the spokes of the sprocket and looking to see that it aligns with the mark made. Simple/quick & easy.


The reason for the ride is I do not have a long enough straight stretch leading into my garage and the “jacking & turning the rear wheel” just does not seem to work for me.

There is one, probably fatal, flaw with this approach. The rear drive sprocket is not connected solidly to the wheel. It is mounted in rubber dampers. The local service tech was telling me about this the other day. He said the rear sprocket will actually wobble some while riding so you can never be sure the sprocket (pulley) is parallel to the rim. That is also why the belt may not always track consistently, especially between reverse and forward movements.

 

[SNOOPY]

I may be missing something here . Are you trying to actually check alignment ? If I read your method correctly , you're just checking the rear wheel to the frame. You can still be out of alignment with the front tires .

Thats what I was wondering?

 

[Ramjet]

Yea rubber has tendency to "give" to be totally accurate check it after moving the machine a few times see if the measurements coorelate it will still only reference but it may give some idea.....