Space between wheel and swing arm

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

A couple of years ago I wrote about my travails getting my belt aligned. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...Problem-amp-Question&highlight=belt+alignment. I'm having the same problem again. I get the belt lined up just right and then when I tighten the axle nut the belt moves to the outside. I noticed, both last time and now, after the nut contacts the swing arm I have to turn it quite a few turns before it bottoms out. So I decided to see just what the problem is. I backed off the nut until it was loose. Take a look at the pic. There is about a 3/16" gap between the wheel and swing arm. Joe Meyer of Squared Away says typically there is about a 30 to 40 thousandths gap, just enough to slip the wheel in between the arms. I think a big part of the reason I'm having trouble is excess space between the wheel and swing arm causing one or both of the arms to bend as I tighten the nut. I am considering putting a washer in there to see if that helps.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[trikermutha]

Why not squeeze the swing arm all the way first before aligning the belt?

I understand its tight to swing the wrench but has to be done.

 

[Warlock]

A couple of years ago I wrote about my travails getting my belt aligned. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...Problem-amp-Question&highlight=belt+alignment. I'm having the same problem again. I get the belt lined up just right and then when I tighten the axle nut the belt moves to the outside. I noticed, both last time and now, after the nut contacts the swing arm I have to turn it quite a few turns before it bottoms out. So I decided to see just what the problem is. I backed off the nut until it was loose. Take a look at the pic. There is about a 3/16" gap between the wheel and swing arm. Joe Meyer of Squared Away says typically there is about a 30 to 40 thousandths gap, just enough to slip the wheel in between the arms. I think a big part of the reason I'm having trouble is excess space between the wheel and swing arm causing one or both of the arms to bend as I tighten the nut. I am considering putting a washer in there to see if that helps.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

View attachment 160445

I might be wrong, but looks like the spacer is in backwards. Hard to tell from the picture.
David

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I might be wrong, but looks like the spacer is in backwards. Hard to tell from the picture.
David

Nope. What you see is the flange spacer that goes into the wheel, the axle, and the mounting bracket for the brake.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Why not squeeze the swing arm all the way first before aligning the belt?

I understand its tight to swing the wrench but has to be done.

How do you propose I do that? There's a wheel that needs to turn in the way! Good concept though. Execution sucks!!!

 

[Warlock]

Nope. What you see is the flange spacer that goes into the wheel, the axle, and the mounting bracket for the brake.

Just wondering. The spacer big end fits toward the swing arm. Like I said hard for me to tell.
David

 

[trikermutha]

How do you propose I do that? There's a wheel that needs to turn in the way! Good concept though. Execution sucks!!!

Well then I have no idea what you are doing then?

You put it back together tighten the nut then I back off the nut a bit and the adjust the adjusters as needed to gap the belt to the pulley.

I normally mark where I had the adjuster's before I started and that gives me a ballpark starting point.

Well anyway good luck :thumbup:

 

[Highwayman2013]

Here’s a shot from my F3L looks different like the spacer is wrong.

 

[UtahPete]

I get the belt lined up just right and then when I tighten the axle nut the belt moves to the outside. I noticed, both last time and now, after the nut contacts the swing arm I have to turn it quite a few turns before it bottoms out. So I decided to see just what the problem is. I backed off the nut until it was loose. Take a look at the pic. There is about a 3/16" gap between the wheel and swing arm. Joe Meyer of Squared Away says typically there is about a 30 to 40 thousandths gap, just enough to slip the wheel in between the arms. I think a big part of the reason I'm having trouble is excess space between the wheel and swing arm causing one or both of the arms to bend as I tighten the nut. I am considering putting a washer in there to see if that helps.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

View attachment 160445

That gap you are encountering is exactly what I had on both my RTs when I removed and replaced the back wheel on both of them last fall. I assumed it was normal.

I had to fiddle with the wheel moving slightly as I tightened the big bolt but after a few tries (and some help from my wife turning the wrench while I held the wheel and tensioners in place), was able to get both of them tightened up to the torque setting (135 ft-lb I think?).

I've put thousands of miles on both bikes since then without any wheel alignment / belt tension issues.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Here’s a shot from my F3L looks different like the spacer is wrong.View attachment 160447

The parts diagrams show your axle is the same as mine other the adjuster block is different on the F3L. Maybe your pic shows it differently because it is all cinched up tight and mine isn't.

 

[Chupaca]

Curious...

From the picture it does look like the spacer is in backwards. The larger diameter of the spacer should face the swingarm the smaller diameter should go through the dust seal and line up with the bearing inner race. Should be the same on both sides. In highwayman2013's picture it looks correct. Only other explanation would seem to be your swingarm is too wide at the back ... :dontknow:

 

[cptjam]

Clamp

Mac, Remove the wheel. Use a large clamp to squeeze the swingarm together a bit. put the wheel back on. If all the spacers are there, installed correctly, it should squeeze together with the axle. Joe

 

[oldgoat]

I had that problem. I put a washer/shim in on the brake side of the wheel to stop the swing arm needing to be squeezed so much

 

[SpyderJerry]

axle moving

Put some lubricant on the washer and nut on the washer side to keep it from walking the axle as it is tightened.

 

[Mikey]

I personal would love to sit down with the person that came up with that system of adjusting the back axle, and slap some brains in his head! The slotted hole the, the adjusting screw that pulls but don't push and having to pound on the shaft to get it to go forward .GET REAL:banghead::banghead: That whole thing could be made a LOT better! One thing I think I have a habit of doing is loosening the shaft bolt to much before making my adjustments and it works agents me. Good luck, I feel your pain it is one of those PITA jobs.

 

[jtoro1]

A couple of years ago I wrote about my travails getting my belt aligned. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...Problem-amp-Question&highlight=belt+alignment. I'm having the same problem again. I get the belt lined up just right and then when I tighten the axle nut the belt moves to the outside. I noticed, both last time and now, after the nut contacts the swing arm I have to turn it quite a few turns before it bottoms out. So I decided to see just what the problem is. I backed off the nut until it was loose. Take a look at the pic. There is about a 3/16" gap between the wheel and swing arm. Joe Meyer of Squared Away says typically there is about a 30 to 40 thousandths gap, just enough to slip the wheel in between the arms. I think a big part of the reason I'm having trouble is excess space between the wheel and swing arm causing one or both of the arms to bend as I tighten the nut. I am considering putting a washer in there to see if that helps.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

View attachment 160445

The spacer is backward I checked my bike a 2015 RTS

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

The spacer is backward I checked my bike a 2015 RTS

Nope. What you are seeing in the photo is the flange end of the spacer. The smaller part goes inside the dust seal on the wheel. What you see as the small part of the spacer is the axle. But it does look like you are seeing the entire spacer, but trust me, it's in correctly.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Put some lubricant on the washer and nut on the washer side to keep it from walking the axle as it is tightened.

I'll try that. That's one of the things I did last time, 2 years ago, but it didn't help very much at all. The after market hitch I have is held in place by the axle so it serves as a washer on both ends. I used an additional washer last time but thought I'd see if I could get by without it this time. What I did now is use a center punch to put several pits on the hitch plate just below the axle hole. The idea is that as I turn the nut it will see greater friction on the lower side and help make it 'walk' forward keeping the adjusters tight. So far that hasn't worked so great either!

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Mac, Remove the wheel. Use a large clamp to squeeze the swingarm together a bit. put the wheel back on. If all the spacers are there, installed correctly, it should squeeze together with the axle. Joe

It does squeeze in tight as I tighten the nut. But during the several turns of the nut to get it squeezed in is when the axle moves rearward throwing the belt alignment off.

If by chance, and I'm sure not, you are suggesting to squeeze the arms together enough to permanently distort them closer, I don't think that would be wise. There's no way to know where the deformation would occur and could cause real problems. I believe the two arms probably deflect the same amount as I tighten the nut since they're built the same way.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Decided against washers

After thinking about some more I've decided that putting a washer between the swing arm and the wheel is not advisable. If I put it on the brake side that would move the rotor inward from it's designed position. That would offset the rotor within the caliper space and could lead to the pads not floating freely with respect to the rotor center plane. If I put a washer on the pulley side that might push the pulley inward away from the center plane of the two pulleys. That would just add to challenge of getting the belt to track properly.

From what UtahPete and oldgoat mention above it sounds like my situation is not unheard of. I'm guessing the gap, which is caused by the distance between the arms as built, is caused by the swing arm distance being at the maximum of the manufacturing tolerances.