New Laser Chain Alignment Gizmo

[Wcmike]

That is a great picture to show the greater accuracy of the laser. It looks pretty good by the stick and off to the left by the laser (assuming both gauges are properly seated). What do the swingarm marks say about all this?

You are too kind. The laser looks way off to the left. You can attest on how hard it is to hold the laser with one hand and the camera with the other. This was just a laser I had laying around. When I got it to "ride" the top of the alignment bar, it was just a little off.

That was just before I replaced the front sprocket 9 months ago and there was more wear on one side that I think matched the misalignment.

Since I read your alignment tutorial before I ever adjusted the chain, I've never looked at the marks.

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

 

[showkey]

One thing the Internet is good at .......is making things that were fairly straight forward and making the process a little more complex and or expensive. We are talking about a 1/32" over a 24" distance. My riders/ racers prefer to check the front/rear wheel, fork, frame, steering head alignment. Which can be done with lasers, tape measures, eye sight, 8' long light bulbs and or expensive alignment table jig.

I have used the swing arm marks, the eye ball sight line, the measure off the swing arm methods all reason reasonable accuracy for the job at hand. I had not prior used a laser to check the alignment.

So I pulled the $7.00 laser scissors out of my wife's sewing box. It worked perfect to check the chain alignment and was easy to confirm I did not have to change the alignment. But I sorta knew that before the process started.



As mentioned in this post and many others .......owners and dealers have had many confirmed cases getting the chain tension wrong..........having immediatate consequences.

 

[JDE]

Laser scissors! Now I've seen everything! LOL

 

[L.B.S.]

Laser scissors! Now I've seen everything! LOL

Exact same for me, lol! Ahroo?

 

[showkey]

Exact same for me, lol! Ahroo?

Laser scissors! Now I've seen everything! LOL

The amazing part they are $7.00 laser scissors..........not mention just like our chain.........when cutting fabric is 1/32" acceptable tolerance ??????

In every application ....Laser or tape measure or what ever.........it's still calibrated eye ball making the judgement. Just like a micrometer and feeler gauges have a learned " feel" and vernier caliper has feel and more eye ball judgement.

 

[Fuzzy]

One thing the Internet is good at .......is making things that were fairly straight forward and making the process a little more complex and or expensive. We are talking about a 1/32" over a 24" distance. My riders/ racers prefer to check the front/rear wheel, fork, frame, steering head alignment. Which can be done with lasers, tape measures, eye sight, 8' long light bulbs and or expensive alignment table jig.

I have used the swing arm marks, the eye ball sight line, the measure off the swing arm methods all reason reasonable accuracy for the job at hand. I had not prior used a laser to check the alignment.

So I pulled the $7.00 laser scissors out of my wife's sewing box. It worked perfect to check the chain alignment and was easy to confirm I did not have to change the alignment. But I sorta knew that before the process started.

View attachment 25967

As mentioned in this post and many others .......owners and dealers have had many confirmed cases getting the chain tension wrong..........having immediatate consequences.

If you have a laser, what are the scissors for?

 

[Ruggybuggy]

If you have a laser, what are the scissors for?

I expect you to die Mr. Bond!

[video=youtube_share;U1TmeBd9338]https://youtu.be/U1TmeBd9338[/video]

Just being silly.

 

[surf1div1]

Excuse my ignorance here, but what did you hold the laser against to keep it against the sprocket to see if it was off? Normally it would be held flush against the sprocket but has it that done ABOVE the chain? I believe the only way to incorporate the sprocket/chain alignments is below the axle, so what am I obviously missing that your aligning the laser against?

 

[Beemerphile]

Excuse my ignorance here, but what did you hold the laser against to keep it against the sprocket to see if it was off? Normally it would be held flush against the sprocket but has it that done ABOVE the chain? I believe the only way to incorporate the sprocket/chain alignments is below the axle, so what am I obviously missing that your aligning the laser against?

Both my original picture and the MotionPro video show using it on the bottom strand below the axle as you suggest. The picture that Mike took was with a loose laser lined up with the Motion Pro alignment tool's rod to see how it extrapolates.

 

[surf1div1]

Both my original picture and the MotionPro video show using it on the bottom strand below the axle as you suggest. The picture that Mike took was with a loose laser lined up with the Motion Pro alignment tool's rod to see how it extrapolates.

Thanks Beemer- Just was wondering how Mike accomplished any accuracy by free-holding the laser lined up with the rod. I'm not getting what he was validating. Since the laser is used against the sprocket , it appears that short of that any check is not what that instrument was intended to do. Was he trying to validate the accuracy of the M/P rod? I apologize if my confusion isn't clear but I thought that the laser was going to be more accurate by way of taking that line extended by the 'dot laser' to the front sprocket.

 

[Beemerphile]

Thanks Beemer- Just was wondering how Mike accomplished any accuracy by free-holding the laser lined up with the rod. I'm not getting what he was validating. Since the laser is used against the sprocket , it appears that short of that any check is not what that instrument was intended to do. Was he trying to validate the accuracy of the M/P rod? I apologize if my confusion isn't clear but I thought that the laser was going to be more accurate by way of taking that line extended by the 'dot laser' to the front sprocket.

Mike did not have a laser alignment tool. He had a MotionPro rod-style alignment tool and a loose laser. He shined the laser in line with the alignment rod to extrapolate the line and found it not so good. I think it is the equivalent of pistol sights and rifle sights. The longer sight radius makes for more accuracy. A longer rod on the MotionPro tool might do likewise. The laser tool gives the longest possible sight radius and no possibility of a bent rod. What is possible though is a factory-misaligned laser. I may validate mine before I use it again.

 

[showkey]

Thought it was already established that the index marks on the adjusters on many folks bikes were inaccurate? No faith in those at all.

Not sure everyone agrees ...........and as David said or asked.........the factory procedures and measurement indicators might be a accurate enough. Using any device ( ruler, caliper, micrometer, feeler gauge, laser site ) there is always the judgement of the user.

 

[Wcmike]

Thanks Beemer- Just was wondering how Mike accomplished any accuracy by free-holding the laser lined up with the rod. I'm not getting what he was validating. Since the laser is used against the sprocket , it appears that short of that any check is not what that instrument was intended to do. Was he trying to validate the accuracy of the M/P rod? I apologize if my confusion isn't clear but I thought that the laser was going to be more accurate by way of taking that line extended by the 'dot laser' to the front sprocket.

Accuracy is the question. And the goal. I had replaced my sprockets and chain at 16,500 miles a year earlier and I thought I might have some uneven wear. So with the new chain I'm going to try and use both the motion pro tool and that laser. Like all the examples given, I figure the extra length on the alignment is a good idea. I have found it pretty easy to "ride" the top of the motion pro rod with the laser if I use both hands. So I think I've got a better line than with the motion pro alone. I'm not recommending this method. Maybe I might in 10 to 20,000 miles when I put on a new chain. Maybe.



And like I said in the earlier posts, I'm not that a good mechanic. So this is a "What I'm doing." Not a "You should be doing."

Thanks Beemer- Just was wondering how Mike accomplished any accuracy by free-holding the laser lined up with the rod. I'm not getting what he was validating. Since the laser is used against the sprocket , it appears that short of that any check is not what that instrument was intended to do. Was he trying to validate the accuracy of the M/P rod? I apologize if my confusion isn't clear but I thought that the laser was going to be more accurate by way of taking that line extended by the 'dot laser' to the front sprocket.

Accuracy is the question. And the goal. I had replaced my sprockets and chain at 16,500 miles a year earlier and I was concerned about my alignment. Some pictures of the front sprocket are below, but it looked like I did have some uneven wear.

So with the new chain I'm going to try and use both the motion pro tool and that laser. Like all the examples given, I figure the extra length on the alignment is a good idea. I have found it pretty easy to "ride" the top of the motion pro rod with the laser if I used both hands. So I think I've got a better line than with the motion pro alone. I'm not recommending this method. Maybe I might in 10 to 20,000 miles when I put on a new chain. Maybe.



And like I said in the earlier posts, I'm not that a good mechanic. So this is a "What I'm doing." Not a "You should be doing."