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has anyone used the rack and pull adjustable hiem joint to align the engine/swing arm? any time i have changed shocks, i always have to wrestle with one of them to get the bolt in. i have never measured the shocks to determine if they were exactly the same length so i am not sure if is a swingarm or chock thing. this is one of the videos were they speak to the engine/bike being out of alignment
has anyone used the rack and pull adjustable hiem joint to align the engine/swing arm? any time i have changed shocks, i always have to wrestle with one of them to get the bolt in. i have never measured the shocks to determine if they were exactly the same length so i am not sure if is a swingarm or chock thing. this is one of the videos were they speak to the engine/bike being out of alignment
Makes sense as long as the upper frame rails are true.
With that abortion Harley calls single side adjustable rear shocks where the heavy coil on the left adjustment **** side simply overwhelms the box pen spring on the non-adjustable right side?
That weak azz spring on the right side begins “age sagging” while the over sprung left side stays pinned to the top and won’t even give up any laden sag unless you’re NFL linebacker sized.
My OEM shocks measured 12”on the left and 11 3/4” on the right when I replaced them at 3 years old.
Watched the video and saw NO CONFIRMATION that the rear wheel was in the same plane as the front wheel, Isn't that really the important part of this? I have been comfortable using a fine scale level held square against the front and rear brake disks to indicate any difference between the front and rear wheel vertical settings. If the frame were "perfect" I assume the fixed length link would be the correct length and everything would be aligned. If the frame is not "perfect" indicated by a miss alignment, does it make sense to align ONLY the rear wheel to the IMPERFECT frame? I AM NOT AN ENGINEER, just a guy who thinks about what makes the most sense to me. Sometimes INTUITION is wrong.
Watched the video and saw NO CONFIRMATION that the rear wheel was in the same plane as the front wheel, Isn't that really the important part of this? I have been comfortable using a fine scale level held square against the front and rear brake disks to indicate any difference between the front and rear wheel vertical settings. If the frame were "perfect" I assume the fixed length link would be the correct length and everything would be aligned. If the frame is not "perfect" indicated by a miss alignment, does it make sense to align ONLY the rear wheel to the IMPERFECT frame? I AM NOT AN ENGINEER, just a guy who thinks about what makes the most sense to me. Sometimes INTUITION is wrong.
IF the centerline through the steering neck bearings is true to the rear frame rails, then this process will work fine. I have to give some credence to the satisfied customer reports.
IF the centerline through the steering neck bearings is true to the rear frame rails, then this process will work fine. I have to give some credence to the satisfied customer reports.
No argument with your point, but then I must ask if every machine is out of alignment because the length of the non-adjustable link is wrong? Others have already shown that the extended length of the coil on shocks varies so not being easy to connect the second shock doesn't mean the alignment is off. One shock fully extended and the other not fully extended can induce a twist in the swing arm just as one strong spring and one weak spring could. This whole thing is starting to sound like a bunch of close approximations rather than a precise setting.
So, I'd like to think the my nice Ohlins shocks are the same length while laying on the bench, even though I've yet to do a precise measurement, but I will next time they are off. Still, even if they are off in length, and we know the OEM hand adjustable shocks ARE off, mismatched lengthed shocks aside, that cool little tool that the guy in the video uses is NOT off length wise. I agree, using your shocks as a gauge for alignment is not the best method, (even though it MAY be an indicator something is outtawack), but it's interesting how far off the measurement from right side to left side can be. If measured correctly........ $40 - $50 for SS rod ends and some quality threaded rod to try the adjustment method out, using any multitude of devices to measure the distances, would be a fun test, I think. I have every intention of doing this as soon as I have time away from this mini-house-remodel I'm in the middle of. So........... we'll see.
No argument with your point, but then I must ask if every machine is out of alignment because the length of the non-adjustable link is wrong? Others have already shown that the extended length of the coil on shocks varies so not being easy to connect the second shock doesn't mean the alignment is off. One shock fully extended and the other not fully extended can induce a twist in the swing arm just as one strong spring and one weak spring could. This whole thing is starting to sound like a bunch of close approximations rather than a precise setting.
The only truly accurate measurements would be from a rigid reference measurement system that is not attached to the bike.
A test ride is always required after any type of frame re-alignment, wheel alignment, or adjustment of the steering neck bearings or triple tree.
Normal variation in shock extended length means nothing.
Excellent presentation in your wheel alignment thread. I couldn't tell from the pictures what frame you had (perhaps easy for some, but not me). How does this work with the "new" frames (09 and newer) and with the cam adjusters, not the nut and bolt style? I can easily see vertical adjustments with an adjustable top link but the left-right adjustments are not as obvious as they were on the older frames and small wheel only left-right adjustments with the cams would seem to require a bit of grinding on one cam or the other.
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rack and pull engine alignment
