the manual says 12 mm play in the middle of the chain. Mine was like 30 mm after just 300 miles. When I reading the manual, decided to do an adjustment. The retaining lugs of the adjuster were somewhat loose. I kept the bike on the side stand (because I do not have anything else). Adjusted it (left 4 notches free on each side). I then tightened up the retaining lugs -- really tight (probably over 120 lb/ft) by hand Drove for just a little bit, -- but it looks like chain loosed up a bit -- but is better than before. I am wondering if I should have had it on the dirt bike stand (or go to a mechanic -- there is no husky dealer nearby). Or if what I had done is ok (the manual does not say that I need the rear wheel of the ground to adjust the chain).
You don't need the wheel off the ground to adjust the chain. You do need to compress the suspension to line up the counter with the swingarm to reach the tightest point of the suspension travel - that's the only way to tell if it's properly tensioned. Most get them too tight and it plays havoc with bearings, seals, both motor as well as swingarm and wheel. Better a bit loose that too tight. I've seen guys blow out their countershaft bearings and seals from an over tight chain. Not sure what you mean about 'retaining lugs'. If you mean the adjuster bolts, they should be snugged up to the axle once the axle nut is tightened, then cinch down the stopper nuts on the adjust bolts. 27mm axle nut, 10 and 12mm for the adjusters. Set the left side (drive side) to the right tension, then adjust the right side to the matching hash mark. Cinch the axle nut, tighten the adjusters. You're done. Sit on the bike, check tension. If it's too tight back it off. There should be just minimal play when seated on the bike. Another way to load it is with a ratcheting tiedown. You can do that on a stand. This is the more precise way because you can load it to the exact tightest point in the suspension travel and set your chain tension there. Once you've done it this way once then you'll know the exact amount of free play when unloaded to set to in the future. That's the idea behind the factory spec, but it's open to too much interpretation and most will set it too tight. Too loose and it's noisy and you get a lot of gas-on gas-off snatch or lag. These bikes tend to run a pretty loose chain, almost as bad as the KTM's. Them things look like they're ready to fall off.
Brown is right...when they're set correctly, you'll get random people approaching you and telling you your chain is loose. It will be laying on top of the swingarm when the bike is on the sidestand. Find a buddy heavy enough to sit on the bike so the front sprocket, swingarm pivot and rear axle are all lined up. The chain should have just a little slack in it at that point. Also...the rear axle nut (you're calling it the "retaining lug" I think) does need to be very tight. Torque specs are 90-something, which is about as hard as I can turn the wrench. The fore-and-aft adjusters do NOT need to be too tight. They're just little bolts and don't really hold anything together after the axle nut is tight.
Just to clarify, it's actually 12mm between the top of the chain and the bottom of the swing arm at the top of upward chain deflection. I actually went to talk to my Husky mechanic and asked if this is correct, he told me that the bike should be on the side stand and unloaded when making the adjustment. I can't wrap my head around how this technique won't make the chain over tight when it's loaded, he insisted it was the correct way for adjustment though. My question is how could the Husky engineers etc. make a potentially catastrophic error in design and to write the manual with such oversight. Or are we all wrong on how we think it should be adjusted? So what's the deal, if everyone adjusted as per the manual wouldn't there be an awful lot of blown counter shaft seals and snapped chains that Husky would be liable for warranty claims? Not sure what to think about this and still not really sure what spec I should be using...
No, that is wrong... The distance to the swing arm has nothing to do with it... The measured deflection is in the center of the chain on the bottom. The distance is from the chain when it is tight to the chain when it is pressed upward in the center as far as it will go. If the chain has zero slack, this measurement will be zero. The easiest method is to measure off of the swing arm (NOT 12mm, but just to have a non-moving reference point) Stretch the chain up and measure, then down and measure. The deflection (12mm) is half of the difference between those two measurements (should be around 24mm).
I think part of the confusion is how the bike should be loaded when measuring. I think it is important that the owner use whatever method at his disposal to check the chain when the sprocket, swingarm pivot and rear axle are aligned. The bike has to be loaded to do that. Then you can use the 12mm chain flexion measurement. Once you do it this way at least once, you can then put it on the sidestand, check how much slack is in your chain -- write it down somewhere -- and then check it in the future while on the sidestand. The problem with using a universal "check it on the sidestand" approach is that every bike will settle differently when on the sidestand. Different shock settings, accessory weights, play in the sidestand mount, etc.....
You can't measure to the swingarm... what happens when you change sprocket sizes? It looks like the diagram in both the owners manual and the shop manual are wrong. ETA: here is the correct way to measure chain tension: The difference is the total slack, which should be around 24mm or ~1"
Yeah, sometimes my common sense and what I read don't always jive well together, causes massive conflict in my life especially when it's regarding my ride!
I was very suspicious that something was not right when I’ve had to adjust –again- the drive chain after a 100km ride. The chain is not high quality, I know, but it’s pretty new (1.500km, aprox.) Besides EricV and RDTCU suggested me (in other thread) that my chain seemed a bit tight… so I decided to take a close eye to it. The way I’ve check it is quite simple: I've loaded the bike with 60 and 75Kg. If I adjust the chain as the manual says (that is, 0,47in (12mm) as showed in this picture)... ...when I loaded the bike with 75kg, the chain was pretty tight. Is not that is going to break, but for me is too tight. No weight on the bike: 60kg on the bike: 75 kg on the bike: Later I adjusted the chain to 0,23in (6mm) (as showed in the manual) and when I loaded again with 75kg, the chain looked good (not too loose, not too tight) So, my advice, if your bike has Z 14/42 sprocket like mine, change from 12mm clearance adjustment to 6mm. I hope from now on I won’t have to adjust the chain so often and this information could help somebody
Hi, RDTCU Only as information. If I take "A" measurement now I get aprox 35mm (with no weight on the bike)
When i fitted the new chain after the OEM one snapped, i took the bottom shock bolt out and wedged the wheel up until the swingarm was level, in a straight line with the sprocket, then adjusted my chain so it was almost tight. I put the shock bolt back and measured the slack in the chain, with the back wheel off the ground. I pulled the chain down and measured between the slider (roughly between the roller and sprocket) and the top of the chain, and it was 5cm.
We call these 'necro-posts'. LOL. Rising up from the dead files from four years ago. Ya, run 'em loose. I pretty much never adjusted my first chain, always ran fine. Started to get kinked links so I replaced it and the sprockets at about 6K. Maybe another thousand on it and have pretty much left the chain as is, just clean it with WD and then PJ1. Stays good.
Yes, I checked the same but by loading the bike with 75kg on the seat, as you can see in the last picture of #12. Now, if I put the bike on a stand, with the back wheel off the ground, pull the chain down and measure just between cross lines (Point "A" in the pic) I get 43mm approx. (chain just touches the chain protection). If I take this measure just where the chain protector ends ("B" point)... 35mm. Anyway, may be the difference between you and I comes because I took the shock absorber to a suspension mechanic (long story) and I think he made it a bit shorter (the stroke) that the original.... and so when my wheel is off the ground is not as low as yours. And yeah, these are "necro-post" , I know, but I think that is better for the forum to "rescue" this one from the "ancient times" than open a new one with the same theme. I'm a tidy mate
And actually you can kill yourself as well! A broken chain jammed in the primary gear (or around your foot) could soon have you airborne … like a rocket scientist … the landing may not be soft …. (Take note how pedantic racers are about chains)
This is how I know you haven't been around bikes that long... If the chain is set too tight, the first full suspension compression could destroy it, especially on a bike with long suspension travel. Most experienced riders would feel the difference before that point, but it's entirely possible. Trigonometry, yo...
