CHAIN ADJUSTER TRICKS: MR. KNOW-IT-ALL

ALL JAMMED UP
Dear Mr. Know-It-All,

Oh, great knower of all things motorcycle. When I adjust my chain, I always make sure I have the jam nuts real tight on both of the adjuster blocks. I put a screwdriver in the sprocket and run the chain backwards, so the axle is snug against the adjuster blocks. Once I know the chain is perfectly lined up, I tighten the axle nut. The problem I’m having is the jam nuts on the axle blocks keep backing off. No matter how hard I crank on everything, it still manages to come loose. How do I keep things tight?

Johnny Come Loosely

Via [email protected] 

This is a common dilemma perpetuated by the almighty “tighten until it spins freely” modus operandi. Gronking rather than thinking is a disease that has most certainly infected that mass of gray matter floating above the organs that process visual detail. Here’s an effective way to fix this: adjust your chain properly via the adjusters with the rear axle loose. Once correctly aligned and fit with the appropriate chain tension, tighten the axle. Next, with everything tight and nowhere for the wheel to go, release the tension on the adjusters by loosening them until they are no longer in contact with the adjuster block. Then readjust them so that they just back up to the chain block. Then tighten the jam nut. This relieves the tension, and they will no longer come loose.