Is there a way to safely jack up my bike's rear wheel?

[Ian522]

I really need to tighten my chain. Seems easy enough to do...but the problem is getting the rear wheel off the ground to make the adjustment. I have no center stand or bike stand/jack or anything like that.

I do have a standard car jack, I was thinking of maybe putting a 2x4 under the crankcase and using the jack to lift it up. But then I dunno how the bike would stay upright and steady while up in the air.

Any ideas?

[jonnythan]

I really need to tighten my chain. Seems easy enough to do...but the problem is getting the rear wheel off the ground to make the adjustment. I have no center stand or bike stand/jack or anything like that.

I do have a standard car jack, I was thinking of maybe putting a 2x4 under the crankcase and using the jack to lift it up. But then I dunno how the bike would stay upright and steady while up in the air.

Any ideas?

I wouldn't use a standard car jack. A hydraulic jack with a plate lifter would be doable.

Just go get yourself a bike jack.

[flynrider]

I use a small (2-ton) floor jack with a short 2x4 across it. The floor jack is pretty stable, but you may have to come up with a different support, depending on your bikes design.


Ian, are you sure that you're supposed to jack the bike up to adjust the chain. Every chain driven bike I've ever owned specified that it should be on the ground for adjustment. This is because the suspension must be loaded to ascertain the proper play in the chain. If you adjust your chain to the proper tension with the suspension unloaded, then it will tighten up significantly when you set the bike back on the ground.

Your owners manual should spell this out.

[Sev]

Ian, are you sure that you're supposed to jack the bike up to adjust the chain. Every chain driven bike I've ever owned specified that it should be on the ground for adjustment. This is because the suspension must be loaded to ascertain the proper play in the chain. If you adjust your chain to the proper tension with the suspension unloaded, then it will tighten up significantly when you set the bike back on the ground.

Your owners manual should spell this out.

+1 to this.

[slimcolo]

Many even say to have rider sit on bike to check chain.

[Sev]

I've not seen this on Japanese bikes of late. But my instructor insisted that you needed at least 1/4" of freeplay with the rider sitting on the bike. So adjust it however, but the final say should be with the rider on it, no matter what.

At the shop we tend to leave them a little loose - they wear slower, and it's a way of erring on the side of caution for the rider. For me... mine should be set to exactly 29mm without luggage.

[Ian522]

Wow what I big dummy I am. I just read through the manual again, and you are supposed to leave the wheel on the ground when you make the adjustment. Thanks fellas you just saved me $100 that I would have spent on a jack.

I know its better to have the chain a bit loose than to have it too tight. But the manual calls for between 5/8in.-1in. of freeplay and right now it has over 2in. Im gonna go tighten it today before it flys off the sprockets and takes out my engine or me.

[ceemes]

summabitch........now you tell me this, after I get a shaftie????

For years I rode nothing but chain drive and did my own basic maintenance. The included adjusting my chain and yes, I ALWAYS put the damn bike up on its centre stand to do the work........why didn't anyone ever tell before I was doing it wrong?????

[HB Hemi]

Even though it no longer applies to the original post, I have seen pictures of people using the ratcheting tie downs looped over a beam in the garage to lift the rear end for service.

Tom