YOWSAHHH,,,,,,,,close call this morning,,

[Hitndahedfred]

WHEW !!!
On my way to work this morning I nearly had a bad thing happen.
Came around a corner,, I was running around 60 or so and all of a sudden the ass end whipped out.
I had thought it was just something on the road but then I heard chain slapping,,so I knew something else had happened.
After I pulled over and got to looking I saw that the left block for the chain tensioner had fallen out and the rear wheel had gone crab on me.
Luckily I had some tools (40 year old bike you better carry tools) and there was just enough of the bolt that I could run it onto the axle plate to keep the rear wheel from crabbing again.
The pucker factor was a 7 out of 10.
Now I will redo the whole chain tensioner thing,, gonna get rid of those "pull" brackets and do something that "pushes" the rear wheel back to keep the chain snug.

 

[upthemaiden]

Yikes! I had a chain fall off and lock up my rear wheel once in what sounds like a similar situation.

Good call on trying to replace them with something different. I've always loved those axle adjusters that are long bolts that thread through the front of the frame plate and actually press straight back on the axle, not sure you can make those work unless you have pretty thick plates to begin with.

What's the other piece that's welded in front of your axle, almost looks like a thin bicycle sprocket?

 

[gggGary]

nothing wrong with pull tensioners, are the locating holes for the bolts in the hardtail deep enough? Many hardtail flanges are too thin for the brackets and need "doublers"

 

[Hitndahedfred]

nothing wrong with pull tensioners, are the locating holes for the bolts in the hardtail deep enough? Many hardtail flanges are too thin for the brackets and need "doublers"

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I think that was the exact issue. If you look closely at the bracket you will notice it is "necked down" at the axle plate.

 

[gggGary]

PS masterlink clip looks like it's on backwards, the opening should always be opposite of chain travel direction.

 

[Hitndahedfred]

Yikes! I had a chain fall off and lock up my rear wheel once in what sounds like a similar situation.

Good call on trying to replace them with something different. I've always loved those axle adjusters that are long bolts that thread through the front of the frame plate and actually press straight back on the axle, not sure you can make those work unless you have pretty thick plates to begin with.

What's the other piece that's welded in front of your axle, almost looks like a thin bicycle sprocket?

=====================================================================================
That is where I has my license plate bracket welded on. It vibrated and broke off. I just have my plate now on the bottom of the sissy bar.
To redo the tensioner I'm thinking of just welding nuts to the axle plate in front of the axle to push it back.

 

[kshansen]

Can't see from that picture angle, is there a hole for that pusher bolt to pilot into?

I'm just wondering if the axle nut was properly tightened, the pusher screws really only should be doing duty to hold the adjustment on the chain while the axle is tightened. In just over 50 years of riding motorcycles, everything from little 60 CC up to 1200 CC bikes all have used that same type of adjustment and I have never had one fail. Not to mention the millions of other bikes on the road!

Just a thought, is that hardtail powder coated? A thick powder coat job could leave too slick a finish and let things slide. Either that or chip off after being tightened and cause tension to be released on the axle.

 

[gggGary]

Travis sells plate doublers. Would probably have to adjust them to the TC bros hardtail.

 

[Paul Sutton]

I am glad you did not get injured. I like those chain adjusters but I make sure I set the torque correctly on the axle. It is up at 100ish ftlb - that is tight! Now I see why.

 

[gggGary]

https://www.chopsource.com/axle-plate-spacer-set-for-style-a-or-c.htmlhttps://www.chopsource.com/axle-plate-spacer-set-for-style-a-or-c.html

 

[apljr]

I always thought this style of chain adjuster was interesting:

 

[xjwmx]

You need to cut a notch like this to keep the screw, like the stock part has. What you have is either unfinished or designed for a different kind of adjuster.

 

[fredintoon]

WHEW !!!
On my way to work this morning I nearly had a bad thing happen.
Came around a corner,, I was running around 60 or so and all of a sudden the ass end whipped out.
I had thought it was just something on the road but then I heard chain slapping,,so I knew something else had happened.
After I pulled over and got to looking I saw that the left block for the chain tensioner had fallen out and the rear wheel had gone crab on me.
Luckily I had some tools (40 year old bike you better carry tools) and there was just enough of the bolt that I could run it onto the axle plate to keep the rear wheel from crabbing again.
The pucker factor was a 7 out of 10.
Now I will redo the whole chain tensioner thing,, gonna get rid of those "pull" brackets and do something that "pushes" the rear wheel back to keep the chain snug.

Hi 'fred,
good that the bike didn't throw you onto the street and I hope that you retained bowel control during the incident.
But don't blame the chain tensioner. I'd look at the guy who didn't reef up the axle nut hard enough.
All the chain tensioner is designed to do is to let you adjust the chain tension and rear wheel alignment.
Then you reef up the axle nut real tight with a cheater pipe to hold the axle in place.
BTW do your hardtail's axle plates have indents drilled into them to keep the adjusters' screw ends located?

 

[angus67]

Nice nail. Make the notch deep. Same happened to me leaving my drive way. Chain jumped the sprocket. Notch wasnt deep enuf

 

[jamesgs4]

also tighten your axle nut to 108 ft/lbs.

 

[Hitndahedfred]

Hi 'fred,
good that the bike didn't throw you onto the street and I hope that you retained bowel control during the incident.
But don't blame the chain tensioner. I'd look at the guy who didn't reef up the axle nut hard enough.
All the chain tensioner is designed to do is to let you adjust the chain tension and rear wheel alignment.
Then you reef up the axle nut real tight with a cheater pipe to hold the axle in place.
BTW do your hardtail's axle plates have indents drilled into them to keep the adjusters' screw ends located?

That all would be on me my friend. I looked there is no detent on the axle plate,,,there will be tho before I ride again.

 

[Hitndahedfred]

Travis sells plate doublers. Would probably have to adjust them to the TC bros hardtail.

It's a VooDoo Vintage,,,i will look into those too.

 

[Hitndahedfred]

Ride and learning,,,the HARD WAY.
Deep sigh

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Fred, you may want to take a slow stroll thru this:

http://www.xs650.com/threads/any-guesses-as-to-what-caused-this.34841/

 

[MaxPete]

Travis sells plate doublers. Would probably have to adjust them to the TC bros hardtail.

Yup - that was my comment too except that this particular case, the master link wasn't the culprit.

You got lucky on rthis one Fred.

Pete