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Thread: Belt alignment problems

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Apr 2018
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    Belt alignment problems

    Just replaced the belt on my '06 SS. Everything seemed fine, until I went to back it out of the garage. I noticed a ticking sound accompanied by a quiet squeak. I looked, and the belt was 1/4 of the way off the idler. Rolled it back forward, and it worked its way back on. Every time I go in reverse, it does it. Put it back on the stand, and rolled the wheel manually, still did it. Thought I had a bent idler, or bad idler bearing, so I pulled it back off. That all seemed to be true and the bearing seems fine. Checked the alignment of the sprockets with a string, and they seem to be running true. Snugged the axle back up, and turned the wheel without the idler, and it still moves to the inside of the front sprocket when rolled forward, and to the outside of the front sprocket when rolled backward. I'm stumped. Any suggestions?

  2. #2
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
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    Don't go backwards.

    Seriously, I've had that same complaint and nothing came of it.

    The only mis-alignment issue I've seen is rear wheel bearings that were so bad you'd never want to ride it anyway. Do they spin smooth by hand when the wheels off the bike?

  3. #3
    Inactive
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    scrap the "rolling backwards to check" test. irrelevant. virtually impossible to have a bent belt tensioner arm...completely impossible to have a bent tensioner wheel. if the bracket slides freely onto and off the case mounting studs and the wheel spins freely it is fine. AS VIEWING BIKE FROM REAR if your drive belt tends to walk across the front pulley towards the motor more than approx. 1mm you have one or more of the following that need to be addressed:
    1-faulty wheel bearings
    2-bearings incorrectly installed along with spacer tube out of spec
    3-cracked wheel hub
    4-one or more faulty engine mounts
    5-severely worn swingarm bushings

  4. #4
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    Apr 2018
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    Thanks for the responses. I don't have the wheel off the bike, yet. I ran out of time before work yesterday. I ordered new bearings last night, figuring I may as well change them while I have it apart, hoping to get them installed this weekend. I will update when I get them changed.

  5. #5
    Banned
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    Did you follow belt removing installation procedure sequence exactly according service manual? If not you might bent swingarm due to inappropriately installed swingarm brace.

  6. #6
    Junior Member
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    Apr 2018
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    I followed it to the letter. The brace was easy coming off, and going on.

  7. #7
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    Update. Replaced the rear wheel bearings yesterday, and that seems to have fixed the problem. Belt doesn't walk at all, except a tiny bit (1/8") when backing it out of the garage, but as stated, that's irrelevant. Thanks for the help everyone.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Lunatic hit it on the head, again !

    Glad you got it fixed.

  9. #9
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
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