VF500 F2 Rear Wheel Impossible!

I sat staring at the pictures you posted Jamie (on my IPhone) while looking at my bike and the kit installed on it and I cannot for the life of me figure out what is going on.

I do find it amusing that bikes have the same exhaust

 

SLOBIRD,can you post identical pics as jamies on this thread so we can all get a better idea of what is going on?

 

I can't either! Everything slipped together very easily and there was not even a hint of trouble for me.

I think his last photos are pretty close to the same perspective. It looks like the bracket is still sitting at an angle, and I'd really like to know why!

 

I just looked at your pics on page 8. It almost looks like your axel shaft might be bent, have you rolled it on a flat surface to make sure it is straight and true? The only other explanation I could think of would be if one or both sides of your swingarm may be bent from a previous wreck...

 

It installed very easily for me also...no issues putting everything together except for the rotor rubbing the bracket.

The Axle shaft doesn't look bent but I haven't removed it and tried rolling it on a flat surface.

The idea that the swingarm may be damaged has crossed my mind but it has been said on here that the force to damage the swingarm would be extreme.

 

off topic here but steve your bike looks badass since you painted it!!

 

Thank you! I will be starting a thread soon with pics of most of the build from begining to end. This bike started as a $500 end over end wreck. Now back to the regular programing :biggrin:

 

To my eye, it looks like the bracket on Jamie's set up is farther from the wheel. If you both have the exact same spacer in there, I would suspect the wheel bearing. Perhaps an after market bearing is thinner thus allowing the bracket to ride closer to the rotor. I would pull the bearing, see if it's stock or equivalent, if not, measure it and see if it's the same as stock. Plunk in a fresh one and really seat it. Just for kicks, install the bracket with it just ABOVE where it slides along the swingarm,(not locked onto the ridge) so it can rotate freely on the axle. Is it still crooked to the rotor? If not, you can suspect the ridge on the swingarm is pushing the bracket against the rotor. Just thinking out loud and for me, I like to factor out EVERYTHING when it's head scratching time.

 

The wheel bearing has already been changed. For the VF500 axle to work you must replace the bearings in the F2 wheel with different parts, which are the same parts the fit the VF500 rear wheel. The F2 and VF500 bearings have the same OD but different ID and thickness values. For a given ID/OD there is a standard thickness, there isn't such a thing as aftermarket bearings with a different thickness.

It looks ok to me at the axle, it's just getting pushed it at the other end of the bracket. It's almost as if the wheel is crooked in realtion to the swingarm. Slowbird - are you turning the chain adjusters all of the way out and checking this with the chain off of the sprocket? It's possible to angle the wheel in the swingarm buy trying to manipulate the wheel with the chain already installed. I install everything and move the wheel as far forward as it will go. Then you pull it back using the screws evenly until you get the correct chain tension.

That's not a bad idea.

 

What does the F2 rear wheel need to have in it exactly? The VF500 rear wheel bearing and what else?

I'd like to make sure everything in that wheel is proper since I myself didn't install anything in that wheel.

I do notice there is something inside the wheel that doesn't always line up and I need to rotate the wheel to get it to move in line with the axle.

The way I do it is after all the spacers and the bracket are in there with the axle I unscrew the chain adjusters as far as they will go and I push the rear wheel as far forward as it can.
I then put the chain over the Rear Sprocket and I pull the rear wheel back as far as the chain will allow.
Then I set the adjusters to be the same (i.e. 4 notches) and I slowly turn them until they are even and the chain has proper tension.

I don't even look at the bracket when doing this since the lining up of the bracket has no bearing on keeping the rear wheel straight...that's what the chain adjusters are for.

I can make the rotor sit straight in the bracket but the positions on the chain adjusters are way off and I fear the wheel is very crooked.

Or the swingarm tab. There isn't anything unusual about it but maybe it's a different size for some reason.

Let me make sure I understand this correctly:

Install the rear wheel and everything but just don't slide the Rear Caliper bracket on to the swingarm tab and see if it's still croooked?
But the axle will still be slotted through the caliper bracket hole?

Is that right?

 

The F2 wheel needs to have VF500F sized wheel bearings installed in it. There is a spacer tube that is inside the wheel between the bearings. This tube must be the F2 part. Since the F2 has a larger diameter axle, this tube will not fit tight against the axle. This is ok as it's sole purpose is to maintain bearing separation.

Based on what you've noted previously I'd say the wheel sounds ok. It's still a good idea to check it again just to be sure.

 

why not try putting everything together first before you put the chain on it make sure its lined up then install the chain

 

Yes, install everything the way you normally would except don't have the bracket locked onto the swingarm tab. Align the wheel with the marks. Tighten it all down. See if it rubs the rotor. This may tell you volumes if it rotates nicely with no binding.

 

I do...didn't my previous post say that?

I install everything (all spacers, the wheel, the caliper bracket etc)
I then push everything forward install the chain and then align the chain adjusters.

I can do all this and NOT install the chain but will it make a difference? Once I line up the notches on the adjusters so everything is straight the rotor starts rubbing the caliper bracket.

^^^ That sounds like a plan :thumbsup:

I'll try that next. Thanks!

 

you did say that sorry i slipped into dumbass mode :crazy:

 

Bah! Don't apologize.

Sometimes it can be hard to get points across on forums.

 

So I removed the rear caliper bracket from the swing arm tab and re-installed the kit:



No more rubbing

 

If you have tightened every thing down without it on the tab and everything lines up then the cause of the binding has to be the tab having too much material (either too far in or too thick to fit in the groove on the bracket). take a file or grinder and remove material as needed off of the tab as to allow it to fit without binding in the bracket notch.

 

Now I'm having tire/swingarm clearance issues!!!!

The 150 Dunlop is extremely close to the right side of the swingarm!


the notches on the adjusters are lined up and are even a bit off to shift the tire slightly away from the side of the swingarm.

 

I have already spent a while filing down the tab and it has done no good....I need to grind or cut off a good chunk of it.