Help!! How do i loosen up the chain??

[SaltLick]

Oh good grief. Will someone please explain to me how to loosen up the chain?

I took my MC to the local shop to get the chain tightened.  He tightened the chain, but He tightened up the Axle nuts and adjuster screws with a regular wrench. Tonight i took out my torque wrench to get it up to spec in case it wasnt (how could it be when he just used a wrench?) So i did the axle nuts right but I tightened the adjuster screws too tight, set the wrench for 10lbs instead of 5 like it says in the manual by mistake. Now the chain is too tight. I should have just left it alone. And the adjuster marks on the swing arm are not ligned up. One is at 3 marks and one is at 4. They were both at 4 before i messed with it.

I am confused. By what i have read, i didnt think tightening the adjuster screws once the axle nut is tight would do anything to the chain. I thought it would just tighten down the adjuster screws. This whole chain adjusting thing is pissing me off. It seems like it should be easy.

Why do the instructions i have both in the manual and online say to tighten the adjuster screws once the axle nuts are tight if it adjusts the chain tension?

Can someone please just give me dummie instructions:

[Howie]

The chain adjusting screws are there to help tension the chain.  Unless the axle nuts were loose it is unlikely you altered the adjustment, the screws likely would have broke first.  More likely, the bike left the shop poorly adjusted The reason for tightening the adjusting screws after the axle is tightened is so the screws don't come loose, allowing the end plates to dangle and damage other parts.

Anyway, to adjust, loosen the axle nuts, use the adjusting screws to position the wheel for correct tension and alignment, tighten axle, tighten adjuster screws.  Caution: it is easy to bend the cheesy adjusting plates.  Often the hash marks on the swing arm are not accurate.  Some people think this is a Ducati phenomenon.  This is true on other brands also.  Some people prefer to use the sprockets as a guide for wheel alignment, some people measure from the swing arm pivot to the axle, to me it is a matter of preference.

Chris Kelly has a "how to":
http://www.ducatitech.com/info/wheelchange.html

[ScottRNelson]

If the chain is too tight, you need to move the axle forward, which is not always easy.  This involves loosening the axle bolts as well as the two adjusters.  To get the side with the chain to move forward, often just moving the chain up and down is enough.  To get the other side to move forward, I'll often push sideways at the rear of the wheel to apply enough pressure to get it to move.

There are several ways to make sure your rear wheel is in alignment, and using the marks on the axle plates is probably the worst one.  I prefer the string method, but if you have a straight edge that is long enough, like a long fluorescent light, it can be set against the rear tire to measure the distance on each side to the edge of the front tire.  Even a tape measure to measure the distance of the axle from the swingarm pivot is better than using the adjuster marks.

I'll get the rear wheel aligned with the chain loose, then work the adjusters until I have about 35 mm of slack.  As long as you move both adjusters the same amount it will stay aligned.  I'll then tighten the rear axle.  When I finally tighten the adjusters the chain slack will be about right.  And remember, it's better to have a chain that is a bit loose than one that is too tight.

[DucHead]

... And remember, it's better to have a chain that is a bit loose than one that is too tight.

All the instructions/advice above are spot on, but this is very important. 

A chain that's too tight can cause real damage.  Anyone remember "phukaduc"?