Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!
 

As I've mentioned a hundred tiems before, I am mechanically challanged--here is the proof. Tonight i decide to install my newwheel set. After 2 hours what i have to show is a roudned out nut, a big black mark on my wall, a ripped open thumb, and a rear wheel that i"i think" is centered but creaks/clanks every so often when i rotate the cranks really fast.

Then, after this fiasco, some dumb part in my brain says "hey while your working on the bike, why not adjust the seat?"----Stupid G.D. Bianchi Pista seat post--the G.D. nut wont stay in its groove, the crappy seat post has the threads too close to one another so that everytime i get the seat dailed in where i want it and start to tighten--yup, stupid nut falls out and/or seat rail clamps slide forward 2-3 notches. Ok, untighten----move seat back----repeat---same result--swear at bike---throw tools at wall ---drink 3 shots and try again


GRRRRRR!

It honestly shouldn't be that hard. I think you're making it tougher than it should be.

no matter how many times i redo the rear whell, it always is closer to the drive side by a little bit--i cant figure it out--i've tried pulling like hell on the other side to even it out but to no avail---and what the yel! is the intermmittent clunking sound????

do it with the chain off..if its too loose or tight.. do it again.. at least it will be straight.. and as for the seat.. you have to factor those 2 or 3 notches into the picture.. start 3 notches back.. so when you tighten.. it goes to where you want..

the clunking is prob. the chain is too tight.. or theres a tight link..or...um.. your wheel is crooked.. so the cog is too

how the hell do i get the chain back on then if i et the axel with it off?

take it off the front chainring..tighten wheel.. then put it back on chainring and spin pedals.. it should pop back on

Try tightening the drive side down REALLY good then doing the non-drive. That's how I do it. Seems to work OK.

And BTW, the whole 3 more shots try again thing can be really bad. Trust me on that one. When I get really super frustrated, I sometimes to 6 more shots and pass out. For some reason it's easier to get everything back together in the morning after some espresso...

I hold the wheel and the stays near the BB. This lets me hold it centered and push back to keep the chain tensioned.
Tough to say about the noise. Sounds like you have a tight spot. Turn the crank and see if you can spot the chain tightening/loosening. If you find a tight spot, you can sometimes fix it by loosening the chainring bolts just a little. This will let the chainring slip over and reduce the tightness.
The seatpost just requires finagling or purchase of a cheap two screw post that allows fine adjustment.

thats what i did--

the centering is only about 1 cm off--i dont know how i am going to get perfect centering while eyeballing it---its like either the chain tension is perfect or the centering is perfect


the seat post thing is just a PIMA----i justs takes a lot of attempts and patience--a virtue i do not possess


edit: does the centering have to be perfect---the whell its in contact with anything--it is just a tad closer to the drive side than the non-drive side--will this be a problem?

You may be mocked.
You might notice the bike tracking a little funny, but probably not.
Another trick is to leave the drive side nut tight, loosen the other side and shift the wheel, using the stay to push or pull against.

yes it should be centered.
that popping you're hearing could be from teeth on the cog hitting the plates on the chain.
if your wheel is angled, your cog is angled.

seriously.. do it with the chain off.. if you can't center the wheel with the chain off.. put the tools down and bring it to a shop.. you have no right tinkering with bikes

my dad once taught me about car repair: if you're frustrated to the point where you're damaging stuff, stop. Relax, read the paper. Have a beer. Don't let it consume you. Try again when you're indifferent and can think straight.

As time has progressed, this has proven to be immensely valuable advice.

chain tensioners are your best friend.

i finally got the wheel centered and have 1/2 of play in the chain--my drivetrain is still hella noisy (partly b/c it is not oiled yet). i think the clunking noise is definately the chain coming onto/off of the sprocket in one spot--dont know how to fix this----chainline shouldnt be a problem w/ a track hub on a track bike, right?

I still dont get how i am suppussed to center the wheel with the chain off---with only 1/2 inch play in the chain, there is not enough slack to pull it off the chainwheel. likewise, if a take off the chain, center the wheel in the length where the chain tension will be 12 inch play, there is not enough slack for me to pull the chain back on the chainwheel.

i dont have a bikestand---i just have the bike flipped and am eyeballing it

edit: the only "tools" i am using is a 5/8 wrench

there should be a bike geek squad. call them up, go buy some beer for them, they show up, problem solved.

i thought thats what this forum was!

well, where is the rest of the GB crew???

somethings are hard to explain over the internet. i'd start with finding someone with a 15mm wrench.

do you know how to do anything useful besides fix bikes? Maybe you're a roofer and someone needs some shingles laid down. Or you can trade other things:

I once bartered a DVD full of music (which is a lot of music, by the way- 4.7GB) for a good amount of bike help from a guy who was a real wrench. He showed me how to do all sorts of things to my bikes- it worked out great for everyone. I posted on craigslist in 'barter'. Or you can buy someone in Chi and on the forums some beersh.

EDIT: I thought you were in Chi, never mind about that. "it'd be a lot cooler if you did"

Yes, apparrently, I'm a complete idiot and can't even do something simple.


i give up--game over--i suck

Hey, walking's pretty cool too.

Using SAE wrenches on metric nuts is not a good idea.
Please buy yourself 1) tensioners 2)15mm wrench.

k.. this is how..

1. take wheel off
2. spin chain off of FRONT chainring
3. put chain ON rear cog
4.slide into track ends
5. estimate around where the wheel was..center...tighten
6.thread chain on top of chainring(the side facing up..).. and spin cranks.. make sure it doesnt get caught on chainring bolts or road cranks lip if you have one..it might be a little tight.. but give it a push.. it will go on.. its even possible to get a chain on thats way too tight.. so it will work if you have the wheel in the right place..
7.. ride bike.. if chain is too tight/loose.. repeat but adjust wheel accordingly

That works, but I think I like the earlier advice you gave of taking the chainring off. Of course, that is probably beyond the OP's current wrenching abilities...

i never told him to take the chainring off.. thats silly

I missed two leters that are probably trademarked by ebay by now twice in that post.

Sorry.

All of you are making this way too hard. Use the previously mentioned chainstay/walking technique.

a) Put chain on both the cog and the chainring with the rear axle loose in the droputs.
b) Pull back on the non-drive side nut first and tighten the nut moderately. The wheel will be cockeyed in the frame and there will be no tension in the chain. That's OK.
c) Then use your hand to manually push the front of the rim so it's roughly straight in the frame. You'll notice that the chain suddenly has a lot of tension. Moderately tighten the drive side nut.
d) Re-loosen the non-drive side nut and fine tune the wheel position til it's perfect.

At your first try the chain tension may be too great, so loosen the drive side again and fiddle with it until it's tight enough that it's impossible to push the chain off the chainring while you slowly (and carefully) spin the cranks. This usually freaks people out a bit because with this tension you hear a lot of drivetrain noise which may sound like grinding a bit. It's supposed to be that way. Fixed does not = silent. The people that leave a lot of slack for a quieter ride are the ones that wind up eating bumpers when they drop a chain.
There should be no noticeable droop in the chain in it's final tensioning, but there should also be no binding when you spin the cranks.

i think i finally got it---thanks.

i still hear an intermittent clunk every so often--its not at any given area in the rotation---i hope this goes away when i oil it up tonight

where does one buy new track nuts though----i really did a number on one of them

my chain gets noisy at random spots if it's been rained on and I haven't gotten around to relubing. If you still have the noise try flexing the chain from side to side between your thumbs (like you're snapping a twig) to try to loosen up a stiff plate.
You LBS would be the fastest way to get new track nuts.

Says you. You can have a silent bike with a properly tensioned chain. But silent on the stand and silent in the street are two different things- your drivetrain can be quiet enough to be functionally silent on the street and tight at the same time.