Hey all, New member and unfortunately it's because I have a major issue. I am a new Harley owner. I have been on sport bikes for the past 20 years. I woke up a few weeks back and said it's time to start cruising and slow down and not be so reckless. So I bought a 2003 FXD Anniversary Edition. It was wrecked when I bought it, but supposedly not bad. I was told a bent swing arm, 2 dents in tank, the coil wire and a hole in the Inner primary cover.

Turned out, the bike had been hit from side/behind and it snapped the swing arm pivot shaft clean off the back of the transmission housing. I didn't notice this as it was dark when I bought it and the guy at the dealership lied to me and told me the swing arm was simply bent. Anyways, spilled milk, life goes on lesson learned.

So I bought a new transmission, Inner and outer primary covers, all the gaskets and bearings, swing arm, and new oils and filters. I get it all installed and I am stuck on the tire/swing arm alignment part. The rear fender mounts are obviously bent some or so it looks to be. I have since bent them over just a bit from the picture below. I have adjusted the stabilizer link on the top of engine as well as aligned it the best I could via front mount and rear mounts even though they don't really move much.

The problem I am left with is the wheel is physicly off center in the sub frame. So much so that even after I straightened the rear fender mounts that once the fender is installed, the tire rubs the right side looking from behind. I am not sure what else to do. I know the mount under tank adjust the left and right vertical of the motor, trans, and rear tire. I know the adjusters on the rear wheel for the axle move the tire in and out on the axle as a pivot point. The issue is the entire wheel needs to move left literally a 1/2".

I have 1 small spacer on the right side, on the left(belt side) I have the larger spacer which is how it came off. It just seems like it's all wrong. Sorry for the long post I am just at wits end here. To clarify, the frame is supposedly straight as a tech at the local HD dealer who came and took a peak at this when I got it measured some things and said the frame is straight. He was the one who noticed the shaft mount busted. The wreck that broke this mount was a car hit it from side/behind at 5mph so it wasn't enough to do major frame damage, just enough to split the aluminum case, which BTW, is pretty dang thin.

 

Hrmmm 73 views and not one helpful response or suggestions. Maybe I posted on the wrong HD forum or technical area/site? That or perhaps no one has ever encountered or came across this issue before. I will check back in a few days and keep searching the web for answers. Just anxious to get my bike back on the road as it is a daily ridden bike to save on gas.

Thanks,
Brian

 

i think it would take more than a 5mph hit to do that type of damage CI. those cases are strong as hell. really hard to say the frame is not bent from just looking. It needs to be put in a jig by someone who does it everyday.maybe time to build a custom.

 

Top shock mounting points are bent.
Rather difficult to get a clear understanding regarding angles from a handful of pictures since reference points can be altered visually by camera angle.
Suggest placement of bike on lift and then use a pin to hold a string from center front tire pad to rear tire to evaluate if bike is dog tracking.

 

As a newbie you can be excused for thinking we are all waiting for each new question to pop up, before we pounce on it mob-handed! Doesn't work like that - we're all volunteers and it can take a lot of views before someone with the right expertise and answers calls by. Patience is a virtue! If you want immediate answers you need to find someone local to you who can inspect your bike and do any repairs for you.

In any event, you need to get the frame inspected by someone with the right jigs and equipment IMHO. Your factory service manual may have critical dimensions for you to check frame geometry yourself, but there is no substitute in these circumstances to a hands-on expert. I had an Anniversary Dyna myself for several years, but no longer have the manuals, so can't check for you.

Best of luck sorting out your bike, but take care next time before buying a pup!