I know this is probably somewhere on this forum but I'm new to this place and I'm having a hard time finding stuff I have a question about my axle spacers on my 96 Harley Sportsters for 1200 I took off the rear tire took it down to a shop to have a new tire mounted and balanced when I got back I tried to put it back together and it seems I'm missing a spacer now I have the spacer that's about a half inch long with a groove in it and I'm pretty sure that's the spacer I need but I'm missing the one inside the wheel in the hub my question is did I just flat-out lose it somewhere or is it possible that sense that inside hub can move around a little bit without the axle bolt through it could I have lost that little spacer inside the hub somewhere? I thought maybe I lost it somewhere in my shop and tore the entire place apart I have changed wheels around befor but only on dirt bikes. This is my first cruiser.

 

A few suggestions....
1. Get a manual...But till then
2. Check here...
http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.....asp?make=hdmc
3. Post your question in the sporty section...Go rite to the owners dirrect...
Good Luck...Glad to see you are servicing your own ride!!! Tim....

 

Yep, you lost a spacer. It most likely was stuck to the hub with grease when you took it to your indie. Check your vehicle that you used to take the wheel in. If you don't find it your local dealer should have it.

 

Are you talking about the spacer that goes in between the bearings ? If so its normal to have play until you tighten the axle nut. If it is the spacer in between the bearings. That spacer is shimmed so that when you tighten the rear axle it tightens down the tapered bearings just enough to seat them into there races. If it's not in there when you tighten the rear axle it will sgueeze the bearing into the races. This will put a lot of pressure on the bearings. And cause the to fail. They need that spacer so the can just sit into the races. It's what's called a floating axle. The axle just holds it together. There is actually no pressure on the axle itself. It's all on the bearings. So if they are not spaced out properly it squeezes the bearings into the races and that's not good. The tire will still spin just not the way it's meant to and eventually the bearings blow out. I had this happen to my front wheel. It wasn't spaced properly internally which put to much pressure on the bearings caused them to seeze up and snapped the axle. My hole front end dropped luckly I was going slow and I didn't loose the wheel completely

 

thanks for all your help guys I got my spacer Harley shop wanted to sell me two washers and two spacers that they said I needed to go on the axle even after I explained what I already had. thanks but no thanks they are wrong. I want to give a shout out to vintage V twin who found a spacer in a box first pic just by looking at it the exact same one I needed. cost me $5 Harley shop wanted 55. got it installed today and my woman and I put 50 miles on a test run. runs great. thanks love you guys I appreciate the help and the info.