Ready for a long post? I have a 2001 Softail Deuce with 35,000++ miles. It's my first Harley but not my first bike. I've never owned a belt final drive system either, always chain drive. The bike has aftermarket American Ironhorse billet aluminum wheels on it. Recently I noticed the belt squeaking and adjusted it. I don't have a belt tension gauge but used the 45 degree twist on the belt method which seemed to work pretty well. After I adjusted the belt, I trued the rear wheel using a micrometer. A few hours of riding later I noticed the bolts that hold the pulley on had worked loose but not all the way. (The bolts are chrome by the way) It didn't appear that there was loctite on them so I didn't think much of it, my local shop had been known to forget the loctite or not torque bolts right in the past. I re-loctited the bolts and reinstalled them. a few weeks later they had worked loose again. They looked like loctite hadn't been applied again so maybe the loctite wasn't bonding to the chrome plated bolts as well as it should. This time when I reinstalled the bolts I used lock washers which worked fine for several more weeks. By this time the belt squeak had come back with a vengeance so I readjusted the belt again this evening. Before I readjusted the belt, I checked the bolts and they were fine. My girlfriend and I went for a short ride (2 hours) after adjusting the belt. I looked at the rear wheel bolts at a stop sign and they had started working out again &^%$ &^%$ &^%$ &^%$. I tightened them again and rode the last 2 miles home.

So on to my questions. Any idea why the rear bolts keep working out? The lock washers worked fine until I readjusted the belt. Should I try loctite and lock washers? Why would the belt keep working loose and why would the tightening of the belt and the bolts working out coincide? I wouldn't think my girlfriend and I would be exceeding the weight of the bike especially with some of the big people I've seen on Harleys. A high estimate of our weights together would be at absolute max 500 lbs including gear. I'll call my local shop tomorrow and check with them. Also as an added note the previous owner never had problems with the rear end.

Thanks for all your help in advance!

 

Rear wheel pulley bolts should be replaced and only used once IMO. You can get a rear wheel service kit which has all of the stock fasteners for both pulley and rotor with loctite already on them. Now lots of people re-use them once or twice with no ill effect but yours should be replaced if they are backing out. The belt has nothing to do with the pulley bolts unless you are loosening them.

Also, you should chase the threads in the wheel (preferably with a tap) and then clean with loctite cleaner before installing the new bolts.

 

Yeah, what he said. New bolts required.

 

Began happening with a train about a month ago. I finally went with clean Aircraft bolts, lockwashers, red locktite, and lockwire. Still check them every ride.

 

As mentioned before, only use the bolts once and install new ones each time the torque is broken on them.
Mi3ninos has a good idea about aircraft bolts and safety wire although I don't know how strong aircraft bolts are compared to grade 8 bolts. Nas (National Aerospace Standard) are the strongest a/c bolts and the ones I would use on a rear pulley. I wouldn't use AN (Air Force/Navy) or MS (Military Specification) on a rear pulley.
I don't think the bolt problem is related to your alignment, but would use the proper size bottom tap on the on the hub.
Your belt could be rubbing on something...

 

Thanks guys, I'll call the dealer and price a hardware kit. Mi3ninos, where did you get your aircraft grade bolts, someone else suggested something similar with the bolts and lockwire and I thought it sounded pretty wicked. I work for an FBO at an airport, wonder if they could order me something in?