Good Day,


I have a 1973 FLH with a Friendship II California Sidecar, which I have usd since 1984. In the last 2 years, steering wobble (Death Wobble) has gotten worse when the sidecar is empty and my speed reaches 30 mph. I know original sidecar units came with an adjustable triple tree (45690-69) but I guess these are expensive and rare. Has anyone tried the aftermarket steering Dampers (like 46700-60) ?


Thank you,


Jolly Roger

 

Yep ! They work pretty well . Mine is adjustable with a 4 or 5 position setting . My first Wide Glide which has a narrow 21" front tire felt a little squirrely at 100 MPH so I went from a 80/90/21 front tire to a 90/90/21 which is much taller & wider . That helped a lot but the steering damper really made all the difference in the world . Bike now feels like its on rails even with high side winds . Much more stable at any & all speeds !

 

I had a 96 ultra that I had a California sidecar on for a while. I added the steering damper because like you I would get the wobble. It took care of the problem. I drove the rig cross country with the damper and the trim motor and never had a problem. I was also way over weight with all kinds of camping gear ,6 gallon extra fuel tank...
I did scrub off a rear tire in 5000 miles but it was a metzler that was a softer and stickier tire anyway . Good luck,Eric