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So I recently changed my rear tire and with that I followed the service manual and marked everything before I took it apart so I'd know my starting point for putting it back together. After reassembly I felt the belt needed to be adjusted so I went ahead and did that.
The manual says the axle should be the same distance on both sides but after my final adjustment the belt was off to one side on the sprocket as I spun the wheel. It was obvious that if I brought one side back or forward the belt would center. So I did that and by hand rolling it the belt is near center now. But of course the sides don't measure the same anymore. Not a big difference, a little over a 1/16.
So I'm looking for opinions... center the axle again and let the belt drift to one side or leave it uneven and have the belt centered.
So I recently changed my rear tire and with that I followed the service manual and marked everything before I took it apart so I'd know my starting point for putting it back together. After reassembly I felt the belt needed to be adjusted so I went ahead and did that.
The manual says the axle should be the same distance on both sides but after my final adjustment the belt was off to one side on the sprocket as I spun the wheel. It was obvious that if I brought one side back or forward the belt would center. So I did that and by hand rolling it the belt is near center now. But of course the sides don't measure the same anymore. Not a big difference, a little over a 1/16.
So I'm looking for opinions... center the axle again and let the belt drift to one side or leave it uneven and have the belt centered.
Steve
Why do you assume the belt should be in the center?
Did the manual say to align it so the belt tracked in the center or did it say to measure equal distances?
Same answer as above...lol. It doesn't but it would seem to make sense. If the belt is dragging on one side that should tell us that the wheel is not truly centered.
And I agree.... neither have I but if the frame is truly equal distant on either side, the belt should track in the center. But this is the feedback that I'm looking for...Thanks
And I agree.... neither have I but if the frame is truly equal distant on either side, the belt should track in the center. But this is the feedback that I'm looking for...Thanks
Harley has a "rough" way of wheel alignment that seems to work cause it's easy to do but not exact. For exact you really have to align to the front wheel not the frame.
Same idea with the "rough" sprockets, belt goes where it wants to.
I realize the discussion is about Softails, and this may be totally irrelevant due to the cams on the Touring axles which pretty much take the guesswork out of rear wheel alignment, but my belt (2018 FLHXS) is perfectly centered within the pulley when adjusted per the factory service manual.
Rear Wheel Alignment
