FXDF trees on a FXDB
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,949
Likes: 150
From: South of Mordor
Just my opinion, but the larger diameter spacer plate placed between the hub and rotor to space the rotor out is a much stronger surface area under braking the two small spacers with longer bolts holding on a caliper. The rotor has equal rotational pressure at the hub when the brake is applied, but the caliper is being pulled in that rotational direction when trying to clamp down on the rotor. The more the caliper stands off its strongest matting surface, the weaker is becomes with that pull effect.
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 236
Likes: 14
From: AZ
If you choose to run the either of the Wide Glide or Fat Bob trees with your stock legs, what you put between the legs doesnt change. The trees are the same width and both use 49mm legs, use the same 25mm axle. The difference between the two tree is just the rake. Currently with the stock Street Bob trees (zero degree rake, parallel to frame neck) your rake is 29 degrees. If you swap to the wide glide tree, you rake will push the wheel forward because your rake will be +3 (at 32 degrees). The Fat Bob will do just the opposite and bring the wheel closer and change the rake from 29 to 28 (-1 degree). Both the Fat Bob and Street Bob frames have a 29 degree necks, but the wide glide frame (i believe) has a 31 degree neck, giving the wide glide an over all 34 degree rake.
You can run the 21 up front with either tree, the spacing requirements would be the same.
so far I bought the fxdf trees and axle and I have all my fxdb stock parts.
Here is a question you might be able to help me with.
Say I wanted to do the conversion without using spacers. I know I would need a front wheel with a wider hub. Would I also need to get a matching width hub for my rear tire as well?
Do you know what might be the easiest set up to go with. From all that I gathered it seems that I should findo a fxdwg front wheel with a year fxdwg thst has only single sided brake mount on the sliders. I think someone said that I could possibly run the fxdwg hub with lowrider sliders as well and they should line up without spacers. I might be wrong about the last part but I thought I understood it to be that way.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,949
Likes: 150
From: South of Mordor
If your going mags, order the stock size for rear and what you want for the front, just say its for a wide glide or fat bob (single side brake) so the hub is wider and then use the axle spcers for that setup.
My avatar pic is the 21x3.5 wheel I used to run.
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 236
Likes: 14
From: AZ
Do you plan gon going mags or sticking with spoke wheels? If you plan to stick with spoke, you should be able to use a Wide Glide wheel with no issues. No change to rear since it is a 17 as you say you wanna run, unless you need to match hub colors. You can always swap the 21x2.15 hoop for a 21x3.5 drop dead center hoop for the wider tire ability.
If your going mags, order the stock size for rear and what you want for the front, just say its for a wide glide or fat bob (single side brake) so the hub is wider and then use the axle spcers for that setup.
My avatar pic is the 21x3.5 wheel I used to run.
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 236
Likes: 14
From: AZ
Do you feel there is any down side to using spacers as far as handeling or reliability? The reason I'm asking is, originally my plan was just to use spacers but then I read more than a few comments where guys said if you're going to do the conversion that you should do it the "right way" and not use spacers. So I'm wondering I'd there any real advantage to doing it the supposed "right way" or is this just opionion?
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 43
From: South Australia
Nothing wrong with spacers, my conversion with 8 years and a lot of hard riding with zero issues is proof. There is no way you can have any dramas with spacers as long as they are of the correct size and fitted correctly
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,448
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From: NW Ohio
Our bikes come from the factpry with spacers. Bearing and hub spacers. Like tat2, mine are all custom, but that because I'm running oddball **** amd making them was easier than trying to find something.
Rotor and sprocket/pulley spacers are ultra common. I bet more than half the customized bikes on the forum use at least one. Every chain conversion uses them. I'm using a Vulcan 10 bolt sprocket spacer that is bomb proof. No worries.
Sometime you just gotta start bolting **** together to find out what you need. I understand wanting to save as much riding time as possible, but you could always hold off the mods until the off-season.
Rotor and sprocket/pulley spacers are ultra common. I bet more than half the customized bikes on the forum use at least one. Every chain conversion uses them. I'm using a Vulcan 10 bolt sprocket spacer that is bomb proof. No worries.
Sometime you just gotta start bolting **** together to find out what you need. I understand wanting to save as much riding time as possible, but you could always hold off the mods until the off-season.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 43
From: South Australia
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From: Depends on who wants to know.........and why.
I'm putting new brake rotors on the fxdb in the future and I will put spacer(s) on the front rotor at that time. I was just using what I had on hand at the time I did the front end on the bike. I haven't had a problem with the calipers being spaced out a wee bit though.
As far as how my bike handles now with the FXDF trees. The only way I can describe it is that the steering seems a little more "stubborn" at slow speed. It didn't take long to get used to it. I also changed from 12" apes to drag style bars.
LOVE the drag style bars much better, never did get used to the apes.
As far as how my bike handles now with the FXDF trees. The only way I can describe it is that the steering seems a little more "stubborn" at slow speed. It didn't take long to get used to it. I also changed from 12" apes to drag style bars.
LOVE the drag style bars much better, never did get used to the apes.
Last edited by SixDD; Jun 2, 2018 at 11:00 PM.
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 236
Likes: 14
From: AZ
Our bikes come from the factpry with spacers. Bearing and hub spacers. Like tat2, mine are all custom, but that because I'm running oddball **** amd making them was easier than trying to find something.
Rotor and sprocket/pulley spacers are ultra common. I bet more than half the customized bikes on the forum use at least one. Every chain conversion uses them. I'm using a Vulcan 10 bolt sprocket spacer that is bomb proof. No worries.
Sometime you just gotta start bolting **** together to find out what you need. I understand wanting to save as much riding time as possible, but you could always hold off the mods until the off-season.
Rotor and sprocket/pulley spacers are ultra common. I bet more than half the customized bikes on the forum use at least one. Every chain conversion uses them. I'm using a Vulcan 10 bolt sprocket spacer that is bomb proof. No worries.
Sometime you just gotta start bolting **** together to find out what you need. I understand wanting to save as much riding time as possible, but you could always hold off the mods until the off-season.
I didn't mean to overcomplicate anything but I was just trying to find out information about doing it the other way where you get a wider hub because I see a lot of guys did it that way.
Last edited by Valleyofthegun; Jun 3, 2018 at 01:01 AM.