Remove Wheels
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 251
From: Belle River Ontario
Why?
Do you have a service manual?
easy is subjective....easy for a good mechanic hard for a bad one, where does your skill set fall?
as far as jobs go it’s pretty easy, heavy lifting is all....just remember which side and which way the spacers go
Do you have a service manual?
easy is subjective....easy for a good mechanic hard for a bad one, where does your skill set fall?
as far as jobs go it’s pretty easy, heavy lifting is all....just remember which side and which way the spacers go
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 23
Likes: 2
From: Missouri
No service manual but have worked on bikes for many years, just not Harleys. Waiting on lift to get both wheels off ground. Have new tires to go on and I will install new brake pads then and need to check wheel bearings also. Just wondering if there are any tricks are tips for the Harleys. Thanks for the reply.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 9,524
Likes: 7,861
From: Long Island, New York
Good for you for wanting to do all of that on your own bike. We are here to help. That said, spend the money on the Factory Service Manual, it will answer 9 out of 10 of your questions. Then come back here for the other question. And it is not hard, just takes a little time and patience. Good luck.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,448
Likes: 2,299
From: NW Ohio
The spacers and brake bracket can be a hassle to get into place so I cut a ~1" dowel to a length about 1/8" shorter than the inside width of the swingarm to hold everything in place while I position the assembly. Once in place, I push the dowel out with the axle. Keeps everything lined up.
Depending on the axle orientation and exhaust, you may have to remove the mufflers to get the axle out. Many people reverse the axle so you can pull it out without removing any exhaust parts.
Wheel alignment can be tricky because tightening the nut can pull axle around. I put tension on the axle/nut before pulling it all into alignment with the adjusters. I also lean against the tire with my leg while torquing (pushing forward against the adjusters). This minimizes nut rotation and opportunity for creeping. Re-Check alignment post torque.
Depending on the axle orientation and exhaust, you may have to remove the mufflers to get the axle out. Many people reverse the axle so you can pull it out without removing any exhaust parts.
Wheel alignment can be tricky because tightening the nut can pull axle around. I put tension on the axle/nut before pulling it all into alignment with the adjusters. I also lean against the tire with my leg while torquing (pushing forward against the adjusters). This minimizes nut rotation and opportunity for creeping. Re-Check alignment post torque.
Last edited by cggorman; Oct 3, 2018 at 09:00 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,840
Likes: 900
From: Philly Suburbs
The spacers and brake bracket can be a hassle to get into place so I cut a ~1" dowel to a length about 1/8" shorter than the inside width of the swingarm to hold everything in place while I position the assembly. Once in place, I push the dowel out with the axle. Keeps everything lined up.
Always learning...
(or a 3/4" dowel)
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,448
Likes: 2,299
From: NW Ohio
Necessity is the mother of invention. I think I took the dowel to the belt sander to reduce the diameter slightly so it would slide easy. I also chamfered the ends to act as a bit of a pilot if things are slightly misaligned. It works pretty good. I still keep a mallet handy.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,840
Likes: 900
From: Philly Suburbs
Necessity is the mother of invention. I think I took the dowel to the belt sander to reduce the diameter slightly so it would slide easy. I also chamfered the ends to act as a bit of a pilot if things are slightly misaligned. It works pretty good. I still keep a mallet handy.
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Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 126
Likes: 27
From: Black Hills of South Dakota
I had to pull the exhaust muffler to get my rear axle out. Some say to reverse the axle on re install so that the nut is on the right and you can slide the axle out to the left next time. That is a bad idea.
Literally took me 10 minutes to get the rear wheel off. Real easy to do.
The harder part is going to be getting the rear wheel correctly aligned with the belt tension correct. I got a belt tension tool from Amazon for 10 or 12 bucks and used a compass to align the rear wheel. The tricky part is that alignment can shift a bit when you tighten it and you are trying to get each side within a 32nd of an inch of each other. You will know you have it right when the belt tracks and the belt tension is right. That whole effort took me over an hour.
Literally took me 10 minutes to get the rear wheel off. Real easy to do.
The harder part is going to be getting the rear wheel correctly aligned with the belt tension correct. I got a belt tension tool from Amazon for 10 or 12 bucks and used a compass to align the rear wheel. The tricky part is that alignment can shift a bit when you tighten it and you are trying to get each side within a 32nd of an inch of each other. You will know you have it right when the belt tracks and the belt tension is right. That whole effort took me over an hour.