What specifically is needed to make a custom orspoked wheel from an 05 and prior Dyna work on an 06 and later? I understand the older model fit 3/4" axles and the newer models have 1" axles. Can the bearings be changed to use other wheels, or is it more involved than that? Thanks in advance for any info.

 

do you refer to front or rear?
the front axle is 1" on 04 and 05 dynas, 3/4" on previous model years.
not sure about the rear?

 

I believe the 1 inch axle came into use on the 2004 models (I could be mistaken). I know for sure though that 2003 and earlier have 3/4 inch axles.
The bearings can be swapped out. That is the good news.
Now I will share the bad news.....The bearing removal is destructive to the old bearing.

According to Harley... you use a special puller that expands in the inner race and when tight, begins the removal. This destroys the bearing of course because it is pulling on the race and bearings. H-D tells you as much, saying, 'do not re-use the bearings.' This same tool is used to install the new bearings.

More bad news.....the wheel bearings are sealed on both sides. This is a propriortary bearing by Harley Davidson. Bearing supply houses do not stock or even list such bearings. At a HD shop the price I paid for (2) 3/4 inch bearings for my 2003 Dyna was $30 each plus tax. I bought them earlier this year when I built myself a 21 inch front wheel.

I did not try to buy the special tool. I would hate to see the cost of that one. I do not let dealers work on my machine either, so I did it myself.

To remove the old bearings (which were stiff, needing replacement) I simply ran a piece of 3/4 inch cold rolled steel bar into the bearing and welded the bearing inner race to the bar. Then pushed it out from the opposite side......used a press to install the new ones. What makes the whole thing so G*d-D#*n complicated is the sleeve that fits snugly between the inner races of both bearings. This blocks any access to the backside of the first bearing.....that is the reason I welded the rod in place. Then a bar through the other axle hole hit the welded bar and removed the old bearing (and sleeve). Access to the backside of the 2nd bearing was straight forward then.

I have attached a pic of what I had to make up to do this myself. On the left you will see the old bearing with the 3/4 inch steel rod welded to it......pg


[IMG]local://upfiles/8331/25FCFDE7907D4F2DB35CAE9F76E675C1.jpg[/IMG]

 

I guess I am old, I still prefer the spokes.....

 

Thanks for the responses. PG, your info was extremely helpful.

I think the set up I am most interested in is a Sportster front wheel and a late model Deuce rear wheel. I believe this would be a reasonably inexpensive way to rid myself of the stock mags and make my Super Glide unique.

Any additional info would be greatly appreciated.

 

I haven't messed with the front wheels, but on the rear wheels, you can change from a 1" bearing to a 3/4" bearing without any problem, but you can't go from a 3/4" bearing to a 1" bearing. The3/4" hubs have a smaller inside diameter (just big enough for the 3/4" axle and spacerto pass through). The 1" axle and spacerwill not pass through the smallerhub. The part of the hub I'm refering to is thesection where the spacer fits. The bearings themselves will fit, butthe axle and spacerwill not.You'll need to check the front wheel's insidehub diameter,to make sure you don't encounter the same problem.

 

jmpancoast......
I missed the fact that you now have mag wheels, so you cannot use your 'current hubs' of course.
The axle size is 3/4 inch for 2003 and earlier.
Your best bet is to just look for a used spoked wheel. It should be easier to find a 19 than a 21, because most riders want to make theirs a 21 inch front wheel instead of the standard 19. So, you are going against the grain (good for you).

When you find a Sportster wheel, there will be 2 issues to deal with: the width difference in the hubs and the brake rotor location with regards to your caliper location.
You will need to make 2 new spacers to take up the extra width of your forks. That is easy to do with some aluminum barstock.
The brake rotor may need to have 5 spacers made up to let the rotor 'stand out' the needed distance. Use Grade 8 bolts for the rotor attachment. These spacers are more difficult to make because I assume you do not have access to a metal lathe. Non the less it can be done....they all just need to be the same length.
Pull your front wheel and measure through the hub where the axle goes. Now, start trying to find a spoked 19 inch wheel with the same dimensions so this will just be a bolt in for you.

I bought my last used wheel off of a Sportster on Ebay, mainly to get the hub. It came as a 21 but I wanted an aluminum rim instead of the chrome steel, so I tore the thing down and rebuilt with an Ankrondt rim. Of course the disc rotor went right on the Sporty hub and the wheel fit perfect in the Dyna narrow fork. A wideglide fork with a Sporty hub will need a spacer on each side to center the wheel in the forks as well as the modification to the brake rotor.....pg