Fat Bob front end chatter???
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 883
Likes: 2
From: Irving-Texas
RE: Fat Bob front end chatter???
1000 mile should include adjusting stearing head nut which should take out the chatering, the famous front end clunk will arive if not done. I think the brake clicking is normal, mine does it too and it doesnt seem to hurt anything. I also upgraded to the SEHD oil, seems to be ok, 10,000 mile adjust the steering again, it can be just the top nut which is 50 lb t, mine was at 25 at 10,000. or the full adjustment on the washer. I dont think the upgrade is aplicable for the bob front end.
Also the front fork oil change only cost me about 90 bucks, you dont have to pull the front end apart if you know what you are dong, just pull the front wheel, I had mine changed out around 7grand.
And the floating are sort of a PITA on bumps.
Also the front fork oil change only cost me about 90 bucks, you dont have to pull the front end apart if you know what you are dong, just pull the front wheel, I had mine changed out around 7grand.
And the floating are sort of a PITA on bumps.
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 547
Likes: 2
RE: Fat Bob front end chatter???
ORIGINAL: wrobo13
UPDATE!!!!!!
Took the bike in and had the tech ride it and listen to the front end- during the 1K service on Saturday. The stealership (the tech) told me the noise was perfectly normal!!!!!!!!!! That was at the dealership I bought it from which is about 60 miles from my house. I think I will take it to the local dealership and see what kind of bs they give me about it. Although this is my first Harley, I have spent over 20 years on motorcycles, dirt bikes, snomobiles,etc... Front end chatter on a $16K motorcycle that has 1000 miles on it is not normal right????
Tell me if I am crazy...
UPDATE!!!!!!
Took the bike in and had the tech ride it and listen to the front end- during the 1K service on Saturday. The stealership (the tech) told me the noise was perfectly normal!!!!!!!!!! That was at the dealership I bought it from which is about 60 miles from my house. I think I will take it to the local dealership and see what kind of bs they give me about it. Although this is my first Harley, I have spent over 20 years on motorcycles, dirt bikes, snomobiles,etc... Front end chatter on a $16K motorcycle that has 1000 miles on it is not normal right????
Tell me if I am crazy...
Okay, we need to make sure we are not confusing the two items (clunk and chatter). These are two seperate items.
The 'clunk' occurs from the fork stem that HD has a service bulletin out that replaces a washer and confirms torque spec. This usually only makes the sound once when applying pressure to the front brakes each time the brake is applied. The Fat Bob is not included in this service bulletin however because it already has the upgraded washer.
The 'chatter' occurs at the sliders and it is a repetitive chatter that occurs under low speed braking when using the front brake. This occurs because of the fork oil being so thin that it produces almost no damping factor which causes a bouncing vibration at the springs that produces the chatter.
I can't stress it enough.....have them take the forks apart becauseyou are sure that there is something wrong and you'd like to have it looked at and if it's not too much trouble please replace the fork oil with the heavy duty grade when they put it back together. You can't ask them just to change the fork oil because the stock oil is not deemed to be a service bulletin issue so they would charge you full rate (heavy duty fork oil + labor....$$$). If they take the forks apart to look into any mechanical problems like you complain about, they can only look at itas a warranty issue therefore not charge you labor. You just pay the difference between what the stock fork oilcosts and what the heavy duty oil would be ($9). This is what I did and it has fixed it 100% and it has stayed that way over the next 7000 miles. Once they put it back together and you pick the bike up, they will tell you they couldn't find anything wrong but low and behold the chatter is gone (as long as they put the heavy duty fork oil in). Hmmmmm.
And finally to your question. I will call you crazy if you don't do this. If you do get this done and it doesn't work, you'll be out $9 and you can call me whatever you want......but I'm really not worried about it cause I know the result.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: England
RE: Fat Bob front end chatter???
I have had the same problem with my 06 street bob and since I had had it in the past on a sportster I went straight for it .....all it was , was the head stock bolt at the top of the forks needed tightening, you have to unscrew the chrome cover and get a big socket and wrench to fit the bolt head give it about a half in" turn and street bob is your uncle.
[IMG]local://upfiles/52858/2C3F48EC7F92426E803DE00EF85B0E78.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/52858/2C3F48EC7F92426E803DE00EF85B0E78.jpg[/IMG]
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
From: Scotland
RE: Fat Bob front end chatter???
ORIGINAL: db252
Okay, we need to make sure we are not confusing the two items (clunk and chatter). These are two seperate items.
The 'clunk' occurs from the fork stem that HD has a service bulletin out that replaces a washer and confirms torque spec. This usually only makes the sound once when applying pressure to the front brakes each time the brake is applied. The Fat Bob is not included in this service bulletin however because it already has the upgraded washer.
The 'chatter' occurs at the sliders and it is a repetitive chatter that occurs under low speed braking when using the front brake. This occurs because of the fork oil being so thin that it produces almost no damping factor which causes a bouncing vibration at the springs that produces the chatter.
I can't stress it enough.....have them take the forks apart becauseyou are sure that there is something wrong and you'd like to have it looked at and if it's not too much trouble please replace the fork oil with the heavy duty grade when they put it back together. You can't ask them just to change the fork oil because the stock oil is not deemed to be a service bulletin issue so they would charge you full rate (heavy duty fork oil + labor....$$$). If they take the forks apart to look into any mechanical problems like you complain about, they can only look at itas a warranty issue therefore not charge you labor. You just pay the difference between what the stock fork oilcosts and what the heavy duty oil would be ($9). This is what I did and it has fixed it 100% and it has stayed that way over the next 7000 miles. Once they put it back together and you pick the bike up, they will tell you they couldn't find anything wrong but low and behold the chatter is gone (as long as they put the heavy duty fork oil in). Hmmmmm.
And finally to your question. I will call you crazy if you don't do this. If you do get this done and it doesn't work, you'll be out $9 and you can call me whatever you want......but I'm really not worried about it cause I know the result.
ORIGINAL: wrobo13
UPDATE!!!!!!
Took the bike in and had the tech ride it and listen to the front end- during the 1K service on Saturday. The stealership (the tech) told me the noise was perfectly normal!!!!!!!!!! That was at the dealership I bought it from which is about 60 miles from my house. I think I will take it to the local dealership and see what kind of bs they give me about it. Although this is my first Harley, I have spent over 20 years on motorcycles, dirt bikes, snomobiles,etc... Front end chatter on a $16K motorcycle that has 1000 miles on it is not normal right????
Tell me if I am crazy...
UPDATE!!!!!!
Took the bike in and had the tech ride it and listen to the front end- during the 1K service on Saturday. The stealership (the tech) told me the noise was perfectly normal!!!!!!!!!! That was at the dealership I bought it from which is about 60 miles from my house. I think I will take it to the local dealership and see what kind of bs they give me about it. Although this is my first Harley, I have spent over 20 years on motorcycles, dirt bikes, snomobiles,etc... Front end chatter on a $16K motorcycle that has 1000 miles on it is not normal right????
Tell me if I am crazy...
Okay, we need to make sure we are not confusing the two items (clunk and chatter). These are two seperate items.
The 'clunk' occurs from the fork stem that HD has a service bulletin out that replaces a washer and confirms torque spec. This usually only makes the sound once when applying pressure to the front brakes each time the brake is applied. The Fat Bob is not included in this service bulletin however because it already has the upgraded washer.
The 'chatter' occurs at the sliders and it is a repetitive chatter that occurs under low speed braking when using the front brake. This occurs because of the fork oil being so thin that it produces almost no damping factor which causes a bouncing vibration at the springs that produces the chatter.
I can't stress it enough.....have them take the forks apart becauseyou are sure that there is something wrong and you'd like to have it looked at and if it's not too much trouble please replace the fork oil with the heavy duty grade when they put it back together. You can't ask them just to change the fork oil because the stock oil is not deemed to be a service bulletin issue so they would charge you full rate (heavy duty fork oil + labor....$$$). If they take the forks apart to look into any mechanical problems like you complain about, they can only look at itas a warranty issue therefore not charge you labor. You just pay the difference between what the stock fork oilcosts and what the heavy duty oil would be ($9). This is what I did and it has fixed it 100% and it has stayed that way over the next 7000 miles. Once they put it back together and you pick the bike up, they will tell you they couldn't find anything wrong but low and behold the chatter is gone (as long as they put the heavy duty fork oil in). Hmmmmm.
And finally to your question. I will call you crazy if you don't do this. If you do get this done and it doesn't work, you'll be out $9 and you can call me whatever you want......but I'm really not worried about it cause I know the result.
How hard is it to change the oil myself ??
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Fat Bob front end chatter???
DB252,
I'm sure you are right about the oil. I will try and swindle the dealership into looking at the front endand kindly ask to replace the oil with heavy weight while they are in there.
Thanks for the help-
I'm sure you are right about the oil. I will try and swindle the dealership into looking at the front endand kindly ask to replace the oil with heavy weight while they are in there.
Thanks for the help-
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Thanks~!!
I have had the same problem with my 06 street bob and since I had had it in the past on a sportster I went straight for it .....all it was , was the head stock bolt at the top of the forks needed tightening, you have to unscrew the chrome cover and get a big socket and wrench to fit the bolt head give it about a half in" turn and street bob is your uncle.
[IMG]local://upfiles/52858/2C3F48EC7F92426E803DE00EF85B0E78.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/52858/2C3F48EC7F92426E803DE00EF85B0E78.jpg[/IMG]
Thanks again!! You may have saved me a bunch of ca$h!!
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
From: the netherlands
if you change the fork oil....
i would change the springs also....
i put progresive suspension springs in em.....
steering and ground contact is much better and breaking is also better!!!
and this mod is not an expensive one!!!!!!
i would change the springs also....
i put progresive suspension springs in em.....
steering and ground contact is much better and breaking is also better!!!
and this mod is not an expensive one!!!!!!
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: VA
I went around and around with my dealer about this. It is the front brakes and it makes this noise because the disc are free floating and when depressed they chatter. Trust me I went to several HD dealers and actually contacted the President of Harley via email, and he sent the head east coast tech out to my dealership. He rode my bike and assured me it was normal. Still after paying 15,000 I didn't think I shouldn't hear anything when applying my brakes and stressed that fact to the Pres and the head tech, so for my trouble they put on a set of Rush Slip-Ons and a stage 1 air cleaner at no charge.
So now I can't hear my brakes.
So now I can't hear my brakes.
Last edited by FatBob11FXDF; Jul 23, 2012 at 08:20 PM. Reason: correction
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 120
Likes: 3
From: Corona, CA.
I went around and around with my dealer about this. It is the front brakes and it makes this noise because the disc are free floating and when depressed they chatter. Trust me I went to several HD dealers and actually contacted the President of Harley via email, and he sent the head east coast tech out to my dealership. He rode my bike and assured me it was normal. Still after paying 15,000 I didn't think I shouldn't hear anything when applying my brakes and stressed that fact to the Pres and the head tech, so for my trouble they put on a set of Rush Slip-Ons and a stage 1 air cleaner at no charge.
So now I can't hear my brakes.
So now I can't hear my brakes.
I've got the exact same braking chatter ('12 Fat Bob). I'm thinkin' crown bolt too. Prolly hit the dealer to torque it.
Last edited by Broken Wing; Jul 23, 2012 at 11:47 PM.
