Wide glide conversion
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 7
From: Junction City, KS
Wide glide conversion
So..... I did this wide glide conversion, went pretty smooth, used the Arlen Ness kit and a demon headlight.... Just a question though, I kept the stock 19" front wheel, and my triple trees had stock rake, is it supposed to ride a little different? I mean I don't hate it, it just feels different????
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 17
From: Central FL
Did you use your stock forks? Is there any rake in the trees? If you have stock length forks and didn't change the rake the I would check and make sure your neck bearings are adjusted correctly.
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 655
Likes: 6
That doesn't sound normal on my Wide Glide. Have you checked tire pressure? Maybe need fork oil? Tire off center?
I imagine the rake will affect your slow turning and how that feels, but can't offer any more info.
I imagine the rake will affect your slow turning and how that feels, but can't offer any more info.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,919
Likes: 23
From: Seattle, WA
Looks like you've got an '05-earlier FXD with the 39mm fork tubes ...
Nice looking bike ... good work ...
Was there a spacer between the hub and the disc on the left side of the wheel ...? If so, the wheel should not be off-center ... You should have been able to tell if it was off-center when you were installing the kit ...
If everything went together solid, there should not be much difference in the feel of the front end ...
Did you have the ape hangers on your bike before you did the Ness Wide Glide kit ...? I'm wondering if maybe you weren't accustomed to the difference in the bars ...?
Assuming there was nothing wrong with the install, hopefully it is just a subconscious thing that will go away once you get used to riding it with the new configuration ...
R/
'Chop
Nice looking bike ... good work ...
Was there a spacer between the hub and the disc on the left side of the wheel ...? If so, the wheel should not be off-center ... You should have been able to tell if it was off-center when you were installing the kit ...
If everything went together solid, there should not be much difference in the feel of the front end ...
Did you have the ape hangers on your bike before you did the Ness Wide Glide kit ...? I'm wondering if maybe you weren't accustomed to the difference in the bars ...?
Assuming there was nothing wrong with the install, hopefully it is just a subconscious thing that will go away once you get used to riding it with the new configuration ...
R/
'Chop
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 7
From: Junction City, KS
I had he apes prior, I used the stock tubes, the kit had the rotor spacer and axle spacer. I did have to buy a new neck bearing as my old one was seized on the triple tree. There is NO pinch bolt upper neck bearing adjuster like on the stock tree. What it does have is a thin nut and it's threaded at the top of e tree. When the tree goes in from the bottom, you thread down the nut on top of the bearing and the dust cover, then you place the top tree on and secure it wih a huge hex screw to the top of e stem.
I'm thinking I could have possibly mixed up the axle spacers and have them on the wrong side, I'll try that today. I'm also going to tighten up that thin nut on top of e stem over the bearing and dust cup. Is it possible to over grease the neck bearings????
I'm thinking I could have possibly mixed up the axle spacers and have them on the wrong side, I'll try that today. I'm also going to tighten up that thin nut on top of e stem over the bearing and dust cup. Is it possible to over grease the neck bearings????
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,226
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From: Junction City, KS
This is the kit in its original packaging
This the top of the trees, no neck bearing adjuster???
This the top of the trees, no neck bearing adjuster???
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 7
From: Junction City, KS
And now that I think of it, when I bought the new lower neck bearing, it didn't need to be pressed on, it just slid right on with the tiniest of tolerance. Perhaps that tiny slop in the neck beating extrapolates to a huge handling issue. At speed, the bike tracks just fine, at slower speed I'm constantly correcting
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,396
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From: Connecticut :(
And now that I think of it, when I bought the new lower neck bearing, it didn't need to be pressed on, it just slid right on with the tiniest of tolerance. Perhaps that tiny slop in the neck beating extrapolates to a huge handling issue. At speed, the bike tracks just fine, at slower speed I'm constantly correcting
I have the mini apes, and no steering issues at all. In fact I can ride no handed forever if I wanted to....
Sounds like your off center somewhere, or wheels outta balance.
Also make sure your tubes are both even and at the same height, and that you have the same amount of oil in each side. jmo....