Do any of y'all know why there is a cotter pin on the rear axel and not one on the front axel?


I get that the pinch bolts won't let the front axel come off but what would happen if the front axel nut came off?

 

I would think that one would feel shimmy/wobble in the front long before it came off, if it would come off at all by then....

 

No pins in either axle on my bike, just lock washer. Could be a torque reason if a bearing would seize up and start spinning things. I'm speculating here.
Maybe not original...

 

My guess is that the HD Engineers didn't feel a need to put a pin through the front axle since there are two pinch bolts holding it in addition to the main axle bolt. Would be a belt and suspenders deal.


carl

 

No cotter pin on either axle on my bikes either.

 

Hell that begs another question.
When did they start putting a cotter pin on the rear axel and why.

 

No pins on my bike. Just tighten them to spec and put a dot of marker paint on it. Inspected before every ride. Never went loose. Paint markers work good. Paint cracks if it moves the slightest bit.

 

Dunno when but it's there so the nut doesn't come loose and allow the belt tension to change as much as anything. Remember that all the HP and TQ go to the rear wheel so it needs an extra safety to stop it all coming apart.

The clamps on the front axle stop the axle coming out if the nut comes loose.

 

The nut on the rear axle doesn't maintain the tension on the belt/chain. The adjusters do. You could remove the nut and the tension would stay the same, think about it. You tension the belt/chain before tightening the nut. Unless of course you loosen the adjustment nuts after properly adjusting.

No split pins on my bike's either.

The nut applies proper compression/axial spacing to the bearings.

 

Undo the nut and watch the wheel kick sideways when you throttle off....its not pretty...the wheel doesn't only want to go forwards it can kick back as the drive belt slackens off on the overrun.