Wobble help
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 138
Likes: 1
From: Juneau, AK
Seeing as how I'm running apes I replaced my riser bushings just the other day. Yes everything is tight. I'm at a loss too... It's gotta be something right under my nose that I have probably overlooked 100 times...oh yeah new brake pads front and rear.... The only thing I can really think of is maybe my swingarm bearings bad (even though no play) cause when I add the weight of saddlebags it gets more noticeable...but after I did the neck bearings and fall away it took away 90 percent of issue so I'm believing its still in front end somewhere?
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 725
Likes: 1
From: southeast Indiana
Back in my sportbike days, raising the back improved the handling by slightly changing the front end rack, but on a Harley I'd don't know if it would make a difference. What the heck, give it a shot. Also, you may be on the right track to re-check all of your work. Good luck and please keep us posted.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 957
Likes: 2
From: Carlsbad Springs Ontario
death wobble
I got a 95 fatboy and a damn wobble got me stumped. Front end would wobble like crazy right at 80 mph on straights, turning, didn't matter was worse when my saddlebags were installed. So I went ahead and fixed a lot of my maintenance issues... Got metzler 880 front and rear with about 500 miles on them, brand new wheel bearings front and rear, swing arm has no play in bearings, just replaced neck bearings, added a Zerg to the neck, adjusted fall away, replaced fork fluid. Stock fatboy wheels freshly balanced....so after I have done all this bike is handling great on straight aways in excess of 100 mph... But now as I am switching lanes, making corners front end is wobbling. I'm frustrated right now and at a slight loss of ideas. Anyone else experience this or have some suggestions?
Question .. when you say the Metzlers have/had about 500 miles on them , do you meen they were used tires with 500 on them or you put 500 on them ? If the tires are used i would suspect they are now the culprit and the work you have done has effectively cured the original wobble .?
If this is not the case , i would focus on the front end as you say this is were you feel the wobble.
Try to determine if/when anything was done at the front end just prior to the wobbling condition.? Double check all work done that would contribute to this condition such as the brake work and neck bearings etc.
Im thinking that you are in the dreaded "gray area " where many new parts have been installed but possibly not adjusted or dialed in correctly.?
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,065
Likes: 4,561
From: Haslet Texas
Then all I got is a possibly a bad tire.
It seems like you have covered everything else.
Dyna beads?????
It seems like you have covered everything else.
Dyna beads?????
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,376
Likes: 36
From: Round Rock, TX
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Club Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 5,802
Likes: 7,829
From: SE Louisiana
I would check the neck bearing adjustment again.
Make sure the pinch bolts are loosened first, tighten neck bearings down pretty snug, turn bars side to side, loosen then adjust fall away, go to the tighter side, don't forget to tighten pinch bolts.
I would also check wheel bearing end play, get it down to about .003".
Do this with wheel off the bike,clean,dry bearings, no seals,
use suitable spacers on the axle then torque the nut, check with dial indicater setup.
On my softail, I marked the center of the swingarm pivot bolt heads and checked rear wheel alignment to axle centers with a gauge made from stiff wire.
I did all this to my FXSTC and it is solid as a rock, couldn't induce a wobble of any kind at any speed.
Make sure the pinch bolts are loosened first, tighten neck bearings down pretty snug, turn bars side to side, loosen then adjust fall away, go to the tighter side, don't forget to tighten pinch bolts.
I would also check wheel bearing end play, get it down to about .003".
Do this with wheel off the bike,clean,dry bearings, no seals,
use suitable spacers on the axle then torque the nut, check with dial indicater setup.
On my softail, I marked the center of the swingarm pivot bolt heads and checked rear wheel alignment to axle centers with a gauge made from stiff wire.
I did all this to my FXSTC and it is solid as a rock, couldn't induce a wobble of any kind at any speed.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 5,323
Likes: 37
From: NJ
Op I won't even begin to think that I know why they do that but all I can tell you is after I put my true track on it stopped all my wobbles. I started wobbling while pulling power changing lanes, while in turns, bends, I did all the stuff you did and it still damn near killed me at highway speeds.
True track stopped it.
True track stopped it.