yesterday i put my 80 ironhead on the lift becuase i want to tighten the neck bearings. When i brake they where flexing foward to back

When i but it on the lift and you turn the front end side to side there is a major flat spot and it is the same if the neck stem is tight or loose.

I assume i need to change out the neck bearings. What is the best place to get these. HD dealership and Capital Bearing are both a few miles from the house or i could order online if you guys suggest a brand/vender.

This got me thinking about the swingarm bearings. So i took the back tire off and disconnected the shocks and the swingarm moves side to side alot, it actually moves pretty good with the shocks on too.

So i have the same question here, do i need to replace the rear swingarm bearings too

Advise please on these two jobs. Any speacial tools required?
I have the HD factory service book but wanted to check in with you guys too.

 

i did not take the neck apart and look at the bearings yet. I plan on doing it tonight

I pulled a major bone head last night. I dumped my bike right on to the ground off the lift. I had the front wheel off and was loosing up the pinch bolts on the lower trees and just threw it right off the lift on to the ground. It smashed the rear fender. It landed perfectly upside down on the rear fender and the handle bars.

I always use straps when i work on my bikes. I had them on but had just loosened them up to get more room to pull the front wheel.

i have a friend coming over tonight to help me put it back on the lift

I just uprighted the bike and went inside

 

as it sits now

 

got to work a little last night on the bike, the bike is fine except the rear fender is in bad shape

anyway, i still need to do the neck bearings and i got stuck last night. I cant seperate the fork tubes from the top triple tree. followed the SM procedure but it just will need release
Any advise on this

 

On a bike that age, I would recommend changing the bearing cups on the frame as well.
Once you have the front end off of the bike the bearing cups will come out if you use something to reach through the neck to tap them out with a hammer.

The new ones can be either pressed in or you can drive them in.

Get yourself a copy of the "fall away adjustment" page of the manual and follow the steps to adjust the fall away. (very important to get it right)

 

I guess you got lucky when it fell, landing top side down as it did. I'll call on you if i need my bike upended like that sometime

The fork tubes are tapered at the top where they go into the top triple clamp, so they get in there really tight. The technique to remove them is to
1 loosen the lower tree pinch bolts
2 loosen the caps just a few threads or turns
3 hit the cap with a hammer and a wood block, or dead blow hammer, or whatever
4 repeat steps 2 & 3 as needed [probably once or twice will do it]

Here's what you need for the swing arm bearings ...

Guide to Swingarm Bearing Replacement
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s...d.php?t=709634

And the steering head bearings ...

Ironhead Front End Refurbish - Steering Head Bearings
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1593691

Something often forgotten - never tighten the fork stem nut without first loosening the lower tree pinch bolts and the upper tree pinch bolt

 

To get the fork legs out of the triple trees, make sure you loosen the upper AND lower pinch bolts and remove the tubes from the trees one at a time.

Many times they can be removed as a unit with the lower tree still attached, but it sounds like yours are in a bind.
You could try "gently" tapping on the top of the tubes with a dead blow hammer to free them up but on the 39mm front end like yours the forks usually come apart really easy once the pinch bolts are loosened up.

 

Looking at the photos of his bike, it looks as though he has a 39mm front end.
The tubes aren't tapered on that front end and should just about fall out when the pinch bolts are loosened up.



EDIT: Oops! My bad, I looked again at the photos and you are correct, that is the earlier style narrow glide with the tapered tubes.

 

they are the tapered ones

i tried that taping the fork tube caps with the cap unscrewed maybe an 3/16 up, but i was afraid to hit it more than a tap for fear of messing up the threads

i will try it again next round

 

also thanks for the link
i will go over it later, unfortunately i have to go to work now to pay for all this stuff