Front wheel adjustment
#11
06-18-2019, 08:17 AM
#12
06-18-2019, 08:46 AM
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Axle pinch bolt/nut does not look correct for some reason. Thought it was an allen head that threaded into one side of the lower. May have stripped out and the previous owner did a jack leg kludge repair. My memory may not be correct though. Iron Mick can you check your parts listing for the lower fork? Pinch Bolt for the axle. Spacers may not be correct also.
#13
06-18-2019, 12:51 PM
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Axle pinch bolt/nut does not look correct for some reason. Thought it was an allen head that threaded into one side of the lower. May have stripped out and the previous owner did a jack leg kludge repair. My memory may not be correct though. Iron Mick can you check your parts listing for the lower fork? Pinch Bolt for the axle. Spacers may not be correct also.
carl
#14
06-18-2019, 07:48 PM
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A few things aren't in order, when I compare your photo to my '71 xlch....
It is possible to crank things down on my '71 so the left side hub scrapes. This isn't scientific but what I do, to avoid the scraping:
- axle appears to be installed backwards. On my '71 xlch, shouldered end = left side, threaded end = right side. The axle may be reversible, I dunno, never tried it. IMHO, the pinch bolt should pinch on the shouldered end of the axle. Anyway, yours is reversed when compared to mine. I'd suggest this be corrected.
- your threaded nut is not the standard part...... should be something like 1 1/2" deep, as opposed to your thin nut. This may or may not cause you some grief once the axle is re-oriented.
- your pinch bolt might be OEM (not sure) & is installed in the left fork. Orientation is backwards, though. Factory installation = bolt head (9/16" head) should be oriented towards the front, nut (5/8" head) oriented towards the rear. I'll post some pics momentarily. See post # 16 below.
- install axle in correct orientation. Threaded end fed in to left side first.
- do not install pinch bolt, yet
- install lock washer & slowly tighten the nut. This will draw the left side shoulder of the axle against the left side fork. Draw this shoulder up tight to the fork but don't over tighten.
- check for scraping & side to side free play. aka spin / shake the wheel
- continue to slowly tighten the nut until there's no or very minimal side to side free play AND no scraping of hub.
- if hub starts to scrape, you've gone too far & the fork legs are being flexed too much.
- back off the nut & repeat the process. You should find a happy medium where the nut is snug & the hub isn't scraping.
- install & tighten the pinch bolt
Last edited by The Doctor71; 06-18-2019 at 09:51 PM. Reason: added some more clarifications
#15
06-18-2019, 08:09 PM
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Axle pinch bolt/nut does not look correct for some reason. Thought it was an allen head that threaded into one side of the lower. May have stripped out and the previous owner did a jack leg kludge repair. My memory may not be correct though. Iron Mick can you check your parts listing for the lower fork? Pinch Bolt for the axle. Spacers may not be correct also.
#16
06-18-2019, 09:48 PM
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The comments on the pinch bolt got me thinking some more. Figured some pics would help to sort this out. Anyway, here's a few pics of how this works on my '71 xlch. '70 xlh should be the same.
Left side pic (front of bike is to the left)
Right side pic (front of bike is to the right)
Left side pic with pinch bolt removed (taken from behind, looking forward). Notice the concave on the fork (at the pinch hole) to be matched by nut.
And the 3/8" pinch bolt.... 9/16" bolt head, with 5/8" nut. Notice the convex (aka opposite of concave) on the nut to match the fork in the earlier pic.
Left side pic (front of bike is to the left)
Right side pic (front of bike is to the right)
Left side pic with pinch bolt removed (taken from behind, looking forward). Notice the concave on the fork (at the pinch hole) to be matched by nut.
And the 3/8" pinch bolt.... 9/16" bolt head, with 5/8" nut. Notice the convex (aka opposite of concave) on the nut to match the fork in the earlier pic.
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#17
06-23-2019, 08:43 AM
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