lining up rear wheel?
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,525
Likes: 4
From: Montreal, Canada
lining up rear wheel?
My belt is rubbing up against the rear pulley a little bit. She's not tracking
properly. What is the best way and is there a special tool for mesuring from
the swingarm nuts to the centre of the rear axles??
Thanks in advance
Mike
properly. What is the best way and is there a special tool for mesuring from
the swingarm nuts to the centre of the rear axles??
Thanks in advance
Mike
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,578
Likes: 4
From: Northern California
There is a special tool, or you can make one from a coat hanger. The idea is to get the same distance from the swing arm to the rear axle nut and bolt...you have zeroed in on it already. From there it is just a matter of releasing the rear axle nut, adjusting the bolt flats until equal, and torquing.
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,525
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From: Montreal, Canada
Plane,
Your absolutely right. It always did go to the right side when I backed her up.
However, it never made any rapping sound when going forward. It would settled
to the left and would never make noise. By the naked eye. The belt looks straight
as an arrow with no twisting what so ever. I'll try the hanger method. But it doesn't
seem to be a straight line on both sides.....
Your absolutely right. It always did go to the right side when I backed her up.
However, it never made any rapping sound when going forward. It would settled
to the left and would never make noise. By the naked eye. The belt looks straight
as an arrow with no twisting what so ever. I'll try the hanger method. But it doesn't
seem to be a straight line on both sides.....
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 530
Likes: 2
From: Hereford, Arizona
Mike, The only way this could happen is if the rear wheel has some lean to it.
This means that the top of the tire isn't exactly over the bottom of the tire. It seems most have the top hanging closer to the left side of the bike.
Adjusting the swingarm pivot to axle centerline won't change this behavior. You can sort of go out of spec a bit to offset the problem but there is no way to totally fix it.
The problem is the frames aren't aligned or the swingarms aren't straight or both. It's a pisser big time and if more peeps started complaining about it maybe Moco would fix it.
My front forks don't track perfectly because of this. My forks always look like they're slightly cocked to the right and that's because the back tire isn't following the front tire perfectly.
If there was a way to adjust rear tire tilt then everything would come into perfect tract. A slightly cam'ed pivot bolt would probably fix it but I don't think anyone makes one.
This means that the top of the tire isn't exactly over the bottom of the tire. It seems most have the top hanging closer to the left side of the bike.
Adjusting the swingarm pivot to axle centerline won't change this behavior. You can sort of go out of spec a bit to offset the problem but there is no way to totally fix it.
The problem is the frames aren't aligned or the swingarms aren't straight or both. It's a pisser big time and if more peeps started complaining about it maybe Moco would fix it.
My front forks don't track perfectly because of this. My forks always look like they're slightly cocked to the right and that's because the back tire isn't following the front tire perfectly.
If there was a way to adjust rear tire tilt then everything would come into perfect tract. A slightly cam'ed pivot bolt would probably fix it but I don't think anyone makes one.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 265
Likes: 10
From: Northern Wisconsin
a 'rapping' sound? sounds more like the pulley bolts have come loose. Check them!
The drive pulley could also be loose and scraping the backside of the inner primary.
I noticed you have a lot of width to the rear tire, it might be possible that the rear pulley is spaced further out than it should be to gain clearance for the tire, and putting
stress on the belt.
You can prove Plane's theory on your vertical alignment being off, using an inclinometer... or a bubble level across the frame under the seat to set the chassis perfectly level, then drop a string and weight off the top of the drive pulley and rotor to see if they are truly vertical. It would take a lot to throw off the vertical alignment on a softail, unless you've got a swingarm pivot bolt about to fall out.
Hogdoctor
The drive pulley could also be loose and scraping the backside of the inner primary.
I noticed you have a lot of width to the rear tire, it might be possible that the rear pulley is spaced further out than it should be to gain clearance for the tire, and putting
stress on the belt.
You can prove Plane's theory on your vertical alignment being off, using an inclinometer... or a bubble level across the frame under the seat to set the chassis perfectly level, then drop a string and weight off the top of the drive pulley and rotor to see if they are truly vertical. It would take a lot to throw off the vertical alignment on a softail, unless you've got a swingarm pivot bolt about to fall out.
Hogdoctor
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 265
Likes: 10
From: Northern Wisconsin
Plane: first make sure your handlebars are straight to the triple trees, and your front end doesn't have a twist to it. If that's all good, then your horizontal rear wheel alignment is off. the front of your rear tire needs to go to the left, so kick the right axle adjuster forward a little at a time until it feels like the center of your seat is following the steering neck when you're going down the road.
Trust me...
Hogdoctor
Trust me...
Hogdoctor
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 530
Likes: 2
From: Hereford, Arizona
Thanks Hogdoctor. At present I'm 1/8" forward on the right side. In other words spec is +/- 1/32", I'm now -3/32" on the right side. I'm afraid to go any farther because my last adjustment which was 2/32" did nada. I haven't put it back to -1/32" because it doesn't seem to be hurting anything.
My handlebars are aligned to the triple trees as long as I don't turn the front tire when it's on the jiffy. The soft rubber bushings aren't all that effective in holding the bars in position over an extended period of time. They just seem to creep out and then I keep pulling them back in line and they hold for awhile. No biggie there...
But the forks are another story. How do you check for twist? I've thought and thought about it but can't come up with a reliable way to accurately check them.
I've loosened every bolt including the fender and tugged on the front tire to try and compensate but they always go back to their original position.
My handlebars are aligned to the triple trees as long as I don't turn the front tire when it's on the jiffy. The soft rubber bushings aren't all that effective in holding the bars in position over an extended period of time. They just seem to creep out and then I keep pulling them back in line and they hold for awhile. No biggie there...
But the forks are another story. How do you check for twist? I've thought and thought about it but can't come up with a reliable way to accurately check them.
I've loosened every bolt including the fender and tugged on the front tire to try and compensate but they always go back to their original position.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 3
From: Peoria, AZ
Front and rear wheels do not necessarily track over each other but are sometimes offset (like on my 97 FLSTC). Swingarm and pivot shaft should be fine otherwise you'd be stating bigger handling problems than a noise. Verify axle alignment and belt tension. There's a 1/32nd" tolerance on the axle alignment. If you have the inclinometer, place it on the F/R discs with bike upright and stationary: should be w/i 1 degree of each other. However, keep in mind the belt will not track down the center of the pulley and has a tendency to drift to the outside of the drive (shouldn't be touching tho').