I put the spacers on the correct sides its hard to mix up one is a .5 in. the other is like 1.5in.

 

Theres one to install the rotor? And the pads wont go in the caliper if there on the wrong side,right?

I spread the old brake pads apart before removing them to compress the pistons.

 

Sounds like the rotor is setting too far outwards towards the bike frame... Are there shims between the rotor and the wheel hub that can be removed!?

 

Nope no shims between the rotor and hub, just an axle spacer between the wheel hub and the caliper arm.

 

With the axle nut tight and no pads installed the rotor is not close to being centered on the caliper, I can't slide the outside pad in at all but the inside pad falls in.
If I add a 1/8" to the axle spacer it should be close to centered but why is it off now?

 

Its a custom wheel, and pulley with a fat tire(fat for 2002). My guess is it was never spaced properly and since the pads were heavily worn it was good enough to work. Now with new thick pads the caliper is off by too much.


Anyone want to poke holes in this theory?

 

Sounds like you found the culprit. Aftermarket parts. Gotta love 'em.

 

Sounds like you got a lot of engineering going on. You need to pull the pads, remove the two spacers. Ensure the pistons are fully back in caliper. Since I assume your left side belt side was OK before with the 1.5 spacer put it on with the wheel mounted and float the caliper with out the .5 spacer till pistons are centered on rotor and adjust the .5 spacer as necessary with a lathe. You may end up with a shim forward of the caliper spacer arm hole. If your determined to use mis-matched parts you got to make them fit. Doing this type of work requires the tools and skills of a mechanic,machinist,engineer and if you are asking questions like you ask up front you need to farm this out. Good luck. Not trying to be blunt. Just do not want you to cause an accident. This is far beyond word of mouth help. If you were up the street I would fix it for you and no one gives better prices (all I ever expect is someone to be there and watch) since I do it as a hobby and have 46 years in a machine shop world behind me.

 

If it was mine, from what I have read here, I would find an 1/8" washer, and add it to the outside of the spacer between the spacer and the brake caliper arm. That is if you have room to get it in there. Either that or get a new spacer made. I had to replace one of my spacers a while back as the chrome was flaking off. Harley don't give those babies away at like $23.00. I should have just made one out of a piece of pipe, but then it would not be chrome.

 

Thanks guys for the advice. I am a machinist so the spacers(polished SS) are made. And centering the caliper I should be able to handle.

But I do not know the effect on the pulley alingment and wheel centering by adding spacer size between the caliper arm and hub.