HELP! Crossbones springer front end wobble and flex.

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Oct 27, 2010 | 06:31 AM

mr1gebby

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HELP! Crossbones springer front end wobble and flex.

I have a 2009 Crossbones, and I recently pulled the stock fenders off and replaced the rear fender with a Fatboy rear fender and I replaced the front fender with a Springer Classic front fender. Of course when I replaced the front fender, I also had to change the axle and everything associated with putting this new fender on my Bones. Once I got everything together, I took it for a ride and noticed I had no suspension on the springer. I completely took everything apart again, went through the service manual, put everything back together again, and now I have suspension. I'm still not sure what I did different. Now I will be riding down the road and if I hit a bump, the front end will wobble. I have to keep my hands on both sides of the bars to make sure the wobble doesn't get out of hand. Before I did the front fender swap it never did this. I also noticed that when you move the front end through full stop from one side to the other, the front fork legs look like they are moving a little side to side. I've never seen or heard of this on a springer front end. If the springer is full stop to the left, I have about half an inch between the bolts holding the brake caliper linkto the rear legs and the fender. If the springer is moved full stop to the right, I only have about an eighth of an inch. Has anyone had this problem?

Oct 27, 2010 | 06:50 AM

Ole Coyote

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Holy chit. I've never heard of that or seen that. My bike is in storage at the club garage, I'll have to go over there to visualize what's going on; something is frigged up, that's for sure. I'll get back to yaa.
Coyote

Oct 27, 2010 | 07:23 AM

hspring03

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From: Mansfield, MA

Sounds like something in the rockers is too tight. Check the placement of all the spacers.

Oct 27, 2010 | 08:09 AM

Ole Coyote

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He should not have taken the rockers off or touched them to replace the fender. It must be an axel problem or spacer problem. Mr1, when you took the axel apart and removed the strut(looks like a wrench), what did you use as a spacer to replace it?
Coyote

Oct 27, 2010 | 08:24 AM

hspring03

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From: Mansfield, MA

But the rockers, axle and spacers all touch each other..... I agree, there's no need to take them apart, but if the spacers are incorrect or the torque is wrong he could be pinching them so the travel is affected.

Oct 27, 2010 | 09:56 AM

mr1gebby

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ole Coyote

Coyote,
When you say strut, are you talking about the chrome piece that acts as a combined axle spacer and fender strut on the stock Bones front fender? If so, I cut the strut part off and reused the spacer part on the new axle.

Oct 27, 2010 | 10:09 AM

mr1gebby

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All,
Coyote is correct in saying I did not touch the rockers. As far as the fender, axle, spacers and everything else that rides on that axle, I put everything together in accordance with the FLSTSC Service Manual.