Harley Davidson Forums

Softail Models Standard, Custom, Night Train, Deuce, Springer, Heritage, Fatboy, Deluxe, Rocker and Cross Bones.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Front turn signals

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 31, 2012 | 01:31 PM
Share
  #1  
Jake327's Avatar
Jake327
Thread Starter
|
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Kalamazoo MI.
Default Front turn signals
I'm fresh out of room under my seat for another load equalizer i installed this one for the rear do i have to buy another big one like this for the front as well i no this may be a noob question but i just want all my leds to work when i use turn signal.

http://www.customdynamics.com/Images...Catalog-45.jpg
 
Reply
0
Old Mar 31, 2012 | 01:57 PM
Share
  #2  
str8jacket's Avatar
str8jacket
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 324
Likes: 1
From: USA
Default
I just use a 20w resistor (wired parallel not in series) for each LED turn signal to mimic the load of a filament bulb (that's what load equalizers do). Cost about $1 apiece at radio shack.
 
Reply
0
Old Mar 31, 2012 | 04:19 PM
Share
  #3  
Jake327's Avatar
Jake327
Thread Starter
|
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Kalamazoo MI.
Default
Rookie here how do i wire in parallel? Do i need one for each blinker in front or just one for the entire front?
 
Reply
0
Old Mar 31, 2012 | 06:33 PM
Share
  #4  
jreichart's Avatar
jreichart
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,918
Likes: 5
From: Heber Springs, AR
Default
Should only need one equalizer. I only ran one, and had all 4 sigs as LED's at one point and they worked just fine.
 
Reply
0
Old Mar 31, 2012 | 08:36 PM
Share
  #5  
str8jacket's Avatar
str8jacket
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 324
Likes: 1
From: USA
Default
Some equalizers are made for just the rear turn signals, some are made for all four.

Originally Posted by Jake327
Rookie here how do i wire in parallel? Do i need one for each blinker in front or just one for the entire front?
One resistor for each blinker. Parallel means you wire it in like it was another bulb. One leg to the hot lead to the turn signal and one leg to ground.
 
Reply
0
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 09:09 AM
Share
  #6  
RANGER73's Avatar
RANGER73
Club Member
Veteran: Army
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,435
Likes: 7,127
From: Beyond Fucital
Default
Originally Posted by str8jacket
Some equalizers are made for just the rear turn signals, some are made for all four.



One resistor for each blinker. Parallel means you wire it in like it was another bulb. One leg to the hot lead to the turn signal and one leg to ground.
+1 Tapped in under seat and tucked in behind battery. Between battery and fuse box.
 
Reply
0
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 10:43 AM
Share
  #7  
chiefe's Avatar
chiefe
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 325
Likes: 1
From: Northern Ontario, Canada
Default
I just use a 20w resistor (wired parallel not in series) for each LED turn signal to mimic the load of a filament bulb (that's what load equalizers do). Cost about $1 apiece at radio shack.
That's exactly what you do, except I'm sure str8jacket meant 20 ohm resistor. A 20 watt resistor would be half the size of your battery. Resistors are cheap.
 
Reply
0

Trending Topics

Old Apr 1, 2012 | 12:09 PM
Share
  #8  
PanHeadRich's Avatar
PanHeadRich
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,591
Likes: 68
From: Big Bear City, CA
Default
Originally Posted by Jake327
I'm fresh out of room under my seat for another load equalizer i installed this one for the rear do i have to buy another big one like this for the front as well i no this may be a noob question but i just want all my leds to work when i use turn signal.

http://www.customdynamics.com/Images...Catalog-45.jpg
Have you even tried LEDs in the front signals yet? Maybe it works for both. If not, toss it and get the real deal and be done with it. Much better than running in-line resistors to each signal. :http://www.kuryakyn.com/Products/868...ake-Controller
 
Reply
0
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 01:10 PM
Share
  #9  
str8jacket's Avatar
str8jacket
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 324
Likes: 1
From: USA
Default
Originally Posted by chiefe
That's exactly what you do, except I'm sure str8jacket meant 20 ohm resistor. A 20 watt resistor would be half the size of your battery. Resistors are cheap.
No, I meant 20 watt (8 ohm), not 20 ohm. They are actually very small.

A 20 ohm resistor on a 12 volt circuit would only draw about 7 watts (a little over .5 amps).

Amps = volts / ohms (Ohms Law), and watts = volts X amps.

Actually, the most common resistors used for this purpose are 6 ohm 25w. According to the manual, the OEM turn signal bulbs are 27w. I use 20w resistors instead of 25w because the LED's draw about 5w on their own.
 
Reply
0
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 02:27 PM
Share
  #10  
chiefe's Avatar
chiefe
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 325
Likes: 1
From: Northern Ontario, Canada
Default
No, I meant 20 watt (8 ohm), not 20 ohm. They are actually very small.

A 20 ohm resistor on a 12 volt circuit would only draw about 7 watts (a little over .5 amps).
str8jacket is exactly right, I'm not sure what I was thinking. Both metal oxide and ceramic resistors arn't that big.
Actually, the most common resistors used for this purpose are 6 ohm 25w. According to the manual, the OEM turn signal bulbs are 27w. I use 20w resistors instead of 25w because the LED's draw about 5w on their own.
 
Reply
0
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Problem with front turn signals
rgilkerson
Electrical/Lighting/Alarm
7
Mar 22, 2020 09:13 PM
New Custom Dynamics LED turn signals...one side works, one doesn't.
Wakko47
Electrical/Lighting/Alarm
4
Jul 18, 2016 03:17 PM
Front LED turn signal issue
jcheinl
Electrical/Lighting/Alarm
5
May 2, 2014 09:59 AM
LED Turn signals
tbone1957
Touring Models
9
Jan 2, 2013 07:27 AM
turn signal issue
MJK
Sportster Models
3
Nov 26, 2007 04:38 PM
Tags
Back to Subforum
Softail Models
View Next Unread
Tapered " Spike " air cleaner kit




Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:07 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE