The alignment thread earlier made me take a look at my belt and its rubbing right against the outside edge of the pulley. When I sping the wheel backwards it walks to the inside edge.

So, last night I reset my rear wheel to what appears to be perfectly aligned both measuring and using a coat hanger to double check everything.

So went for a ride today and the belt is against the outer edge again.

I'm lost now as to what to do, wondering if my DNA wheels and pulley just need a spacer for the pulley or if in fact I erred in aligning the wheel.

Or if it is normal for the belt to move side to side as you ride.

Thoughts?

 

It's normal for the belt to track to the outside of the pulley while going forward. It tracks inside when you go in reverse.

 

At what point do I become concerned that I'm going to eat the belt up?

 

Remember a Softail is unique since the engine is fixed and the rear wheel aligns +/-1/32 to the swing arm bearings. Use a dial caliper and set the stops at the axle measured to the milled stop flat which is milled exactly the same distance from the bearing bores. Like you noticed it will track left or right depending on which way you rotate but only rotate it fwd like it drives in neutral. It will ride to outside edge normally when correct. Note that it is not really tight. Mine has always been on the outside, and there is no side wear at 40K. I ran a couple lock nuts on mine and held the distance to the end face of the bolt since it's easier for me to caliper off this face to the milled face. Not sure about yours but my 04 swing arm bolt is pretty much impossible to find the actual center. There are center caps for Dynas. With a Softail, it's more important to align with engine, the handle bars align the front to the rear. I guess if you had a wrecked bike an a badly bent swing arm and you had to throw wheel way off from the swing arm, you could get a scuffing across the tire when suspension moved, but it would really have to be bad.

 

Bikes not damaged I bought her brand new so I know the history which is good.

Good to hear it rides normal to the outside.

If it seems to be acceptable to measure the bolts than I'll do that and set it perfect I guess and run it.

I would just really really hate to ruin a belt, the headache of putting a new one on isn't appealing to me just as the weather warms up.

 

All DNA wheels require a pulley spacer on late model Softails AFAIK. What year do you have again?

My 05 needed a .5 spacer, I think later years have a thinner spacer.

The front pulley will make up a little either way but you could end up rubbing on something inboard without a spacer.

 

I spent an hour setting my rear wheel alignment and it is perfectly centered on mine with about 1/32 clear per side.

just saying, it can be done.

 

I was told mine didn't. It's a 2012 though. I got a feeler gauge between the belt and pulley and have 1/64 of an inch. I guess I could order a spacer for it to center it better. Only need 1/8 tops

 

Just measured, to set it perfectly center I'd need 3/32 spacer. Probably could get away with an 1/8 but either way I don't know it's completely necessary but once I find one ill order it up see if it helps

 

Just to update, had a fun night with a trip to the hospital for a couple stitches tonight.

Ordered an 1/8" spacer online the other day and it won't be here till next week, wanted to ease my mind and get the belt off the outter flange of the pulley. So went to my local indy and picked up a 1/16" rotor spacer.

Didn't fit over the hub flange to took my flap wheel and made it fit. The pulley bolts were to big to go through the holes so I was drilling them out to fit and the bit caught and sliced a 2cm gash in my middle finger, 5 stitches later I was on my way. Don't drill and hold metal with out either gloves or with the part in a vice, good lesson learned the hard way today.

Finally get it home, get everything installed and align the rear wheel off the adjuster bolts to be even, spin the wheel and the belt walked to the outside again. I'm little pissed since what I just went through was apparently in vain.

I reset the right side adjuster back to where it was before I started this whole process (1/32 difference) ran it and belt centered on the puller pretty nicely.

I'll ride a bunch tomorrow and keep an eye on it and see what happens. If it ends up walking to the outside again I'm going to take the spacer out and say F it.