Hello everyone, I need some help.

A couple of months ago I bought a 2001 Sportster 1200, had 9,000 miles on it and is in perfect shape. Everything on it is stock, except for the Screaming Eagle exhaust and having a Stage 1 jet kit.

I'm not a fan of the stock rim, and I have been looking into changing it. I kind of jumped the gun on a deal, bought a rim that was off an older Sportster with a brand new tire on it. The rim is Harley Part Number: 43499-78
I want to say it's off a mid to late 70's Sportster. It's in amazing shape for its age, but now that I've already purchased it, what kind of issues am I going to run into, getting it to fit on the bike? It comes with the wheel bearing already installed, and the bolt pattern for the break rotor looks to be the same.

I'm worried about the axle fitting. Does anyone have an experience with trying to get something similar to fit? Has anything even changed over the years that would effect fitment?

Thanks in advanced!

 

your axle is 3/4". Can't you just measure your new wheel's bearing? Maybe post a pic? If it is the 70's it should have the same size axle but it would have to be late 70's as they ran a drum rear brake. I have early ironhead rear wheels on a couple evo sportsters.





Those are both 18's and I had to create the brake linkage system. It wasn't all that difficult so, if you are patient and diligent, you can make your wheel work. However, your accessories are hub-centric. The register on pre 2000 wheels is smaller so you will need to make an adapter ring to keep your rotor & pulley centered & balanced. The later hubs are wider so you may need to shim the rotor & pulley to line up properly. Also, you have sealed pseudo-roller bearings and pre 2000 had "serviceable" bearings. There is nothing wrong with this but your wheel spacers will need to insert in to the bearing seal to meet the bearing for proper preload...so your current wheel spacers will not work.

That sounds like a lot of work but it's just a matter of fitting it. What I would do is install the wheel without spacers (do not tighten the axle) and focus on lining everything up. Center and align the wheel first then focus on the brake caliper and pulleys. Once it's all lined up measure for spacers and remember to account for the 0.5" (approx) the bearing is inset on each side.

 

I should have specified that I do not yet have the wheel. I ordered it, and it's set to come in by the beginning of next week. I'm trying to get a jump on it so when it comes in, I'll have everything laid out to get it installed on the bike.

This wheel is for front, not the rear, so I shouldn't have to do anything as far as getting the pulleys to line up and what not. I did not get the rear wheel, well not yet anyways. That might be sometime in the very near future.

But you mentioned wheel spacers, are wheel spacers needed for the front wheel? If so, do you happen to know what wheel spacers I would need that would fit the new wheel?

Here's a couple of picture of the wheel that I bought.

 

You will have to make sure the disc lines up with the caliper. It's virtually impossible to get you details on spacers you'd need. That will have to happen during mock up once you receive the wheel. I would also get new bearings.

 

Oh yeah man...that's A LOT easier. Install the wheel without spacers and brake pads, center the rotor in the caliper then check center alignment with the wheel itself. This is much easier to do without a tire. If the wheel is centered then just measure for spacers. If the wheel is not centered, measure for what you need to do to space the rotor or caliper.

I did it on this one



And my wife's bike as well.



On hers I was able to space the caliper just a bit.

Actually...after looking at your wheel I think it's not from an ironhead. The register for the rotor looks to be bigger that an ironhead and even bigger than what you have now. If you have the tooling, you can machine the rotor to match that wheel.

 

According to the seller, the wheel is off an Ironhead. If it's not, I wouldn't mind just picking up a new rotor that will fit the wheel. Since moving to Florida, I don't have access to the tools that I used to have, otherwise I would just throw it in a lathe and machine it to what I need lol.
But anyways, sorry for sounding a bit... dumb haha, but, once I figure out the spacing I need, where can I pickup wheel spacers that will work for the wheel?

I've never bought spacers for a bike before, so I'm a bit lost.

Thanks for the help!

 

If you don't have the means of cutting your own spacers, user "diggnvball" has the store D-Tech Customs on ebay. He is awesome to work with and has a very fast turn around. He'll do custom work for you and that's my go to guy on wheel spacers.

 

Thanks! Found his eBay store, put it in my favorites list.

Now for me to sound dumb again lol. What's a good distance for the rotor and caliper to be from the wheel? Just so it's not touching? Or this there some kind of set distance? Or does it vary from bike to bike? This is my first time messing with installing a non-exact fit part on a bike, so I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible with what needs to be done to do it right.

 

Hey all,

Was wondering if anyone knows the size of the front wheel hub spacer that goes inside the cast alloy front wheel between the bearings
The wheel part number is: 43499-78

 

Mike, your 'new' wheel has tapered roller bearings, with separate external seals, which your photo shows. Your current wheel has sealed ball races, with an integral seal. So it is likely that the installed width of the two wheels, across their bearings, will not be the same, hence the need to check spacing and, if necessary, have some new spacers made. I'm sure it's been done before, but until someone pops up, you may find yourself working alone!

A further possibility is that the bearing housing on the 'new' wheel is smaller in OD than your current wheel, so your rotor will have too large a central hole. You will need to do some homework when you can compare the two wheels.