Ultra Classic Wheel alignment
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 9
From: Cherokee Co. Georgia
The alignment is adjusted by removing or loosening the front motor mount bolt and adjusting the engine stabilizer(s) to properly orient the drive train in the frame. This can be done with a long straight edge, some have used long flouresant light tubes, there is a tool that makes it very easy but it cost +/- 400.00. Best to check swing arm bushings, wheel bearings, front engine mount (donut). these often get soft as a result of oil spills from changing filter.I wanted to add that the cams on the axle turn together and are only used for adjusting the belt tightness
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 104
Likes: 1
From: Harrisburg,PA
the first thing I would do is check and see if there is any side to side play in the swing arm,the front motor mount being solid, wheel bearings, tire pressure, front end fall away etc. when you align these bikes you are not aligning the rear wheel to the swing arm like a rigid frame or possibly a softtail, you are shifting the engine/primary/transmission as a unit. that being said, if any of these components are worn or have excessive play in them it would do no good to check/adjust the alignment. An easy way to check it is to have the bike upright in a chock or a jack maybe with the front end centered take a long straight edge across the rear wheel maybe fasten it somehow if possible, it has to be long enough to go the whole way across the centered front wheel, now measure the distance between the inside of the straight edge and the front wheel, repeat for the other side and compare the measurements they should be pretty close, hope this helps-Terry
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 9
From: Cherokee Co. Georgia
That was the part I didn't realize. I knew the cams work together to adjust belt tension. I did not know the motor mounts were adjustable to line the motor/ trans assy up with the rear sprocket & wheel assy. Still not clear about where the points of measure are.
Last edited by DHubbs; Jan 27, 2015 at 06:23 AM.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 104
Likes: 1
From: Harrisburg,PA
The wheel isn't adjusted, it doesn't need to be. The swing arm pivots through the transmission case not the frame,the engine/transmission/primary/swingarm/rearwheel are all moved as one unit, on the 07 there are 2 engine stabilizer links (heim joints) and the front motor mount.
Last edited by flatfifth2003; Jan 27, 2015 at 07:12 AM. Reason: typo
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 9
From: Cherokee Co. Georgia
If there is no alignment adjustment at the rear wheel, it is all done at the front motor mount, why pull a string between wheels? What are ya lookin for?
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 104
Likes: 1
From: Harrisburg,PA
The adjustment is actually done using the (2) stabilizer links when not using the tool,(the straight edge method).The motor mount on the bottom front of the engine has a bolt in the center of it that has to be removed or loosened while doing the alignment. What you are looking for is that the rear wheel (with the drivetrain) is "square" (for lack of a better term) with the frame. If you have a service manual or access to one a quick look at it with the illustrations will make it very clear, it's kind of hard to explain. If you use the straight edge method to check/align your bike you need to use a rigid object long enough to lay across both wheels at the same time front to back
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Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,468
Likes: 4
From: South Carolina
the rear axle can be mis aligned. why would I want to align the engine and tranny to a misaligned axle? that would cause crabbing and pulling to one side and could result in a crash in a hard curve.
