When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
As much as that sucks (visually) .........I say leave it alone. Nobody is EVER going to notice that. Thats going to take way too much effort to fix. Once you start grinding, you cant put it back. There isnt much of a way to make sure you keep it squared up when using hand tools either. It just makes me question what the hell happened? How did HD manage to drill and tap a hole thats off center like that? Remember when HD produced high quality, American made products? (I dont either. )
I did try that but it kept squeezing out, maybe I can find some adhesive or something to hold it in place. The credit card I used was 1mm thick, that's how I came up with the amount I would need to grind off. I know one thing it bugs the heck out of me so I got to fix it.
Try steel. Thin strips from a soup can or the like. Not an aluminum pop can.
As much as that sucks (visually) .........I say leave it alone. Nobody is EVER going to notice that. Thats going to take way too much effort to fix. Once you start grinding, you cant put it back. There isnt much of a way to make sure you keep it squared up when using hand tools either. It just makes me question what the hell happened? How did HD manage to drill and tap a hole thats off center like that? Remember when HD produced high quality, American made products? (I dont either. )
One unusual thing is the threads are tapped straight, I can back out the bolt and let the bracket rest against it and it is straight. It also stays straight while tightening but when it hits the frame it cranks over to the right. I agree that grinding would be difficult and I would likely end up with a footboard that fits worse. I'm going to concentrate on the shim thing and if I can't make that work I will just leave it. It does suck though.
Maybe just a very small piece of card and smear the edge full length with JB weld. Mount the bracket run the bolts down until it just touches but is still straight. Let the JB weld set, then tighten it up.
I swapped the boards and no difference so the brackets are good. It's the surface of the frame where the bracket mounts that is off. The only way I know to correct it would be to remove some of the material from the high side, maybe with a file or a rotary tool with a grinding disc. I would need to remove at least 1mm maybe 1.5mm to make it reasonably straight. HD's build quality had diminished considerably as of late in my opinion.
If I were to try and correct the issue (and I would) I'd not file, grind or shim the footboard. I'd concentrate my effort on filing the mounting bracket surface where it mounts to the frame to make it more parallel. It'll take significantly less effort because the ratio of material removal will be significantly less because the surface area at the mounting point is so much smaller than the spread between the mounting points of the board to the mount.
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.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
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.
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.
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.
)
