Well it finally happened..only
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 601
Likes: 12
From: Texas
Well it finally happened..only
So after reading that the stock shifter rod has a tendency to come apart at the most inopportune times, I bought a new chrome replacement but it only had an a hiem on one end. Still, thinking that at least it's new, the ball type joint on the rear should hold until I can order another hiem, I was set. Mid 60's in N Texas, and I'm going for a ride before dinner to a new bike shop we found the other day. I make it to the first major road and suddenly, I stomp down on the rocker to go into 4th and I get nothing, looking down I stomp again, only to see the rocker shifter just laying there. CRAP! I let out on the clutch, climb the hill and pull into a residential area to see what's up. Not really believing the new 3 month old, 500 mile rod really came apart - CRAP! I was able to shove the socket back onto the ball and make it home. I pulled the old joint off the chrome rod, dug out the original rod, and pulled the old joints off, screwed it on the chrome rod and now I'm road worthy again until I can get another chrome hiem joint and bolt to replace the ball joint link. So much for a nice evening ride - twisting wrenches instead of twisting throttles -what a PITA!
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 601
Likes: 12
From: Texas
RE: Well it finally happened..only
ORIGINAL: Badfinger
Maybe you shouldn't STOMP on it? [sm=badidea.gif][sm=nono.gif]
Maybe you shouldn't STOMP on it? [sm=badidea.gif][sm=nono.gif]
Stomp may be to hard a word, the movement was positive, but unlike stomping down hard (like say putting out fire or stomping some retard's hand from grabbing your beer) it was simply "brisk". At any rate, now I gotta' go buy a single hiem joint, but it gives me an excuse to buy that chrome shift arm cover....
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,424
Likes: 0
From: Hoboken, New Jersey
RE: Well it finally happened..only
This whole issue has got me puzzled a bit. First let me say that both my current rides have a shift rod with hiem joints on both ends. My 2003 Deuce came that way, and I just added the plane Jane round one on my 2008 SG. Now I also have/had a 2004 Fatboy.....I sold it to a very close friend/riding buddy, and still do all the work on the bike (in fact its in my shop right now). Now this 04 Softail has been through the mill.....it gets used and used hard. It has about 6000 miles on it now.....runs like a champ, and handles well for what it is.....I like the bike quite a bit. Anyway it still has the stock OEM shifter rod....and I checked it just the other day (same day I installed the new rod on the SG) and there is no excessive play in the ball joint....or anything else that would make me think its worn or ready to take a crap. While I had the bike I never kicked down on the shift lever too hard, and the current owner dont do it either.....????
So.....why the high failure rate on some of these......? I dont think it was a bad batch of joints because its too wide spread. This has got to have something to do with the amount of force applied to the shift lever....even more specifically when shifting from N into 1st. I see many guys I ride with (for some reason its usually the older guys) while sitting at a light.....when the light changes green, they kick down on the shift lever hard....too hard IMHO. I can only see this as the biggest reason for the early failure rate.....well this and the fact that the ball/socket joint is not the best or strongest option for this application.
If you guys have any other ideas as to why they are failing so easy....please let me know.
So.....why the high failure rate on some of these......? I dont think it was a bad batch of joints because its too wide spread. This has got to have something to do with the amount of force applied to the shift lever....even more specifically when shifting from N into 1st. I see many guys I ride with (for some reason its usually the older guys) while sitting at a light.....when the light changes green, they kick down on the shift lever hard....too hard IMHO. I can only see this as the biggest reason for the early failure rate.....well this and the fact that the ball/socket joint is not the best or strongest option for this application.
If you guys have any other ideas as to why they are failing so easy....please let me know.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
RE: Well it finally happened..only
To make your ball sockets last forever, pick up a set of take-offs at a swapmeet for a couple of bucks and put them in your tool kit. That is what I did. My original ones have 69k miles on them.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 10,788
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From: Texas
RE: Well it finally happened..only
I had a 86 bagger with over 100,000 mi. on it. Original shift rod! 91 Ultra 100,000+ miles. Original shift rod! Then my 97 Ultra at 30,000, shift rod broke.[:@] Go figure.
Change of venders??? Oh well. [sm=biker.gif]
Change of venders??? Oh well. [sm=biker.gif]
