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wheel alignment- please help

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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 10:04 AM
  #1  
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93flhtcu
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From: st.charles mo.
Default wheel alignment- please help

hello, i have a 2007 flhtcu and have been disatisfied with the handling so I started to check wheel alignment. After checking the wheels with a straight edge I noticed the wheels are&nbsp\\; aprox. .300 thousands of an inch off center. when I put the straight edge on the&nbsp\\;left &nbsp\\;side it touches the tires in 4 places almost dead on. when I put the straight edge on right side it touches the rear wheel in 2 places but there is a .300 of an inch gap that runs entire length of&nbsp\\; th front wheel. this tells me the wheels are running true but are off center from each other. I checked front and rear wheel spacers and they are correct according to the hd manual. This came from the factory like this. any help would be appreciated .thanks
 
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 10:08 AM
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Default RE: wheel alignment- please help

what is the runout of the front bearings? you might try checking the front axle torque. if its out it may take up the .003 diff
 
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 10:18 AM
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From: st.charles mo.
Default RE: wheel alignment- please help

blueflht thanks ,but I checked this. the wheels are offset almost 5/16 of an inch. this seems to be a design error but not sure.
 
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 11:27 AM
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Default RE: wheel alignment- please help

you would have to get different spacers to move the wheels in line with each other.
 
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 12:23 PM
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Default RE: wheel alignment- please help

ORIGINAL: 93flhtcu

hello, i have a 2007 flhtcu and have been disatisfied with the handling so I started to check wheel alignment. After checking the wheels with a straight edge I noticed the wheels are&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; aprox. .300 thousands of an inch off center. when I put the straight edge on the&nbsp\\;\\\\\\;left &nbsp\\;\\\\\\;side it touches the tires in 4 places almost dead on. when I put the straight edge on right side it touches the rear wheel in 2 places but there is a .300 of an inch gap that runs entire length of&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; th front wheel. this tells me the wheels are running true but are off center from each other. I checked front and rear wheel spacers and they are correct according to the hd manual. This came from the factory like this. any help would be appreciated .thanks
If you have access to a lift with a wheel clamp, clamp the front wheel &amp\\; using a level, make sure the brake disc is perfectly vertical.&nbsp\\; When the front is perfectly vertical, check the rear.&nbsp\\; If it's vertical then you should be able to correct the alignment by adjusting the heim link on the front of the motor.&nbsp\\; If the rear is not vertical you adjust the vertical with the heim link on the top of the motor between the cylinders.&nbsp\\; Of course your handling problems may just be the flexibility allowed by the rubber mount, &amp\\; could be solved with a stabilizer like the TWR or the Ride Str8.
 
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 01:08 PM
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Default RE: wheel alignment- please help

MCNews did an article several years ago but tour models coming from the factory misaligned, due to the heim engine mounts being improperly set up.&nbsp\\;Some were as much as 3/4" off. &nbsp\\;Our dealer has a laser alignment machine and they check everyone that comes in, before putting it on the floor.
 
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 01:29 PM
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From: SW Minnesota
Default RE: wheel alignment- please help

I googled it and found this article index from 2003. It's in the second column about half way down.&nbsp\\; I think that may be additonal articlesI believe the first ones were written when the Twin Cams first came out, as a friend of mine has a 2000 Road King and I can remember telling him about the articles.
&nbsp\\;
http://www.dogworldmag.com/mcn/artic...ndex_Jan04.pdf
 
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Old Jul 6, 2008 | 08:22 PM
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From: st.charles mo.
Default RE: wheel alignment- please help

Thanks to all who replied. I went through the hd manual and did the alignment to speck. The neck bearings were also out of speck so I&nbsp\\; took care of that.The alignment was out vertically and horizontaly.I spent the day doing this, finished and went for a ride, what a difference.&nbsp\\; This was out of speck from the factory ,I have been riding this for 17,000 miles. I am still under warrantee but I didn't trust my dealer would have&nbsp\\;taken the time to do it right. This takes a lot of time and it will test your patience.&nbsp\\; once again thanks for all the feedback.
 
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