Recently I read a thread where someone commented on how their quick detach hardware had too much clearance in the bushings which caused the Tourpak to rattle. I read another thread where someone said their quick detach tourpak hardware required bending the tourpak mount wider. Follow along and you'll see why I bring this up.

My quick detach hardware never came with useful installation instructions but there doesn't seem to be that many options for installing the hardware, so maybe good instructions aren't required. Here is my question...

The attached photos show how I have installed the front mounting hardware. Notice how the bushing is installed at the end on the mount point (near the bolt head) and the steel spacer is mounted close to the bike. This spaces the bushings wider at the front than the rear. When I mount the tourpak without bending the mount wider the tourpak mount attaches tightly to the steel spacer. If I bend the mount wider it can attach to the bushing but the fit is loose and it would rattle. I assume the front bushing are wider apart for mounting of a removable backrest, but I haven't made that purchase yet. <G> I can reverse the order of the mounting of the steel spacer and the bushing but it just doesn't look right.

Is this the correct way to install the mounting hardware and the tourpak? If it is, I suspect this should answer the other two questions I pointed out at the top of my post (Don't spread the tourpak mount and install it on the steel spacer, not the bushing.).

 

Using the Manufacturer's name, most installation instructions can be found in pdf format to download on the internet.

 

that looks just like mine.
no problems with the kit at all.

I don't think i will ever use the outer mount point, I am thinking of "editing" the hardware so as to leave the inner location for the tour pak and do away with the outer bushing

have on the way a road king signal bar which will allow me to get rid of the license plate "spoiler".

Mike

 

In my experience the "outer" nylon bush was very sloppy and the "inner" steel bush was too tight. I am fortunate in that I have a special machine tool for turning up Nylon so I made my own and didn't mess around any further. Wish I could help you further, but I think you are going to be faced with a similar option to what I did. What bugged me was that these kits are not at all cheap considering what your are getting for your money. The one I had on my 08 was made MUCH better.

From a previous thread, based on the random nature of those that were happy vs those that experienced the same problem, I concluded that the manufacturing tolerances are not right, but...

 

I have "complained" in the past about H-D providing PDF instructions for the simplest of parts but for something as complex (If you want to call it that.) as the detachable tourpak hardware, they don't provide anything. Weird.

 

That's something I didn't like about the kit either. With the tourpak off the bike the plate seems to stick up unnecessarily high. I replaced the light bar with the SG style lights then I bought a mount to relocate the license plate below the taillight. Much better location in IMHO.