thanks for the offer I appreciate it. I already ordered one. Found it on eBay.

 

Exactly!

 

Missed a few pages but for my 2017 bike HD call for new bolts and a two stage torque, 60 ft-lbs first go then 80 ft-lbs final.

My tyre fitter's machine couldn't take wheel with pulley so I had to remove it. Following the manual the pulley on my low powered Sportster has been fine.

Screws for my bike are 7/16"-14 x 1-3/4" Hex Head with Lockpatch - https://estore.chester-harley-davids...ch-p69328.html

 

Safety wire would not have helped except for the fact that the base plate is what caused the issue. Stock bolts and locktite would have been fine. Surfaces clean.

 

At the risk of (re)stating the obvious...

If the bolts back out you loose tension between the pulley and the wheel, there is relative movement, and things go to hell in a hand basket.

If you lose tension between the pulley and the wheel, (e.g. powder coating, paint, etc.) then the bolts can back out. there is relative movement, and things go to hell in a hand basket.

There are enough reports of failures with all sorts of bolt locking schemes that lead me to believe it's not a simple as bolts backing out. I believe that absolutely clean mating surfaces and an effective locking scheme are both critical.

A few years back someone (Blue Bob, IIRC) proposed using sleeves to lock the pulley to the wheel. If you're a belt and suspenders and belt kind of guy, I think that's the way to go. Too bad it's not just bolt-on.

 

Sleeves not to lock but to fill huge clearance in pully holes. Longer bolt shoulders to extend into the wheel counterbores to drive the wheel, and known good quality bolts. 70,000 psi + Safety wire.

There is several Harley bolts that are highly suspect to severely advance this problem.

Also I do not believe there is enough material to use bushings / sleeves to effectively lock the assembly together.

 

On the wheel and pulley mating surfaces on my bike there is no coatings.

It is the same on my car as well. The mating surfaces are uncoated metal masked off before the paint went on.

Sleeves to stop the pulley from moving which is probably what causes the shearing of the bolts. A pin or two would have the same effect and keep the original bolts and holes.

 

Auto wheel are driven with lug nuts.

 

In the UK the wheels on BMWs are threaded holes in the hub and screws or bolts through the wheel. If they come loose it would be the same type of shearing action I think we are discussing here.

 

While they can and some might. In this case they simply snapped off.