My local indy planted the idea in my head to change the front end of my 2000 superglide to a wide front end using 6 degree triple trees and a 21" front wheel.....he implied that i could just buy the 6 degree wide glide trees and use my existing fork tubes.....will this lower the front end of my bike or will the change from 19" front wheel to a 21" wheel offset the rake angle. Anyone have an idea what a fair price for this conversion would be if I have him do the work????

 

BE WAY CAREFUL !!!!!!!



In reality, you can do ANYTHING you want with the 'rake', BUT, you HAVE TO keep the "trail" , within "specs".
Adding "raked" trees, DOES NOT CHANGE your 'rake' (See above pic) "Rake" is determined by the 'steering neck'/post, NOT the triple trees.
You will be getting VERY CLOSE to, if not, negative trail:

Think - HIGH SPEED WOBBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! NOT FUN !!!!!!!!!!

The trees 'alone' will lower your scoot's front end. 3* "neck bearings"(these ACTUALLY WILL change the rake, AGAIN, steering head/post), with 'stock' FLH tubes, will lower a scoot, li'l over an inch+. Measure the diff in height, from the 19 - 21 tire. You can get "close" to what will happen to YOUR front end height.

IF you were paying attention in Geometry class, (which we didn't, cause we were staring out the window at that Sportster going by, and day dreaming 'bout being out there ) you can actually do all the math(angles, sine and cosine), on paper, BEFORE you spend $$. Plus you will then know, what you need to buy, to accomplish, 6*s.

Also, something to keep in mind. Changing to angled triple trees, OR neck bearings, will affect your front fender "looks", as to 'horizontal' with the ground. On FLH's, I just drill out the rivets holding fender to brackets, weld holes shut, and redrill to re-establish 'horizontal/level'.

Make sense???? IF not, keep posting back.

 

I am gonna watch this, too. I am thinking about changing to wide glide trees on my '87 FXR with added rake. Hmmmm

 

you better be careful about what your indy is saying. changing the front end isn't as easy as just throwin on different trees and rolling toward happy times. you have to actually know what the hell you are doing and take trail into effect.

it has long been passed down that throwing raked trees on an otherwise stock bike will severely tamper with the front line stability of the bike. true, i have 7 degree trees on my ride, but my situation is different from most.

do your homework and ask lots of questions. best of luck.

grimm

 

Just to reiterate - "rake" is determined by the neck post, NOT the trees. Do the 'lay out' and measure your points, I use chalk on the floor. Keep your trail where it is s'posed to be, GTG, Frontier.

Here, I found an example of 'raked' trees. NOTE how the 'trail' changed, dramtically, to the - (negative). Whilst the 'rake' stayed the same.

 

Rake and trail calculator

 

Is this what you mean by negative trail????? (SEE PIC) And is that correctable by lengthening or shortening the fork tubes....without understanding the technical data and numbers....it looks like if you change the angle of the forks by using custom triple trees, then the length of the fork tubes would determine the trail....lol....I am soooo guessing on this

 

Positive -




Negative -




There is NO set/magic #. But 2-4 and 4-6, are #'s bantered about. I use 3-5, then I KNOW, I am in the 'park'. The 'larger' the #, the more the scoot will try to 'right' itself. That's why baggers, tourers, choppers,etc, have a bigger trail #, than, say a V-Rod. Which is why, baggers and choppers do not like to corner (curves) as well as a V Rod, Sportster, etc. It's NOT the "weight".

 

Thanks for the replies gumby....i am printing your posts and will take them to my physics teacher at school tonight....maybe he will be impressed that i am trying apply the CRAP he is teaching me in real life and give me extra credit....lol

 

Uhhh, the "physics' doesn't come into play, until you try to 'turn' the front end. THINK - COUNTERSTEER, JB.
You sure you want to hit the 'physics', right away ????

JB, Buds, dont' get ALL wrapped up in it.

Just make sure HE knows, about R&T, before he pulls your trees. IF he says, H*ll, don't worry, that chit is for the birds, RUN LIKE H*LL, Son.

Too many people chopping scoots in the 60's and 70's, proved, BIRDS don't really give a chit, but it KILLS people.