I've shimmed or massaged the rails on most all the old ones I get that far into, I can't let **** like that get past me if I know it out, chews on the brain till I fix it.
@hellonewman Spoke wheels. The rims are centered on the hub, which I believe is correct.
@TwiZted Biker The swingarm bolt is OEM new old stock I lucked upon, a really nice find. New in an unopened package that I opened.
I can see your is off, but in the picture, it looks like the wheel is tilted to the left at the top (it may just be the picture). Mine just looks like it a little to the right. No trans in the frame yet to see how the chain aligns.
The shocks and sheetmetal aren't installed so it was fairly low in the back and I used a straight edge and it looks very close to center with the backbone and seat tube. And the front wheel, although that is tricky because it could be turned just a little throwing everything off. But it may be worth checking at different levels to see if it changes. I also have a MotionPro alignment tool but don't trust it enough to use than only, both gave the same results. The string method I use is to align the front wheel with the rear, and I wrap string around the rear tire and then run the string forward of the front tire. with each string tied to a weight, even a gallon jug filled with water. The move the jugs until the string just touches the the edge of the tire on each side. Then check if the string is touching the rear wheel on each side equally. And with mine, the front and rear rotors at at the same angle.
I think I'm gong back through all the measurements and then see if I can figure out some to measure the geometry of just the stubs at the end of the frame where the shocks and struts attach. The HD frame specs do give a measurement for the distance between that area, but that doesn't mean it is square.
The HD manual gives dimensions for the round swingarm, but not the square one. I looked online and never found anything. I don't recall seeing one in the past that was dead center betwen the stubs for the struts and shocks, but it has been a while I used two swingarms and got results close enough to think they are correct. Part of me says don't worry about 3/16 of an inch, but I'm not satisfied yet.
thanks agian,
Paul
That was a buds 65 pan, he rode the wheels off it daily, swore nothing was wrong it, lost him in drunk driver wreck. Bike moved around several years, sat in couple shops including an Oregon dealership before finding it's way back to me. Frame had taken a very hard hit underneath, twisted the tube, flexed the leg behind the primary which cocked the wheel like you see and had a warped swing arm. even the axle was bent a bit. No idea how many years it had been like that and the shops missed all this before I got to it.
The round swingarm and the drum brakes fixed to the arm always sat a bit to the drive side depending on how the was wheel was laced or aftermarket. It's true, don't sweat it under 1/4", these aren't precision high speed road machine to start with.
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and ideas.
I'm going to go back through all the measurements one more time just be sure I got them correct. It's a heck of a lot easier now while things are apart to be sure I'm not missing something. As well as rechecking the wheels to be sure they are correctly assembled. And like I mentioned earlier, see if the stubs for the struts are square. I can see how they could easliy be pushed off to one side without affecting how the wheel aligns with the frame or front wheel. A 1/16 here and another there and it adds up quickly.
Sorry you lost a friend in an accident like that. That sucks, people need to be more careful and respectful on the roads.
I Would only be concerned that the rear wheel lines up with front wheel
JMO
Not Critical.. Both tracking Straight IS..
I do it just the same on All my bikes.. ensure chain or Belt is Tracking in the Middle of the rear sprocket...Done..
Assuming of course yer Drivetrain is Straight and sitting straight in yer Frame, Those of us with an FXR Know about all that..
You mention the hub is centered on the rim, check the FSM for your bike and make sure that is correct. As noted by Twisted, drum brake bikes are not centered because the hub is laced with an offset to the rim. No idea about 1976, but I would look that up for sure, good luck.
Found a picture, item #5 below indicates you should be centered.
I checked the wheels (front and rear) before posting. Also mentioned in an earlier post. Based on my HD manual, they are correct. That's why I'm looking for other things, including that's the way most of them are out of the factory anyway. Which has been my experience in the past. The bike is almost 50 years old and who know what all has been done to it in the past.
For the wheels to track correctly, I'd have to change both, but I doubt there is enough space in the front to make that adjustment and still have enough clearance.
5. Rim must be properly centered sideways in relation to hub for correct alignment and " tracking"
of front and rear wheels. Figures 2-22, 2-23 and 2, 23A show method of usinga straight edge to
determine correct sideways center* ing of wheel rims as specified. Place straight edge across hub on
brake side and measure the distance from straight* edge to rim well as shown. Note that late 1969
to 1972 Electra Glide models have rim laced off center. Rims 1973 and later are centered on hub
which includes cast wheels.
I have 84 Shovel with rear belt OEM , wheel alignment looks like **** inside the rear fender , it’s is aligned with front wheel but looks very much to right side to clear the belt
I have 84 Shovel with rear belt OEM , wheel alignment looks like **** inside the rear fender , it’s is aligned with front wheel but looks very much to right side to clear the belt
Again...Long as they both track absolutely Parallel, (straight)..Oh Well.. Ask any of the Fat Tire Craze guys from Back When..
09-05-2024, 06:49 PM
