I did a search and there's a fair amount of info, but I want to hear more from those that have fixed this issue themselves. The toe shifter level is loose and flopping on my Road King. I had the bike in the shop last week for the 20k service and asked them to fix it. They returned the bike later in the day saying all they had to do was tighten up the shifter and it was fine. Of course I tried that myself and the bolt was already tight.

It was storming and I was hurrying around to get home before it got worse, so I didn't check their work. Of course, when I got home, I realized the toe shifter was just as loose as it was before I took it in. So yeah, they either didn't even look at it or applied a fix that lasted for 10 miles.

Anyway, I've read the following options for fixes:

- Cut a piece out of a soda can and try to stick that between the spline and shifter to take up some slack.
- Shaving down the gap on the shifter to allow more room to tighten it
- Put some threadlocker on the spline, reinstall the shifter, and allow it to cure for 24 hours
- Drill out the hole on the shifter level and install a nut/bolt to get it tighter
- Install a hex head bolt in place of the allen head bolt (no nut, same threading), which would allow me to tighten it down more

Are there any other fixes I'm forgetting? Have you guys tried any of these with great success?

I'll have the bike back in there in a week or two to get the motor mounts replaced under warranty and I can tell them about the shifter then too, but I wouldn't mind doing it myself either.

Chris

 

I had that happen on my '07 Streetglide. I used teflon tape to tighten the gap between the shaft and lever. I was on a trip only 100 miles out of town. I mic'd the shaft. It was undersize. My dealer, a good one, replaced the shaft and both shifters. Make sure the bolts are torqued properly and it'll probably be fine. My '02 bike has smaller bolts (1/4 vs.5/16 on the '07) and has been fine for 45,000 miles.

 

To clarify my post above, my bike was, still is, under warranty. The teflon tape lasted the rest of a 1000 mile jaunt around Colorado. It's a warranty issue, if your still under warranty. Oh yeah, those Allen bolts, (socket head cap screws) are a grade 8 bolt and will tighten more than most hex heads. Just make sure they are torqued to spec.

 

Thanks "Northside." My bike is under warranty and this should definitely be covered. But I typed in "loose shifter" on Google the other day and got a bunch of hits. Looks like this is a pretty common issue and even if I don't chose to fix it myself now (and have them fix it under warranty), I'd still like to know a good way to fix it. Know what I mean?

It didn't look like the teeth were stripped when I had it apart myself, but it's possible I just didn't inspect it close enough too.

 

I think the shaft is a harder steel than the shifter arm. My bike did that same thing at around 60k or so. I tried several times to tighten it but it always got loose again very quickly. I bought a new arm and put it on and no more problems since. I think the spline teeth on the shifter arm wore out.

PS: Any of the fixes you described could do the job. Try the simplest ones first and work your way down the list til it's fixed. Or buy a new arm - $30 or so IIRC.

 

My '04 toe shifters 'teeth' stripped out. I was able to ride by swapping the heel shifter to the front. I had the fancy 'chrome' billet ones. I bought a new set and all was fine and dandy for a couple weeks.......until the clamp on the back side of the shaft came off.
The bolt was tight as could be, but I found out as I took it apart was the cinch bolt had a flat spot worn in it, so that it wasn't making contact with the 'groove' on the shaft
which let it pop off. I bought a new bolt a solved that prob. Both times my shift would just flop back and forth.
I don't know if either of these would be your case....but was my experience.

 

I have fixed the problem on my bike, and it had it has lasted for 10,000 miles this summer so far.
I cleaned the shaft with Lacquer thinner then coated the shaft with green locktite, along with the inside of the shift levers then slid them on, red locktite the threads on the pinch bolts,and crank them down.
I don't think you can brake those bolts I had a 3/8s drive ratchet, and hex bit in it,and I cranked on it.

 

I could tell my splines on the shaft were not perfect, but they looked "pretty" good, however when I mec'd the shaft it was under size. I was a tool & die maker for 35 years so I see stuff better than most. The lever couldn't clamp properly. If it became a chronic problem for me, I'd install a small set screw into the lever and just dimple the shaft (by drilling through the set screw threaded hole) that would secure the lever to the shaft without weakening the lever or shaft much.

 

So loctite is really that strong? Dang... That's the easiest solution and I think you're the second person I've seen that says it works. Shoot, I should just try that sometime.

 

With that combo(green and red)that should not loosen up!
I have used the green #609 at work a lot of times for bonding cylindrical parts.Once that cures,it's like the part has been welded.