My fender strut broke as well, replaced it. The pulley only clears the swing arm by 1/8". I'm changing tires and trying to fix this. The bike was wrecked and reconstructed. It's been back on the rode for at least 3 years. I rode it all last year and it rides fine, but I'm wondering if I need to adjust alignment or offset wheel to the right. If so I'll have to mill down caliper mounting arm. I know it doesn't need to be centered perfectly but I don't what the tire rubbing fender.

 

My fender strut broke as well, replaced it. The pulley only clears the swing arm by 1/8". I'm changing tires and trying to fix this. The bike was wrecked and reconstructed. It's been back on the road for at least 3 years. I rode it all last year and it rides fine, but I'm wondering if I need to adjust alignment or offset wheel to the right. If so I'll have to mill down caliper mounting arm. I know it doesn't need to be centered perfectly but I don't what the tire rubbing fender.

 

I don't know why more people don't check this Before changing tires.
That would take a lot of the guesswork out of it, like did I loose a spacer, or put them in wrong... Gunna check mine today.

 

My 03 RoadKing is off center to the left looking from behind the bike. heck every thing on that bike looks of center.Don't worry be happy.

 

yes I understand off center is normal, but 1/8" or less clearance on drive side seems extreme. Once I get the new tire on I'll check clearances, but I quite certain an adjustment is in order. I've already adjusted the fender.

 

Need help figuring out why the tire is more to the left I put everything back on the way it should be according to manual and the way I took it off

 

Did uou ever figure this out. I just replaced my tire and same situation. More room on passenger side and cant get a finger between tire and fender on drivers side

 

12 tear old thread and he hasn't been seen on this site in almost 4 years, just fyi

 

Its probably the fender and not the tire, fenders can have flex to them and when it was installed they could have tightened down one side all the way, then the other side, the tire is normally pretty rigidly mounted, if tire is off, could be that someone installed the spacers wrong, its out of line, or swingarm bent, my bet would be fender.

 

97 RK uses three spacers, and they are all the same length.
one goes on the carb side of axle between bearing and inside of swing arm, then two go on the other side between swing arm and wheel bearing.
And yes on the two on the primary side instead of one longer one,since first one goes into the wheel to seat against the bearing, get the axle loaded through the carb side one and to the end first one in the primary side of the wheel, get the wheel into position and push it to the carb side of the bike so that shim is tight between the wheel bearing and fork, load the second up and int ,and push the axle through and the rest of the way.
If the primary side was one longer one, then would be a monster to get the wheel in place, since would be fighting the longer single space every time trying to put the wheel in place by yourself.

As for the wheels being in line front and back on the touring bikes, that did not happen until 2006, when HD installed a thinner wheel pulley, to allow the needed room to center the tire toward the primary to get them in line front to back center line of the bike, and the thinner belt not rubbing the tire. And no, more than just belt and pulley mod to pull that off,since going wider on the carb side, would cause problems with rear brake not centering, so that would need to be adressed as well.