sidecar connection problems

[ryan]

You have a late model, post-1984, sidecar frame brace. By party number, the one you should have is 87094-36A. H-D changed the upper mount & sidecar frame brace sometime after 1984 (don’t have any post-1984 catalogs to tell you when). They moved the upper mount connection from between the tanks to an off-sides mount connection. When doing so, they changed the mount’s connection from a tapered boss to a straight round boss and the sidecar frame brace went from a large tapered hole to a smaller round hole.

Look at eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-LATE-HAR...ZYh6IB&vxp=mtr which has a later parts catalog view of the mount in its third picture. Also look at http://www.ebay.com/itm/harley-sidec...FYrdxA&vxp=mtr, it shows the round boss rusty and minus paint from the frame brace running on it.

While you can try to modify the later frame brace, you will be much better off finding the correct brace. As I recall, the later brace also has a slight different angle which would keep it from riding correctly on the early mount should you find someone to machine the taper bore it would need to work with the earlier frame mount.

Bruce,
The newer 84 and up upper sidecar brace you are referring to, which is for a 5 speed bike frame, does have a different angle, but also sits a lot lower on the bike frame downtubes and does not even come close in height to reach the 4 speed bike frame upper mount, it would sit about 4" lower. I agree he has an issue, but he does indeed have the correct upper sidecar frame brace for a 4 speed bike frame and not a 5 speed bike frame brace.

[ryan]

Good grief, Folks!

Those very slow speed limits on Interstate ramps are specifically for hacks. Step on the brake, and the tub comes right down.

If you expect to power into stiff curves, either get a healthy passenger, like a Labrador Retriever, or a bag o' window weights.
(If you are on a long trip, the tub should be full of supplies anyway.)

An empty tub on a run is a modern novelty,.. Like a cell phone replacing a fourteen-pound tool bag.

....Cotten
PS: Yes, that's a '65, although the pooch was only half Lab'.
PPS: Chris!
You never thought of putting your weight on your right foot on the hack frame?
That's how most of the hack VINs were 'erased'.

I agree with the weight in the sidecar as a ballast. My 1969 manual says to put a 50 lb bag of sand in my sidecar when riding without a passenger.

Also the raking of the front end to correct the geometry for sidecar use is to stabilize the bike at highway speed to keep the bike from going into a high speed wobble. That is also why you have a steering damper to help aid in stopping high speed wobbles. Wobbles can also accrue while going over railroad tracks.

[55tmm]

Rollo,
Here was my camera shy ballast, see you in Oley for sure.

[jorrow]

Nice rig 55tmm, ballast as well. Where do y'all get the big padded seats for these, mine looks like it would give blisters in the driveway!

[55tmm]

Thanks jorrow,
The rig interior and seat are original, the solo bike seats are available not sure which one you are referring to ?

[D.A.Bagin]

When I first got my 48 Chief w/car I thought it was the dumbest, most expensive and most dangerous decision I ever made. 1st foot clutch, hand shift, left handed throttled rig I had ever attempted to drive. Throw in a sidecar for bad measure. Took me 2 weeks on a dead ended 4-cornered circle road to even attempt to shift it. Riding both ways to kinda get a feel for for lefts and rights. 1st time out on a main road I was convinced it was suicidal. Parked it and thought to myself," I'm outa my friggin' mind." Woke up in the middle of the night a couple nights later, (Do that often), and thought ,"Drive it like a car". Always drove stick-shift cars so....

Got on the rig the next morning and within one hour was driving it like I owned it all my life. So much so I was riding my kids in it and I would not risk their safety for anything.

[jorrow]

attachmeent.JPGattachment2.JPGOk, If you've followed this thread from the beginning, I found the problem. The front upper connection was way oversized for the sidecar frame brace, which turned out to be correct for the year. In the pictures the connector on the left and the top are what I was dealing with. The other piece is my newly acquired replacement. The difference is obvious. My question is what did this fit, or did it never leave the factory machined?

[Jerry Wieland]

I have been around sidecars for years and have never seen one like your first one. I suspect it came from the factory without getting machined. Seen weirder things. NOS lug bolts with no threads, NOS shovel cylinder without the base machined etc. So anything is possible. Jerry