Fitting VL Front fender

[1970 XLCH]

Looking for help fitting my front fender on a '34 VLD . How do you get it on without messing up the paint ? Also the top screws ( 3749-30 ) where the fender mounts to the springer front leg , do they use a washer on top before the nut ?
Thank you , Mike

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Mike, I remove the front brake and the rockers, but my more experienced pals say a shop cloth over the fender and a sideways jiggle will get it in without scratching that nice fresh paintwork. Yes there is a 0259 lock washer under the fixing nuts.

[1970 XLCH]

Thank you Steve ,
I had removed all the rockers & brake drum assy. & it was still tight down where the lugs for the rockers are . I suspected that covering the fender was going to be the answer . Do you think having a couple of friends tugging at the bottom of the forks while a third slides the fender past the lugs might help ?
Best regards , Mike

[harleytoprock]

Try this. Hold the fender side ways so its parallel to the ground. Slide it up just past the rockers at the front end just behind the front brace. Then rotate the fender to a vertical position and slide the fender up. I wrap newspaper around the fork legs with tape. I also run a band of newspaper around the fender up front where you will be rotating between the fork legs. Good luck!

[Steve Slocombe]

Note that there are also early and late VL main forks, with the later ones about 1/4" wider under the bridge to give clearance for the later, wider, 1934-36 mudguards. If you have the early main fork and the later mudguard then it's more of a wrestling match.