1918 Harley Front Wheel Alignment

[spandau]

The front wheel of my HD 1918 J is vertically misaligned. It leans to the right side at the top (much closer to the fork on the right side than the left). The fork does not appear to be bent. Can this be adjusted?

Thanks,
Steve

[Chris Haynes]

Sounds like a bad spring.

[exeric]

I've been down this road on every early Harley, Henderson, and Excelsior I've owned. Your fork is bent, or the left side leg is shorter than the right due to a previous repair. Forks are tough to align so it would be best to send it to a reputable frame shop. However, if you're a good welder and fabricator with access to a surface plate and inspection instruments then have at it. . . . But you'll wish you had sent it to a frame shop before you're done.

[spandau]

Thanks for the replies. I must admit that I like Chris's suggestion the best (since its the cheapest). I guess I better do some acurate measuring to see what's really going on.

Regards,
Steve

[exeric]

I hope I didn't come off like an arrogant know-it-all, and I really wish it was just a weak spring for your sake. Logically, if your rear rigid leg is in perfect alignment, a weak spring fork side would only make your front suspension bottom out when demands are put on it. It's possible that one leg of your rigid fork is bowed out which would change the height of the rocker stud. It takes very little dimensional irregularities at the rocker stud holes to cause big angular wheel problems, and spring fork problems can just make it worse.

A good way to check that on early H-D forks is to get a straight piece of steel round stock that is turned to fit nicely in the fork stem hole. It should be long enough to reach the rocker stud holes so you can take measurements in all axes. Bada-bing-bada-boom, Bob's your uncle. . . . Oh yeah, if it's out of alignment, you have to straighten it. That part can be tough.

[spandau]

Not at all Eric. This is all new to me and I greatly appreciate any information or ideas that people have. The bike currently has the front fender on it so until I get some time to pull everything apart, its difficult to quickly identify the problem visually. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to take a closer look this weekend or at least next week.

Thanks again,
Steve