Alignment on a 45 cheif

[fizz]

When riding, it feels like I have to push on the right hand bar and pull on the left hand bar, slightly. I have had the bike 2 years and it didn't do it before. Last winter I pulled the wheels for relacing, personally helped true them and know they are right. Aligned the wheels with a straight edge. Perhaps the wheels were aligned before I took them off for some tweak in the forks or frame(I can't see anything obviously wrong). It feels good in a right hand curve and kind of like I am forcing it in a left hand curve. I think I should adjust the rear wheel to be adjusted slightly front right. ??????????

[hairynob24]

jack up the front of the bike and see if there is any side play with the wheel ? i wounder if your have placed something back the front ? also check the forks see if you can lift them from the axle area [steering head bearings ].

[harleytoprock]

I've just asked the same question for a late model bike on another forum. I'll post here if I get any good advise. I would think the directional pull could be altered by adjusting the rear axle adjusters. I'm just not sure which way to turn the rear wheel to make the correction. You could try turning one adjuster a little, like half a turn and see how the bike reacts. If it gets better, your on the right track. If it gets worse, you adjusted to the wrong side.

[fillibuster]

My problems were over once I adjusted the spokes myself. The rear wheel (in my case) was off center on the hub, and mind you I got a variety of answers on the "correct" off-set. I finally put the bike up on the table, above a center line, plumbed the frame (at the neck) above the line, set the end/wheel over the center line, set the rear of the frame over and centered over the center line, THEN installed the bare wheel assembly with proper spacer gear (no speedo drive). The rear rim was off by almost 3/8"! (Bike scared me it handled so bad, previously) Next move was to fixture the front wheel in line with frame, then make sure rear wheel was parallel (since off center), then tighten axle nuts. FINALLY, I successively loosened a spoke at a time from the left ONE TURN, then tightened the spokes that drew the rim right ONE TURN, and continued until rim was centered in the frame. After final true-ing I re-installed the wheel with the tire, ........ and now I can do 80 no hands!

[T. Cotten]

Fizz!

A fast and accurate way to see if your axles are parallel it to roll the machine straight, and then measure the distances between axle centers on either side.

This becomes easy with a simple trammel.
I made mine from conduit, threaded rod, and two universal mirror clamps, shown in the first attachment.
Think of it as a big caliper, as shown in the second.
(Air in the tires and removing saddlebags should come first.....)

It is much faster and more comfortable than getting down on your knees with straightedges or string.
And if you feel you must bias the rear wheel, it will at least allow you to keep track.

Good luck!

....Cotten

[fizz]

Thank you

I will check all next weekend. I have a trommel, I made it for checking toe in on early ford front ends

Fizz!

A fast and accurate way to see if your axles are parallel it to roll the machine straight, and then measure the distances between axle centers on either side.

This becomes easy with a simple trammel.
I made mine from conduit, threaded rod, and two universal mirror clamps, shown in the first attachment.
Think of it as a big caliper, as shown in the second.
(Air in the tires and removing saddlebags should come first.....)

It is much faster and more comfortable than getting down on your knees with straightedges or string.
And if you feel you must bias the rear wheel, it will at least allow you to keep track.

Good luck!

....Cotten

[tomfiii]

Have someone follow you to see if anything is out of kilter.

[PRG]

Howdy Fizz,

If you get to wit's end after pursuing the above recommendations with no success you might want check the spring action in back. Broken/non-matching springs and binding rods in the slipper bracket bushings will cock rear wheel in the vertical plain. Offset track is an issue but uneven tire loading even more of one. As an aside and likely in indication of how abysmal the handling of mid70's HD FL's were, the manual recommends setting the forward edge of the rear wheel 3/8's of an inch offset from centerline. Scared myself silly when making the first left hand turn after aligning perfectly true before discovering that info.

[fizz]

Peter, I have a 76 fl, my first big bike that i've had for 24 years. That one, thru the chain replacements, wheel relacing and so forth has not given me trouble, I've been fairly careless with my wheel alignment, just measuring off the swingarm. That wheel offset has got me wondering, tho. The only thing I could find in my repair manuals was to align the wheels with a straightedge. That plunger thing makes sense, also. The needle I am looking for is that I changed something when I removed the wheels and reinstalled them. I did take measurements from a straightedge over the rim to the hub before we cut out the spokes, and made sure it was the same when we relaced them.