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Rear Wheel Alignment........Part ? ( I lost count )
- Thread starter Brent Herridge
- Start date
Mastiff Rider64
Well-Known Member
I didnt get it?
Mastiff Rider64
Well-Known Member
Actually its a brick. Lol. And When i had the work done Gateway put a 23 inch front wherl on my bike. They said they put 2 inch shorter legs on the front of bike, but vome to find out they didnt. So yes the bike leaned way over. I ended up buying a progressive front end kit, took the bike to a local shop and they went to change the internals and cut the spacer but while trying to disassemble the forks they found that the nut on top of the forks was cross thread and had welded itself together. They had to cut the tubes just to get them off then had to buy new ones. The frame before taking the bike to the shop was sitting 6.5 inches off the ground. So the local shop put 2 inch shorter tubes on it and got it to 4.5 inches which is where it suppose to be. So now i dont have to use the brick.
If you have time make sure your frame at the back tire is only 4 to 4.5 inches off the ground.
Thats the mastiffs off the ground standing up and how far the kickstand is off the ground standing up with me on the bike. But thats with the longer downtubes. Now that they are shorter and the bikes at 4.5 if i leave the kickstand down and pull off the first lean to the left kicks it up.
Mastiff Rider64
Well-Known Member
Yeah sorry Brent didnt mean to steal the thread. How you coming out?
Brent Herridge
Active Member
Ordered bearings. Local shop can press them into the wheel. I stopped yesterday at that point, but I'm going to add the new pulley spacers and reassemble as-is to test belt clearance while I wait for the bearings. Fingers crossed..........
Brent Herridge
Active Member
Man, I thought I had problems till Mastiff Rider detailed his saga here. Sorry to hear all that. You may be the most dedicated Big Dog owner out there. 
I'm sure many have given up for less..........
I'm sure many have given up for less..........
Mastiff Rider64
Well-Known Member
Thank you, funny thing is and you can ask Donna, Jennifer at S&S cycles, anyone on here who actually took time to read my post, my friends that i ride with that no matter what ive been thru with my Mastiff that I wont give up believeing that Big Dog Motorcycles Pre Closing is and always will be the best looking, best riding motorcycles our there. My Mastiff has been a nightmare from the day I bought her till hell today. But I will never give up on what I believe true to my heart, its not just a motorcycle in my garage that I ride or sink money into, SHE'S Family. And anyone with a bigdog is also. But one thing youll notice when i post my complaints, bitch sessions, calling out shops, parts vendors who try to take advantage of us and ppl who attack the ones who take care of us. I can and will always back up what i have to say about them or what they did wrong or done me wrong. I will never make up lies or false truths to try to get someone on my side. And if i do wrong ill admit it. But I do like you saying i have to be the most dedicated Big Dog owner. I would love to think so, but the ones who make these motorcycles their livelihood, passion, hobbies the ones who will travel to help someone out to fix their dog they are the true dedicated ones. I am just me, i love my Dog and no matter how bad it can be, I will always pick her over any other bike.Man, I thought I had problems till Mastiff Rider detailed his saga here. Sorry to hear all that. You may be the most dedicated Big Dog owner out there.
Brent Herridge
Active Member
Sorry - forgot to update after last night's work. I struggled more than I expected to getting the caliper in place, but I reassembled everything with the spacer in place.
I think its going to work. It's still pretty tight between the blinker bolt and the tire on the right side, but the tire is pretty straight overall, and there is plenty of clearance between tire and belt. The belt is tracking well and is not near either edge of the front pulley.
Just waiting on bearings. Tonight I'll take it apart again and get a chance to apply much needed billet polish.
One question - I know the spacers should point the lipped edge toward the bearings on both sides. But should they notch into place within the bearing ? I know mine are shot, but neither side locked/notched into place.
Should it do so under normal circumstances ?
I think its going to work. It's still pretty tight between the blinker bolt and the tire on the right side, but the tire is pretty straight overall, and there is plenty of clearance between tire and belt. The belt is tracking well and is not near either edge of the front pulley.
Just waiting on bearings. Tonight I'll take it apart again and get a chance to apply much needed billet polish.
One question - I know the spacers should point the lipped edge toward the bearings on both sides. But should they notch into place within the bearing ? I know mine are shot, but neither side locked/notched into place.
Should it do so under normal circumstances ?
No not really.
knothead
Second Chance Customs
No not within the bearing...The lip of the spacers touch the inner race surface ....nothing touchs the seal or outer race
Brent Herridge
Active Member
Thanks guys. Bearings just shipped, so not sure if I'll get them in time to finish up and ride this weekend or not, but i'll post updates.
Jersey Big Mike
100K mile club
Hey, we'll all be happy when you can finally put this issue to bed for good!
Hopefully this will do it.
Brent Herridge
Active Member
Finally - an update !!
Curtis came through and the bearings arrived last Friday. I dropped wheel/tire/bearings off at the shop Saturday morning, helped my son move back in from school, and then picked up the newly installed tire. Today I was able to finish putting it together.
I had trouble getting the brakes into place again. Weird that I don't recall that being any problem before. But son and I got it put back together this evening.
The wheel is straight now - clearance between tire and fender is WAY better. Both sides and front to back are good. I aligned by starting from zero and putting both adjustment screws out the same # of turns. I also measured with a mic and both adjustment screws were same distance from the front of the axle hole in the swingarm. I know there are various ways to measure alignment, but this is so much better than I had..........
The belt still seems to be on the outside edge of the rear pulley. The front pulley looks like i'm nearly 1/4" outside of where it was (shiny part uncovered now), but I still have just a smidgen (1/8" maybe ?) of pulley still outside of the belt. Hopefully that will be fine.
I'll test ride this weekend. Summer is finally here after the brilliant Spring weather laster forever, so high 90s and no rain for a while. Maybe I'll get to meet fellow riders from the next town over. (1 BMF and the other Temple, TX newcomer).
Hopefully this tire will still be good when we get back from Fayetteville this fall.
Curtis came through and the bearings arrived last Friday. I dropped wheel/tire/bearings off at the shop Saturday morning, helped my son move back in from school, and then picked up the newly installed tire. Today I was able to finish putting it together.
I had trouble getting the brakes into place again. Weird that I don't recall that being any problem before. But son and I got it put back together this evening.
The wheel is straight now - clearance between tire and fender is WAY better. Both sides and front to back are good. I aligned by starting from zero and putting both adjustment screws out the same # of turns. I also measured with a mic and both adjustment screws were same distance from the front of the axle hole in the swingarm. I know there are various ways to measure alignment, but this is so much better than I had..........
The belt still seems to be on the outside edge of the rear pulley. The front pulley looks like i'm nearly 1/4" outside of where it was (shiny part uncovered now), but I still have just a smidgen (1/8" maybe ?) of pulley still outside of the belt. Hopefully that will be fine.
I'll test ride this weekend. Summer is finally here after the brilliant Spring weather laster forever, so high 90s and no rain for a while. Maybe I'll get to meet fellow riders from the next town over.
(1 BMF and the other Temple, TX newcomer).Hopefully this tire will still be good when we get back from Fayetteville this fall.
Brent Herridge
Active Member
Final update after a 200 mile ride today. Tire handled OK, and the black dust on the pulley side of the wheel is finally gone !!!
I had a different dust that kinda looked like brake dust, but it was on both sides of the wheel. Very weird. Might have even been plain ol' dirt from an unplanned dirt road section where it should have been paved.
I'm just so happy this worked out well.
I had a different dust that kinda looked like brake dust, but it was on both sides of the wheel. Very weird. Might have even been plain ol' dirt from an unplanned dirt road section where it should have been paved.
I'm just so happy this worked out well.