Ironhead Front Wheel Alignment

[Ironkid]

I recently bought a 1977 Ironhead. I've asked a few people from Harley and a few friends and no one can seem to solve my situation. My front end is way out of whack! The front wheel is pointing towards the right, facing the motorcycle. And the wheel itself is a lot closer to the left fork then the right. I have assembled and disassembled the front wheel countless times and everything is put together right in the axle, according to the manual. Any ideas from the Chop Cult community?

[Tattooo]

This question doesn't belong here....

[Freewheeler]

I recently bought a 1977 Ironhead. I've asked a few people from Harley and a few friends and no one can seem to solve my situation. My front end is way out of whack! The front wheel is pointing towards the right, facing the motorcycle. And the wheel itself is a lot closer to the left fork then the right. I have assembled and disassembled the front wheel countless times and everything is put together right in the axle, according to the manual. Any ideas from the Chop Cult community?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]69713[/ATTACH]

Sounds like the yokes (triple trees) are out of alignment.

What are you lining it up with, the back wheel or just a visual?

Nick

[Westboundbiker]

http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34187

[Hubbish]

HOW TO: Line up my front end...

1. I take my one fork and tighten one fork tube to the lower or upper crown; does not matter.
2. I install my second fork but I now float this leg in the upper and lowers.
3. I take my axle and begin to center the one fork to one axle to hand spinning the axle in both legs.
4. I find this spin action and begin to tighten the opposite pinch bolt for this fork. In other words I X'd my pinch to forks.
5. I keep spinning my axle so I know the front end is not bent. Both fork sides would still spin the axle I pinch both lowers or both uppers meaning, but not all 4 pinchers.
6. I have to torque my top crown so this is why I have to have one bolt free on both sides so the top crown lowers no matter the X or across pinches, we have 'top crown float' no matter what.
7. I continue to keep spinning the axle with each bolt torqued. That top crown torque will use the frame stop to take the torque twist. Once released on the crown's torque-down, that axle keeps spinning; so far so good.
8. I have a torque, a pinch times 4, a free wheeling axle, I should have a front end squared looking straight. I'm ready for the front wheel.

Fork Tube Inspection: As the leg sits at the lower crown, look for a crease around that area. See that or feel that indent, the front end is junk. That energy kept on moving to the crowns.

Upper-Lower Crowns: That energy takes the pinch sides and one pinch half is raised some. It is no longer level with the other pinch side. Flip the lower crown and the shaft might have a gap between shaft and lower crown center hole. The one fork fits up the upper and lower, but the other leg is hard to get in the top hole. This is where you have to slightly twist it some so the fork starts at the hole, rather than slides up the crowns if the one fork was pinched on the one side. This would show a straight crown set and no apparent bend.