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Will a 23x3 wheel fit in a narrow glide hub is 3 9/16 wide
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If the hub is 3-9/16” from bearing to bearing then yes it will fit a narrow glide. OEM hubs which varied in thickness throughout the years are wider than what your are trying to run. -
Keep in mind that while the wheel may fit within the fork, the tire may not.
JimComment
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Wise advise as ugly surprises can happen!Keep in mind that while the wheel may fit within the fork, the tire may not.
A 23" circle (plus tire of same nominal outside diameter) puts the top edge of the tire 1" closer to the bottom of the triple clamp (half the outside diameter increase) than a common 21" rim, and 2" closer than a 19". Your tire maker might list the OD or you could measure one because tire cross-sections ain't all exactly the same for a given nominal size.
The smart play is bottom the forks (say with a ratchet cargo strap through the stock rim) then measure between tire and bottom triple clamp. That will show how much room you have to work with. It would be sucky surprise to lock the front wheel on a bad bump then washout or get a pavement facial.
If the fork is short enough for a conflict the old PVC fork spring spacer trick can bottom the forks at any point you select.Comment
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I used to have to drop the pressure on my FXS front tire to get it out past the fender bolts, otherwise the sidewalls would keep the tire from being removed.Comment
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^That's common on scoots of the period with 19" front wheels. Calipers can interfere too forcing fender removal to rotate them clear so the tire can pass by.Comment
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I have a question that might fit in here, from what I have read the front axle on the sportster has changed sizes throughout the years essentially changing from 3/4” to 1” around 04-05? So my question would be this, have the narrow glide lowers changed hole sizes too? Basically are the narrow glide axels interchangeable or do you need specific year sliders to match your axle?Comment
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For example lowbrow sells a wheel spacer kit for their 21” spool wheel said to fit narrow glides 87 and up
how can this fit any year 87 and up if the axle diameter changed sizes in later years? Or am I just completely mistaken about narrow glide axle sizesComment
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Easy way to find out what Lowbrow or any other parts fit is call or email their tech support. Advert captions lack detail.Comment
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Well I got a 21” wheel the guy said it was on a sportster but the axel doesn’t fit my narrow glide forks it was probably just a ripoff but the internet said the axel size changed (?) in later years so now idkComment
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Sportster front wheels have a variety of sizes, 3/4”, 1”, and modern comes in 25mm. You need to clarify things a bit as you say the axle doesn’t fit you’re narrow glide, so does that mean you don’t have the original axle that your narrow came with or just that you purchased a wheel and it came with an axle that isn’t playing nice? If you have the original axle that fit your forks just buy wheel bearings whose ID will accept the OD of your axle. If you don’t have the original axle we need to know what the issue is with the new one, as in why doesn’t it fit, so we can help direct.Comment
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Yeah the 21” came with an axel that doesn’t fit my 1996 narrow glide forks, I still have the original wheel and axel. I didn’t think about the bearings thank you for your advice. I’m going to look for some bearings large enough to fit in this wheel but will also fit a 3/4” axle. If anyone has a good resource for bearings it would be appreciated thank youComment
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If it is an H-D ball bearing wheel, the bearings for 3/4 and 1" axles will interchange in the wheel hub. See your dealership for the factory 3/4 bearings, and a center spacer for the 3/4 axle. This interchangeability may be true for the later 25mm bearings, but I could not say for sure.
JimComment
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