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Fat standard help.

03fxsti

Active Member
I am trying to put an EVO Fatboy wheel on my 03 softail standard, and have been scratching my head trying to figure out the spacer issue. I already figured out that I have to shim the caliper in .250 to keep the wheel centered. But, when it comes to wheel spacers it does not seem to fit anything that is carried in the fatbook.

Do I have to have spacers custom cut, or are the some available in a kit form that I am unaware of?

Prior to mod and in work photos attached.
 

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My thoughts, I would center wheel in the forks, gently mark axle with scribe and make my own spacers. Then adjust/shim brake caliper to center on disc.
What kind of fender are you going to use?
wilks3
 
Wilks3,

Have a fatboy fender getting painted vivid black.

DBMG,

Thanks, but the wheel I have has timken bearings in it. Plus it is going in a softail front forks. I believe they are about 1/2" narrower than the Fatboy forks.
 
The bikebandit site link DBMG gave you has your bike. Just go to site and put your softail in and schematics drawings should pop up, just like the fatboy did. I can't imagine Timken would change the dimension of the bearing compared to stock bearing. That would just cause way too many problems with spacers and nobody would buy them. Idea being you just swap out bearing and put it back together the way it was before without having to measure for new spacers. The KISS rule should apply here (keep it simple sporty).
 
but the wheel I have has timken bearings in it.

Are you saying your 2003 had sealed ball bearings and the wheel your installing has the early level taper roller bearings that you can repack unlike the late model bearings? The taper bearing have a separate grease seal unlike the late model bearings.
 
Hoople,

You are right on the money. My 03 came with the sealed bearings, and I was able to get a very low mileage take off for a very good price. This wheel does in fact have the timken taper bearings that have a seperate lip seal. Seal can be removed and the bearings can be inspected and repacked.
 
If that is the case, you may have to make custom spacers.

Some front wheels come from the factory offset and are not truly in the center of the fork. I am pretty sure the factory offset wheels were only on FL models.

If you are making your own spacers, the centerline of the front tire must be on the centerline of the rear.
Because the tracking error adds over and over again as the wheel turns, even a small wheel offset from front to rear will upset bike steering and handling.
 
I got the bike finished and rode to work today. The wheel is centered in the forks, the old softail fender fits until I get the FB fender from the painter.

It tracks true, and the handling change is very noticable. It is not as nimble, but, going down the Interstate is very, very nice. Bike is no longer twitching around wanting to follow rain grooves and irregularities in the surface.

That is one of the reasons I made the switch. The commute to and from work was getting just a little too interesting with all of the construction they have been doing here. With the construction came shifting lanes and noticable expansion grooves running in the direction of travel.
 
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