backwards axle - Harley Forum

fathboy · #1 10-26-2008, 01:50 AM

Hey guys- does anybody know if it is a concern to have your rear axle in backwards? I just removed my wheels in order to get a new set of tires and by following my manual noticed that previously someone reversed it to keep from removing the pipes. Chris M. covered this a while back (I think) but I would never find his answer in a back issue. By the way- I have an '02 fat boy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

frisco-rigid · #2 10-26-2008, 03:32 AM

Hi Fath

Ok, I don't know if this has been changed and I didn't get the memo but as long as I've been messing with these devil machines (not real new ones though like yours) the rear axel has always gone in from the Left-side/sprocket-side over to the brake rotor-side where it receives the nut..
In that case you don't have to remove the exhaust to access the axel..
Soo, maybe someone else put it in the correct way..

If that has changed and Chris pointed to a reason, well, I am in the dark about that..

The wives tale I heard about many years ago was that if the rear wheel bearings seized the axel it would possibly UN-Screw the nut but would keep on turning with the nut gone.. The theory being that you would eventually hear and feel and notice a problem..
But-- If the axel is installed from the right to the left AND if the bearings seized the axel it would keep tightening the nut eventually seizing up the the wheel.. Not good at 90..!!
Now, I don't know if that will really happen but it makes some sense..

Unless you hear differently VIA the manual etc.,,,, install the axel from the left to the right..

evoKENevo · #3 10-26-2008, 08:20 AM

My R axle is installed (now) from left to right..with castle nut and pin..and new (well packed) wheel bearings and seals when I mounted & balanced new tire last Spring. Because I felt it safe enough to do so. But, it came from the factory (see shop manual) installed right to left.

Shortly before that a friend brought her bike over..complaining about what seemed to be a brake-noise after having work done on it by an independent shop owned by a guy I really don't like much who was "too-busy" to check it out right then. He too had installed the R axle left to right..but with just a regular nut..and as soon as I got her bike up on the lift (with saddle bags) I could see (from rear) that the nut/axle was backed off (if he even put one on) and the axle had worked itself out of right side of FXR swing arm just enough (at that point) to cock the brake caliper that was rubbing on the rotor...not good at ANY speed.

Mine's still in from left to right..and I'm OK with it..but only in KNOWING that everything else is in order.

As for the possibility of the nut on a right to left installed axle tightening itself (seized bearings) to the point of locking things up?? Uhhh,yeah..I suppose that COULD happen..but would think that it can only tighten up so much due to swing-arm and spacers,etc..and the same thing (seized bearings - locking things up) could happen regardless of which side the nut was on...with OR without the nut coming off OR tightening

In short IMO (same as frisco) install either way..AFTER making SURE wheel bearings etc are ALL in order/well greased etc...use a castle nut/pin...and of course don't ever ignore ANYTHING that seems to be putting a "drag" on your bike.

frisco-rigid · #4 10-26-2008, 08:13 PM

Hey Ken

Yeah, like I said, that's what the old Wives Tale said, I've never heard of it actually happening..

OK, when did the factory start installing from right to left..??

evoKENevo · #5 10-27-2008, 01:03 AM

Yo,frisco
Tough question,buddy..for ME anyhow.

I went out to the "man-cave" to check thru a few HD manuals out there. Older Sportsters had axle nut on R. side...'59-'72 Big Twins (and SOME later w/sprockets) also had axle nut on R. side..and it SEEMS that '73 and later Big Twins (with pulleys) have had axle nuts on L. side.

NOTE: the above is not gospel by any means. I only have a factory HD shop manual for my previous '65 XLCH and current '98 FLST..the rest was just gathered as best I could from a Clymer's manual for '59-'84 Big Twins, for whatever that's worth !?! All my other manuals,etc, are for Brit & Jap bikes...other than AIM articles,etc, of course.

frisco-rigid · #6 10-27-2008, 02:13 AM

Ok, well I thought it had to be fairly recent cuz my factory manuals from '48 to '90 show rear axel nut on the right..
I thought you mighta had some more recent/newer factory manuals..

Hmmm, hope I didn't totally confuse Fath..

Oh yeah, a little clearer explain..

Supposedly if that seizing up ever happened, with the nut on the left, it wouldn't matter about the swing-arm, spacers et al as you mentioned,, it was that it supposedly would tighten to the point that immense heat would build because the axel would be frozen to the bearings and keep turning in the axel carriers in the frame..
In time (how much time????) the whole unit would seize up from the heat-friction..
As your friend found out, once the nut flew off from the right, she eventually felt a prob but no huge damage or seizing up..

evoKENevo · #7 10-27-2008, 01:10 PM

Nope..no huge damage or seizing on my friend's bike...just had to replace whl. bearings & seals, resurface the rotor a bit, install new brake pads, dress-up the axle threads with small sharpened chisel & file (after drilling hole thru it) and finish it off with a castle nut/pin..

Meanwhile though..let's not forget that the girl was only about 1/8th" from having the axle back out of the caliper too..the caliper also serves as a spacer..and after that, it only would have taken a small bump or one appliction of the brakes to put the wheel into a wobble,before it got jammed up in the works..."ETC"...noting again here that a simple castle nut/pin might have been just the thing to save her life (or just the above grief) in this case...if only by not allowing the axle to back-out as far as it did.

fathboy · #8 10-27-2008, 11:14 PM

Thanks evo and frisco for your intelligent input. It's great to have a place where I can get some good feedback on questions that come up. This was my first thread on "forum" and I appreciate the quick responses.Thanks Guys!

evoKENevo · #9 10-28-2008, 03:51 PM

Welcome aboard, fathboy...glad to have you join us...lots of good guys here...be sure to tell your other friends.

botzman · #10 11-02-2008, 07:29 AM

Hey all,

My 91 came from the factory with the axle right to left ( nut and pin on pulley side). In 92 I switched it with a tire swap and been running left to right ever since with no issues. This past winter I decided to put axle covers on the rear axle. I had to reverse the axle back to original cause the nut side cover is deeper and wouldnt clear the rear exhaust. Keep that in mind if your switching things around. Botz