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wheels forever > how-tos
> How to Change the Rear Tire on a Harley Davidson
Softail |
How
to Change the Rear Tire on a Harley Davidson Softail |
| This how-to
is applicable to 1984 to 1999 Harley Davidson Softails, although
it may be helpful for other HD Models. These pictures and steps
are from a 1993
FXSTS. |
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Step
1 (optional):
Step
1 and 2 are optional, but they make it much easier to get the
drive belt off the rear pulley.
Use a 9/16"
socket/wrench to remove the three visible bolts holding the
upper and lower belt guard in place. |
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Step
2 (optional):
Remove the two 9/16"
bolts that hold the upper and lower belt guards to the inside
of the swingarm. The upper bolt can be removed farly easily with
a 9/16" wrench, but the lower bolt is tough to access. I
found it easiest to access from the right side of the motorcycle,
using a deep socket and an extension bar on my ratchet.
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Step
3:
Remove the axle covers
(if installed) by removing the two small allen bolts with an 1/8"
allen wrench. Once the axle covers are removed, I typically thread
the allen bolts back in to avoid losing them. |
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Step
4:
Before loosening
the axle adjusters, measure the distance between the axle and
the frame and make a note of it. This will make the alignment
of the rear tire and tensioning of the drive belt a lot easier
when it comes time for re-installation.
If your
motorcycle is not already on a lift, now would be a good time
to put it on a lift. If you don't have one, try building the
$20
Motorcycle Lift. It's cheap, easy to use, and very stable.
Depending on what service work I'm doing, sometimes I prefer
it over my $100 Craftsman lift. |
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Step
5:
Using a 9/16"
wrench, loosen the axle adjuster lock nut and then loosen the
axle adjuster on both sides. Make sure the axle adjusters are
loose enough to allow plenty of room for the axle to slide forward
in Step 7. |
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Step
6:
Using plyers, straighten
the cotter pin and then remove it from the castle nut on the left
end of the axle (depending on which direction your axle was installed,
you may find the castle nut on the right side of the motorcycle).
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Step
7:
Using a 15/16"
socket and an adjustable wrench (or two adjustable wrenches) loosen
the castle nut to allow the axle to slide forward. |
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Step
8:
With the tire slid
all the way forward, you should have enough slack on the drive
belt to slip it off the rear pulley and out of the way. Alternately,
you can leave the drive belt on the rear pulley until you drop
the tire out of the frame if you'd like.
To make removal of
the axle easier, I like to block up the rear tire to take weight
off the axle. |
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Step
9:
Once the rear tire is
supported, you should be able to easily slide the rear axle out
of the swingarm and roll the tire out. I suggest lining up all
of the nuts, washers, spacers, etc. in exactly the same order
you removed them in order to avoid confusion on re-installation.
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| That
was the easy part. If you've never changed a tire before, you
may want to take your wheel to a motorcycle shop with a tire machine
and have them remove the old tire and install the new tire for
you. Changing a tire by hand is not for the faint of heart, especially
if you don't have access to a bead-breaker. Nevertheless, if you
want to save a couple of bucks (like me), proceed at your own
risk! |
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Step
10:
Now remove all of the
air from the tire and break the bead free from the rim. If you
have a bead-breaker, this isn't too difficult, but if you're like
me you'll have to do it with a couple of clamps, blocks of wood,
and tire irons. Gradually work your way all the way around the
tire on both sides to make sure the tire bead is completely free
from the rim. |
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Step
11:
Place plastic rim protectors
around the edges of the rim to avoid damage from your tire irons.
Working your way around the rim, pry the tire bead over the edge
of the rim. This can be quite challenging to get started, and
will most likely take quite a few tries, and several tire irons.
I was using three, but wished I had a few more for additional
leverage. |
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Step
12:
Once you have the top
tire bead over the edge of the rim, you can unscrew the valve
stem and fish the tube out of the tire. Then use your tire irons
to lever the other tire bead over the edge of the rim. The bottom
bead of the tire is much easier to get off the rim than the top
bead. |
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Step
13:
Success! Now that you
have the tire completely off the rim, you'll want to clean the
inside of the rim to make sure the new tire has a nice clean surface
for the bead to seal against. |
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Step
14:
Before you install your
new tire on the rim, check (and double-check) the direction of
the arrow to make sure it is rotating in the same direction of
your rim. The last thing you want is to install a tire with the
tread running backwards and have to do the whole thing over again.
If you are looking at the rim and tire from the brake rotor side,
the arrow should point in a clockwise direction. If you are on
the belt pulley side, the arrow should point in a counter-clockwise
direction. |
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Step
15:
Lubricate the bead
of the new tire thoroughly with bead lube (dishsoap also works).
This will help the bead pop over the edge of the rim easier.
Place the tire on top of the rim and work the bottom edge of
the tire over the top edge of the rim. You may need to use tire
irons, but should be able to get it on fairly easily.
Remove the two nuts
from the valve stem and set them aside. Put just a little bit
of air into your new tire tube and insert it inside the tire
all the way around. Be sure to line up the valve stem with the
valve stem hole in the rim, and then work the tube between the
bottom bead of the tire and the top edge of the rim all the
way around. Once the tube is positioned correctly, you'll need
to force the valve stem through the hole in the rim. This is
a bit tricky and will take some patience, but persistence pays
off. Once you have the valve stem through the hole, be sure
to lock it in place with the two valve stem jam nuts. Make sure
the valve stem comes straight through the rim, and is not cocked
in one direction or the other. If it is, twist the tire slightly
on the rim in the opposite direction until the valve stem is
aligned properly. |
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Step
16:
Once the tube is
in place, lever the top bead of the tire over the top edge of
the rim. Take special care not to pinch the tube between the
rim and tire or tear it with a tire iron.
Inflate the tire
to the recommended pressure and make sure the bead pops into
place evenly all the way around on both sides of the rim. Be
sure not to overinflate.
Once your tire is
installed on the rim, it's a good idea to have it spin balanced.
Most motorcycle shops have a machine that can do this quickly
and easily. |
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Step
17:
Installation of the
rear tire is the reverse of the removal. Block the rear tire
up and slide the axle back through the swingarm and brake caliper,
making sure the axle spacers and washers are in the same order
they were removed. Thread the castle nut onto the axle, but
do not tighten it yet.
Adjust the axle adjusters
to align the rear tire (using the measurements you noted in
Step 4). Remove your bike from the lift and check the drive
belt tension with the motorcycle on the ground. The weight of
the bike will compress the shocks so you can ensure there's
the proper amount of deflection (5/16" to 3/8") in
the belt.
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Step
18:
Once the axle is
aligned and the belt has the correct tension, tighten the castle
nut on the rear axle. Be sure to use a new cotter pin.
Using two 9/16"
wrenches, tighten the axle adjuster lock nuts, making sure the
axle adjustment doesn't change.
Re-install the axle
covers (if applicable).
Reinstall the upper
and lower belt guards. The lower belt guard must be installed
first.
Step back and admire
your work. You're done! |
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