Not Level

[Trikenewby]

Got a problem. Rear of new 2015 Triglide not level after installing DK Comfort Lift. Measuring from garage floor to top of fender lip it is 24 inches on left side and 24 and 3/4 on right side. 30 psi in shocks, 25 psi in each tire. Rode trike outside and turned it around put back in garaqage and same results.
I am guessing maybe the two plates were misboxed. I did not compare them(didn't think there would be a need). Have ridden it this way for maybe 150 miles. Just noticed when cleaning out garage today. Measured it several times and sure enough it is leaning to one side and 3/4 of an inch difference in height. It was not like this before install. Any suggestions, has anyone else had this happen. Love the product, but sumpin ain't right.
Ps Just checked the plates I took off and they are a match, thought maybe I mixed them up but not the case. Help!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

When you installed it, was all the weight off both sides of the axle? Before I panicked, I'd jack the trike up, loosen the bolts, don't remove them just loosen them. Also did you take the air out of the shocks? Just spit balling here. After that I'd retorque everything and rear the shocks and check heights. I'm sure Kevin will chime in soon with other possible issues. I can't imagine the plates are different, but maybe you got one tri and one free .. but I think those are the same too. Although I'm not sure.

 

[Trikenewby]

When I did the install, all air out of shocks, raised trike and supported with jack stands, rear axle assembly hanging. Assembled both side before tightening and torqueing bolts. I wonder if I could have a bad shock. Would not want to take it to the dealer and have them blame it on the lift kit or my work. I am automotive shop owner for 24 years now and have always done all work on my own bikes and a few friends, to include high performance mods. I really feel everything was done properly, I think I have a bad shock or mismatched plates.



Thanks Mick

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I'd wait for Kevin to chime in before I got too excited or at least call DK and talk to them ... might be something simple. Something else I just thought of (happened to my 07 Ultra). I had a hose crack on a shock. After I replaced it, the right shock was "shorter than the left? I jacked the shock air up to max then down to min a couple times ten back to my normal setting ... finally straightened itself out. I think the right shock "stuck " a little. Might give that a try first ... be an easy fix if it's that.

 

[Trikenewby]

Thanks for the input. Just now checked to see if any bolts broken or anything else looked amiss, but no problem found. Let all air out of shocks, then to max then to 30 twice, no difference. did notice I need to create a little more clearance between exhaust pipe and swing arm on right side though. Not touching, but if tires went down in a hole in the road it might.

10:30 pm Sunday night. Just measured from bottom of each rear shock to cement floor. Left side 11 and 3/8, right side 11and 5/8, or maybe slightly more than 11 and 5/8 of an inch.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Got a problem. Rear of new 2015 Triglide not level after installing DK Comfort Lift. Measuring from garage floor to top of fender lip it is 24 inches on left side and 24 and 3/4 on right side. 30 psi in shocks, 25 psi in each tire. Rode trike outside and turned it around put back in garaqage and same results.
I am guessing maybe the two plates were misboxed. I did not compare them(didn't think there would be a need). Have ridden it this way for maybe 150 miles. Just noticed when cleaning out garage today. Measured it several times and sure enough it is leaning to one side and 3/4 of an inch difference in height. It was not like this before install. Any suggestions, has anyone else had this happen. Love the product, but sumpin ain't right.
Ps Just checked the plates I took off and they are a match, thought maybe I mixed them up but not the case. Help!!!!!!!!!!

It is possible, never happened before, but it is possible, that we shipped one Comfort Lift and one Standard Lift.

Even though they are the same lift height, the comfort lift puts more leverage on the shock than the standard, so if that is the case, then the side with the Comfort lift would sit a bit lower than the side with the Standard lift.

It is really easy to tell if you received a mis-matched pair. Look at the distance between the back of the shock boot and the trunk housing, on both sides. This distance should be anywhere between .5 inches and 1.5 inches.

If both are the same distance (or within 1/4 of an inch) you have matching brackets.

But if one is 1/2 to 3/4 inch further away from the trunk than the other, then you either have mis-matching brackets or your rear axle is out of alignment.

If we screwed up and sent you mis-matching brackets, we will more than make up for it with you. Please contact us by phone or email below.

If you are not sure when you look underneath, take a picture of each side and email it to us, put attention Kevin in the subject line.

If the brackets are matching, then there is nothing about the lift kit that would make it sit uneven...there may have been a failure of a air hose or a shock, or even a shifting of the body mounting to the frame, when you were working on it.

Use to be that many came from the factory with the bodies mounted unevenly, but have not heard of many recently.

First thing, let's see if you have matching brackets, and then go from there. Please email or call us after you take a look. We will help you either way.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

I just went out and took a couple of pics of the dirty underside of my TG. The first one shows the shock boot and about a 1/2" distance between it and the trunk housing.

The second pic shows the shock boot and the trunk housing with my finger in-between the two.

Look to see if that space is equal/very close to equal between the two sides. That will likely tell us if there is a mis-matched set of brackets installed or not.


In either case, please contact us.


Kevin

 

[Trikenewby]

Thanks for your quick response Kevin. Really appreciate it. In your second pic with your finger between shock boot and trunk, mine appear to be about the same just putting my hand in there. Parking brake cable are in my way to try and measure. I did measure from bottom shock to angle iron where trunk bolt comes through just behind shock. 3 1/2 on one side and 3 1/8 on the other. I think I will leave work a little early today and tear it back down and take a closer look. Can the exhaust system on right side hold it up a bit after install. Z pipe is very close to swing arm, but not touching. It is too close though I will need to move it forward.

Thanks Mick

 

[screwball]

Did you measure BEFORE you did the mod?? our 09 and 11 TriGlides were off 3/4 of an inch. Harley had a problem then.

Good luck, don't know if Harley will do anything after you changed it.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Thanks for your quick response Kevin. Really appreciate it. In your second pic with your finger between shock boot and trunk, mine appear to be about the same just putting my hand in there. Parking brake cable are in my way to try and measure. I did measure from bottom shock to angle iron where trunk bolt comes through just behind shock. 3 1/2 on one side and 3 1/8 on the other. I think I will leave work a little early today and tear it back down and take a closer look. Can the exhaust system on right side hold it up a bit after install. Z pipe is very close to swing arm, but not touching. It is too close though I will need to move it forward.

Thanks Mick

I would not use the exhaust to hold up the swingarm, use a jack instead. Below is a pic of the difference between the two. Also, Devin pointed out the best way to see the difference between the Standard and the Comfort is to measure from the center of the lower shock bolt, to the center of rearward/bottom pinch bolt.

If you have a matched pair, they will be the same. The comfort lift is about 1/2 inch longer.

Got your phone message and will be calling shortly.

Kevin

 

[rhino 2]

Did you measure BEFORE you did the mod?? our 09 and 11 TriGlides were off 3/4 of an inch. Harley had a problem then.

Good luck, don't know if Harley will do anything after you changed it.

Same with my 11 Tri-glide, Quick fix by my dealer..

 

[trikermutha]

wasn't that a pan hard issue back then??

 

[Trikenewby]

Thanks so much Kevin for the time you spent with me on the phone this am. You have an awesome product and fantastic support, very impressed. Not too many guys like you around these days. The update............looks like the plates are a match, no problem found there. Removed right side exhaust and no problem there either./ Loosened pinch bolts on high side(right) with trike on cement floor and torqued them to specs. Still after all of that the trike is high on the right side 3/4 of an inch measuring at fender wells. I will put exhaust system back on tomorrow night and do some more checking. Will let you know if I find anything. Thanks again for your awesome support.

Mick

 

[rhino 2]

wasn't that a pan hard issue back then??

No, At least not with mine, The mounting points where the body is bolted to the frame were off a little from the factory..

 

[67wizard]

A shot in the dark but could the fender wells be cut different?
Can u measure from the frame some place to see?

 

[DK Custom Products]

Thanks so much Kevin for the time you spent with me on the phone this am. You have an awesome product and fantastic support, very impressed. Not too many guys like you around these days. The update............looks like the plates are a match, no problem found there. Removed right side exhaust and no problem there either./ Loosened pinch bolts on high side(right) with trike on cement floor and torqued them to specs. Still after all of that the trike is high on the right side 3/4 of an inch measuring at fender wells. I will put exhaust system back on tomorrow night and do some more checking. Will let you know if I find anything. Thanks again for your awesome support.

Mick

Mick,

I'm happy we did not send mis-matched brackets, but there must be something else going on with the TG...which may be related to the discomfort you have with the right hand sweepers. Possibly a bad shock, misaligned rear axle, or could be the body shifted at the mounting points. There may be something else I'm not thinking of.

I would get your bud on the TG and see if he thinks it handles like a properly set up TG and go from there.

Kevin

 

[Trikenewby]

So appreciate everyone's help and suggestions. To answer some of your questions, yes the Triglide was level when I bought it. I am aware of past problems they have had with having to shim the body on the frame for correction etc. It has only 800 miles on it and everywhere I measure now it is higher on the right side. from fender wells, from pass. floor boards. Very easy to notice just looking at it. I put 50 psi in the shocks last night and stood on passenger floor boards facing backwards and bounced trike up and down and from side to side and could not feel a problem with a shock.

If I understand correctly, the axle alignment is only back and forth to adjust belt tension, or from side to side. Don't quite understand how they would affect height on one side or the other. I have the factory repair manual for it but it is not real helpful. I can see where I could take rear body bolts out and shim body to make it level, but it was not this way when I bought it, so something has happened that I feel I need to correct. Will keep you posted.

Thanks, Mick

 

[triglide15]

I have a 2015 TG about a week after owning it I noticed it was not sitting level anymore. After checking several things and splitting the shocks on there own valve I found nothing. I got my son up to help and we lifted the body off. Sure enough where the rear frame mounts we could see where the assy. shifted. we loosened the four bolts used two bottle jacks measured up several times got it setting level tightened it all up put body back on and about 12000 miles later still straight. Most likely when you jacked it up to install the lift kit the rear frame shifted at mounting point

 

[Trikenewby]

Hey triglide15 I think you just hit the nail on the head. Appreciate your response. What bolts did you loosen, some on top or the eight where the swing arm attaches to the rear end. Did you have to take the trunk cover off to do the work. Would you happen to have pictures?


Thanks Mick

 

[triglide15]

You almost need to remove the body to do this. Its easy to remove. Remove seat unplug wiring between rear of seat and tour pack remove mounting bolts from trunk and behind side covers. Have someone else to help lift body off and set to the side. ( its not as heavy as one would think) Up at top there are 4 bolts on each side 2 on top of box tubing and 2 below tubing on each side. I put a bottle jack under the rear frame (box tubing) on each side. Loosened up the 8 bolts but keep then snug and worked the jacks measuring from side to side at the rear most point till they were even. Then removed one bolt at a time and put Loctite on them. Tightened them up removed jacks rechecked measurements reinstalled body. It was not that bad of a job to do. It could have been done under warranty but I chose to do it myself. If you have the service manual (99601-15) on page 2-62 you can see the bolts I talk about in figure 2-75 up high in the brackets