tried to ride

[Hank62]

I started up the trike today to run up and down the road a few time,s talk about wild ride, front forks are to loose to even make a attempt. I started slow , could not hold front forks straight or keep them from going complete left or right, mostly right, I almost it the car pulling away from shop, it may be alright if I get on blacktop and off the lawn but not with me on it,

I hoped to wait awhile before I installed the new triple tree's but if I have to take it apart to tighten everything up I just as well go ahead and change triple tree.

Hank

 

[Gorilla]

I started up the trike today to run up and down the road a few time,s talk about wild ride, front forks are to loose to even make a attempt. I started slow , could not hold front forks straight or keep them from going complete left or right, mostly right, I almost it the car pulling away from shop, it may be alright if I get on blacktop and off the lawn but not with me on it,

I hoped to wait awhile before I installed the new triple tree's but if I have to take it apart to tighten everything up I just as well go ahead and change triple tree.

Hank

That sounds like good planning. If it's that loose then something is not correct.

 

[Hank62]

new triple Tree

I got trike jacked up and secured so it wont move, and I have the old front end off, I will start installing the new parts just as soon as I get off here, I had to quit for awhile due to other chores always need done, The work on trike and chores are listed like this

"One is for fun and the rest are for living" I cant ignore the rest of things around just because I'm excited about getting trike done, if I did that it would all fall to piece's after a little bit of time. I sure I will get font wheel back on tonight but getting everything hooked up including the little things might not get finished until Wednesday or Thursday depending on what else has to be done right away. life in the country has a price, you are never done with the work, never I like it like that, keeps me out of the rocking chair for now.

Hank

 

[rhino 2]

Sounds like the missing link to the steering problem would be to use a Steering Damper'

Like Harley uses on the Tri-Glide...

 

[dmillsr3]

Sounds like the missing link to the steering problem would be to use a Steering Damper'

Like Harley uses on the Tri-Glide...

Also, tighten the nut on the triple tree.

I am running mine without a raked tree. Tight triple tree nut and steering damper added. No wobble and no problem tracking. It might steer easier with the raked tree, but I don't have any problem with it.

 

[ncbandit]

I started up the trike today to run up and down the road a few time,s talk about wild ride, front forks are to loose to even make a attempt. I started slow , could not hold front forks straight or keep them from going complete left or right, mostly right, I almost it the car pulling away from shop, it may be alright if I get on blacktop and off the lawn but not with me on it,

I hoped to wait awhile before I installed the new triple tree's but if I have to take it apart to tighten everything up I just as well go ahead and change triple tree.

Hank

They must have really been loose because after having my Frankenstein trees installed my front end is solid as a rock. I don't have steering dampers either and can take my hands off at 80mph and it just tracks straight. Below is part of the instructions that came with the trees to give you an idea how tight the nut needs to be.

11.

Tighten top triple tree bolt more than what is for a stock two wheeler. There needs to be more pre load on the neck bearings. Make sure that the triple tree will turn. If the triple tree will not turn loosen the stem bolt a little. Turn the triple tree, if the triple tree turns good tighten up the triple tree stem pinch bolt (F.).

 

[Lance65]

Lehman Trikes

Found this on line while looking for other stuff .

 

[mr.precision]

A timely post.

My recently purchased 2005 FLHTC with Lehman conversion has had a shudder in the front under moderate braking since I got it. Today I jacked up the front end, and sure enough there's probably 1/16" fore/aft play in the fork bearings. Not too bad to get to the top nut - remove the fairing and radio. It was finger tight and the lock tab had never been bent over to secure the nut. Probably came that way from the factory.

Since the knurled nut is hard to get to, I just tightened the top nut down tight and checked the ease of moving the forks side to side. Still seems easy and the play is gone. So will try this for a while and see how it goes.

Filled it full of grease and will go test ride tomorrow. Hopefully the front end shudder when braking is gone.

 

[Hank62]

got the frankenstein triple tree installed and..

I tightened up the jam nut as much as I could, it never did bind up, I hope its tight enough, I am going to make a spanner wrench or a 6 pin wrench that will fit jam nut, the method harley shows or hitting it around to tighten with hammer and bar just don't get it for me. the front end will not do the harley bounce, I torqued top triple tree nut to harley specs. Hope to ride tomorrow

what do the rest of you use to tighten the jam nut on harley? the factory pry it around method or what??

 

[Hank62]

They must have really been loose because after having my Frankenstein trees installed my front end is solid as a rock. I don't have steering dampers either and can take my hands off at 80mph and it just tracks straight. Below is part of the instructions that came with the trees to give you an idea how tight the nut needs to be.

11.

Tighten top triple tree bolt more than what is for a stock two wheeler. There needs to be more pre load on the neck bearings. Make sure that the triple tree will turn. If the triple tree will not turn loosen the stem bolt a little. Turn the triple tree, if the triple tree turns good tighten up the triple tree stem pinch bolt (F.).

there was no slop but front end would swing easy any way, did not do bounce test, I just removed stock triple tree and installed the Frankenstein triple tree.

Dont want no dampener on my bike,

 

[Gorilla]

Hank the triple tree nut is the one that has to be tighter then recommended in the manual. That big nut tights the bearings together. You should tighten that nut so that the swing test only allows the trees to swing down to center (maybe just a little through then back) Then you tighten the lock nut down to keep the adjusting nut from moving.

Good luck.

 

[Hank62]

Hank the triple tree nut is the one that has to be tighter then recommended in the manual. That big nut tights the bearings together. You should tighten that nut so that the swing test only allows the trees to swing down to center (maybe just a little through then back) Then you tighten the lock nut down to keep the adjusting nut from moving.

Good luck.

I am going with method I was told to use from frankenstein, tighten till forks wont move then slowly loosen nut till front end will move without any rough feel or grinding. right now it feels good but will not swing by it self.

I kmow which nuts are which and what they do, this is a frankenstein trike with harley front end, the jam nut as its called by frankenstein is a pain to adjust, I dont have a bent rod that I can use to pry it around, so I used and round punch and hammer to tighten it up. I can not get it to tighten up any more at this point and front end is tight but moves well, no swing test cause it dont swing.

 

[Hank62]

still not on road

I got triple tree all adjusted and nachelle installed where everything aligned up, but I can be that easy, I had to undo the bolts hold nachelle in place because my running light/turn signal bracket would not go on without removing the 4 bolts to nachelle so everything moved, I then installed light bracket but nothing is aligned any more, I spent about 30 min. readjusting everything then called quits for the night.

today was rainy and cool and I just didnt feel up to doing anything,

My painter stopped over to pick up part I machined for him, ti was ready to go, He informed me they will be spaying my fenders this up coming week, they are waiting on a dry day also. they will be done before end of the month, they work faster than I do,

Monday they are calling for 70f and no rain, I should finish installing the nachelle and be riding soon,

 

[David357]

I got triple tree all adjusted and nachelle installed where everything aligned up, but I can be that easy, I had to undo the bolts hold nachelle in place because my running light/turn signal bracket would not go on without removing the 4 bolts to nachelle so everything moved, I then installed light bracket but nothing is aligned any more, I spent about 30 min. readjusting everything then called quits for the night.

today was rainy and cool and I just didnt feel up to doing anything,

My painter stopped over to pick up part I machined for him, ti was ready to go, He informed me they will be spaying my fenders this up coming week, they are waiting on a dry day also. they will be done before end of the month, they work faster than I do,

Monday they are calling for 70f and no rain, I should finish installing the nachelle and be riding soon,

You are almost completed.

Just hang in there. ThumbUp

 

[Lance65]

Steering damper

"Don't want no dampener on my bike, " . why ?

The damper should prevent shimmy from when the front wheel might hit some uneven 'stuff' on/in road . The H.D. factory puts them on ..



I tightened the bearing adjuster with a thin long drift punch after loosening the top nut . Gave it a little over 1/4 more turn . It seems to be OK . Not tight and no flop .

 

[Hank62]

You are almost completed.

Just hang in there. ThumbUp

trike was rode today and it looks like I will have to either workout to get more strength back into arms and I just may have to install a damper also, I have lost a lot of strength due to health, and getting it back is slow,

fenders were painted yesterday , anniversary decal installed today and clear coat applied, photos will soon follow

 

[Hank62]

Fenders also on

I got my fenders back from painter today, I also installed them today, they look good, I did not push trike out of garage becaue of constant rain we are having, I just got it cleaned off a couple of days ago and don't need extra water spots on it. will roll out and take photos soon as I can, then I will post what I have since I change size, I hope they will download, I tried some of the build photos and they would not down load and photobucket was off line at the time, have not went back to see if they are back on line

Hank