I have a 2006 ultraclassic with harley sidecar that pulls to the right. The 3rd dealrership has completed its set-up within manufacturing specs and it is a 1/2 degree lean in and 3/4 inch toe in. They said it is the best they can do. When I brought it to their attention that it still pulls to the right, their answer is that it drive like any other sidecar and that they can't do any thing else. With its current pull to the right, any lenghty trip gives me right muscle strains in my right shoulder. I need some relief besides Ibuprofen.
1. If I toe in the sidecar to 1 inch will that cause excesseve tire wear?
2. I have read about a 5 degree triple tree and heard aboutvery posirive result but I recently talked to a highly respected harley mechanic (with his own shop) and he would not install the tree because he said that it is a waste of money.
3. What role does the damper play on the steering and can it be removed.
Most answers were covered in your other post.
The damper slows down the steering to eliminate or control wobble in the front end caused by excessive trail in most sidecar rigs that do not have reduced trail modifications.
With the 5% triple tree conversion on your Harley, the steering damper can be scrapped and a nice driving light or horn can be mounted on the remaining bracket so it doesn't look like something is missing.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
Originally written by Hack'n on 6/23/2007 8:22 AM
Most answers were covered in your other post.
The damper slows down the steering to eliminate or control wobble in the front end caused by excessive trail in most sidecar rigs that do not have reduced trail modifications.
With the 5% triple tree conversion on your Harley, the steering damper can be scrapped and a nice driving light or horn can be mounted on the remaining bracket so it doesn't look like something is missing.Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
Yes, you probably wouldn't need the steering damper if you change to different trees. Don't scrap the damper, though. Mail it to me. The OEM ones are $106.95 from Harley. Ha.
From GNM109;
Yes, you probably wouldn't need the steering damper if you change to different trees. Don't scrap the damper, though. Mail it to me. The OEM ones are $106.95 from Harley. Ha.
Won't the VW dampers work for a lot less $$$?
Lonnie
Originally written by Hack'n on 6/23/2007 2:12 PM
From GNM109;
Yes, you probably wouldn't need the steering damper if you change to different trees. Don't scrap the damper, though. Mail it to me. The OEM ones are $106.95 from Harley. Ha.Won't the VW dampers work for a lot less $$$?
Lonnie
Yep, same part. Made in Brazil. Anywhere from $17.95 to $30 on the internet or at your local VW Bug afermarket parts shop. I just didn't want to see his go to waste.
Those dampers would work very well on other brands of sidecars, also. Regardless of whether you have different angled trees or not, I like a damper to slow things down.
I know that's heresy around this site, though. Everybody's supposed to line up and buy a $1,000 front end. To each his or her own.
With due respect to your dealer, you need to talk to a dealer who has ridden a properly set up side car. That it handles like all the others he has set up just means all the sidecars he has set up don't handle very well. See my longer answer under your newer posting.
