Softail Clunking Front End

This is a subject that a great number of people have been experiencing lately. HD has upped the torque specs for the later models from 35 FT/LBS to 100 FT/LBS. It may not be posted correctly in your owners manual.

I used 70 FT/LBS to see if it would stop the clunk and it worked just fine. I was concerned about the 100 LB figure that was increased from 35 LBS and the shear factor of the bolt itself. After re torquing the nut to 70 Ft/Lbs, no more clunk.
You will hear the clunk when you go over bumps or if you apply the front brakes firmly and release them once or twice quickly. It gets worse as the steering head nut needs re torquing.
The following procedure applies to the softail models FXSTD/FXST/FXSTB and not the Dyna family or the FLSTC/FLSTF. The FLSTC/FLSTF use the fall away method for bearing preload that is explained in the manual.


If you look in the center of the triple tree where the steering head is (where it pivots), there's a chrome smooth cover there, you grab it with your hand and unscrew it (counter clock wise), there's the nut, you bend down the lock tab so you can turn the nut ( I use a small hammer and a flat tip punch) and then torque the nut to 70 FT/LBS .
This requires a 1 1/2" socket to do some bikes and a 3/4 on others. You then bend the tab back up to lock the nut you just torqued ,screw the cover on with a drop of blue locktite on the thread and ride it. Just make sure that the little finger that seats in the hole from this lock tab is still in the hole ( at the 6 O'Clock position) and not bent, if it is you must remove the nut completely to straighten or replace the lock tab It's only a piece of tin. If you do remove the nut, don't worry as nothing is going to fall off. The locking washer is for the FXSTD/FXST/FXSTB and just the washer for FLSTC/FLSTF

You might want to check the fall away in the front end which is covered in the factory manual to make sure that the stem nut beneath the top tree is not too tight or too loose. The re torquing only tightens up the clamping force on the top tree and is not the preload for the steering head bearing which is the serrated nut below the top tree.

The manual also states...
"Over tightening stem bolt will cause the bearings to wear excessively leading to the need for premature bearing replacement"
Warning:"Properly adjust fork stem bearings. Improper adjustments affect stability and handling, which could result in death or serious injury".

Here's the Tech tip on this...
Steering Head Clunk - Harley Davidson Community

 

Well" After reading all that; It sure fixed my clunking annoying noise. Thank you!!

 

Glad it helped you out.:s

 

I was doing the service on my 05 Deluxe, my question is on the fall away should there be any resistance on the front end either to the left or right when you push it? I do not have any clunking or free play in the front end but it does seam to swing either way with just the slightest touch.

 

Some models will fall away on their own and others will center after you turn the front wheel to one side. Usually the baggers will center by themselves and the softails will swing out on their own. The torque is the important thing here on the stem nut.

 

i have a question...on a 2007 softail custom after jacking the front wheel off the ground and loosening the pinch bolts ..do you also need to loosen the big nut before adjusting the pre load on the bearings.. I have a clunk on hills when i put on the front brake or hit potholes.. I adjusted the preload and its better but i didn't lossen the 1 1/2 inch nut i used a small punch and a small hammer and the adjuster nut seemed to turn pretty easy.. I think it would of truned a bit easier if i had a little weight pushing up on the from wheel?

any feed back you guy's have on this would be great... the factory manual doesn't say anything about loosening the big nut before adjusting the preload nut under the clamp//

thanks..

Manny

 

I think it would be rather difficult to adjust anything without loosening the top 1 1/2" nut first. It's the clamping load on the stem setup.

 

i have another question... when adjusting the bearing adjuster nut..they don't make a special tool for it i asked at the harley shop..I was told to use a small punch and a light hammer to tap on it..? the question is how tight should the adjuster nut be 10 foot pounds? 20 ? its hard to do a fall away test with all the wires/cables on it..when my front end is centerd i have to tap it about a 2 inches to one side then it falls away on one side the other side doesn't fall away till its half way turned due to all the wiring and cables on that side.. however with the front end off the ground the steering turns side to side totally freely.. after all how tight can you make the adjusting nut using a punch and small hammer? i replaced the washer with the updated hardend one and torqued it to 75 pounds.. no more clunk.. but i did tighten the adjuster nut about a 1/4 to a 1/2 of a turn...
love to hear some feed back on how tight the bearing adjuster nut should be

thanks

Manny

sorry for posting this twice... I'm new to this site and i haven't figured out how it all works

 

If I'm reading this correctly, you are doing the fall away with the wheel ON the ground???

Should be OFF the ground and the bike level.

The punch and hammer is about as easy as it gets and I would STRONGLY suggest getting the factory manual before damaging the steering head bearings. Softails respond to the fall away much differently than other models and over tightening the adjuster will damage the bearing.

 

No I'm doing the fall away test with the WHEEL off the ground! I do have the factory manual...Thats why i was telling you it said nothing about loosening the 1 1/2 inch nut when adjusting the steering head in my first post...The book says lift wheel off the ground loosen the pinch bolts and check fall out.......Note that this is a factory Harley manual for my bike!

Now once again.. It falls away at about 2 inches off center on one side, the side with the cables and wiring doesn't fall away till its turned over half way.. however the steering turns real smooth from side to side / still with the WHEEL off the ground..

please explain what you mean about the fall away being different from other models.
also if you could tell me how tight you'd think the adjuster nut would be when its corrent 15-20 foot pounds maybe?

thanks..

Manny