Single-disc front wheels are the classic Softail look, and they are among the most straightforward custom wheels to install. Straightforward is not the same as automatic, though. There are a handful of Softail-specific details that trip up even experienced installers. Here they are.
Reuse your stock axle spacers — in the same places
Our single-disc wheels are model-specific and designed to install with your stock axle spacers. The spacers on either side of the wheel are usually different lengths, and they are not interchangeable. When you disassemble the front end, note which spacer came from the left and which from the right, and which way each one faced. Reinstall them exactly as they came out.
It helps to lay the parts out on the bench in the order they came off the axle, or to photograph the assembly before you take it apart. Getting the spacers reversed will shift the wheel sideways, move the rotor off-center in the caliper and may prevent the axle from torquing correctly.
Heritage and Deluxe: the hidden spacer behind the hub cap
Several Softail models, including the Heritage Softail and the Deluxe, have a large chrome hub cover on the right side of the front wheel. Our wheels use a tapered hub design for clean fitment, and that large outer cover is not reused.
But do not throw it in a drawer without looking inside. Behind the cover is a wheel spacer, held in place by a snap ring, and you still need that spacer. Remove the snap ring, take out the spacer, and reinstall the spacer on the axle in the same position it occupied before. Leave the big chrome cap off. This is one of the most common oversights on Softail installations, and without the spacer the wheel will not sit where it belongs.
Check caliper alignment
Whenever a wheel or rotor is changed, the caliper must be checked for alignment and free movement. Machined parts vary by a few thousandths of an inch, and the stack of hub, rotor and caliper can end up slightly off-center. If necessary, the caliper is shimmed so it is centered over the rotor. Different shim thicknesses on factory-new motorcycles are common for exactly this reason. (See Centering Your Brake Calipers.)
2018 and newer Softails: caliper clearance
The Softail models introduced in 2018 use a different, thicker front caliper. In some cases it is shimmed and clears our spoke wheels without any adjustment; in others the spokes can lightly contact the back of the caliper. After installation, spin the wheel slowly and confirm there is no contact between the spokes and the caliper. If there is, and the caliper is correctly centered on the rotor, the back of the caliper can be filed slightly at the point of contact and touched up with black paint. (See Caliper and Rotor Clearance.)
Fenders for a 21-inch front
A 21-inch front wheel and tire stands taller than the stock front, so it needs additional clearance: either a larger fender designed for a 21-inch wheel, or a fender lift bracket that raises the stock fender. We can supply either option.
If you choose a lift bracket on a Softail with an engine guard, be aware of suspension bottoming. Raising the fender brings it closer to the engine guard, and on a sharp bump that bottoms the fork, the fender can contact the guard. Touring models have cartridge-type fork internals that resist bottoming better; the Softail fork is simpler and more prone to it. If you have an engine guard, we recommend progressive-rate fork springs to reduce bottoming. Some riders have also had success with heavier-weight fork oil.
Converting from dual discs to a single disc? We don't recommend it
Some riders like the clean look of a single-disc wheel and ask whether a motorcycle that came with two front rotors can be converted to one. Our advice is simple: don't. A modern Harley-Davidson is a heavy motorcycle, and one with dual front discs was designed to need both of them. Removing a rotor and caliper halves the front brake's swept area and its capacity to absorb heat, on the wheel that does most of the stopping.
If your motorcycle came with dual discs, choose a dual-disc wheel. There are plenty of designs to choose from, and you keep the braking the motorcycle was built with. The single-disc wheels in this article are for Softail models that were designed with a single front disc.
If anything feels forced, stop
The correct parts go together smoothly. If an axle will not slide through, a spacer seems not to fit or a bolt will not thread in, stop and call us before going further. Forcing the issue is how simple fitment questions become expensive repairs.