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07 Fatboy change to Softail Custom Front End

13K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  alienbodyman 
#1 ·
I posted this in tires and suspension..hope it isn't against the rules to post it here too...

Another exercise in deductive reasoning...

I have an 07 Fatboy...it seems to be uniquely blessed with extremely offset front end that neither the 08 or 06's and prior had.

I would like to run a Custom Softail (or compatible) front end. Obviously the front wheel ( and therefor the rear?) offset is different on a Custom Softail and a Fatboy. I have a Softail rear chrome swingarm (PN 48607-06)which is stated as compatible with both my 07 Fatboy and all 07 + 06 Softails with a 200mm wheel.

I think if I want to run the Custom Softail front end, I need to buy a Custom Softail rear wheel and use Custom Softail rear wheel spacers...then the rear end will be spaced like a Custom Softail since we both use the same swingarm. If I were to buy the HD inverted front end for the Custom Softail and again use a Custom Softail compatible wheel and Custom Softail spacers, the front end should align with the rear..just as it would on a Custom Softail which uses the same frame...does this make sense??

Things which give me pause in my deductions and things I would really like to know..
I have heard the offset in 07 is due to the engine being moved in the frame..not sure what that is to facilitate BUT, why are the other 07 and 06 96", 6spd, 200mm Softails not offset like this? Why were the 06 SE Fatboys with 6 spds and 200mm rear wheels not offset like this?
Are all 07 96", 6spd, 200mm softails using the same frame?
Is it the same as all the 06 96", 6spd, 200mm Softail frames?
Do all the above have the engine mounted in the same place?
Are all the 200mm 06 and 07 Softails swingarms the same?

..or simply, how can I change my 07 Fatboy front end to a regular fork setup and maintain my alignment\balance so I don't die in a 30mph speed wobble?
 
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#2 ·
my $.02

So far as I know, all Softail models, at least 2000-up, have some offset. I think mine has 3/8". Changing your front end will have zero effect on it.

I know nothing about 2007-up. 2006 softails still had the 88. I know the first year the 200 was on fat boys was SE models only. Perhaps HD did some bastardized setup that year to get them into the showrooms because the 200 tire was a hot seller at the time on the bobtail bikes. By the following year when they went full production with 200 FB's they may have re-thought something.

The offset is a product of a wider rear tire. The belt gets narrow, the tire kicks to the right and/or the engine slides left. At some point you run out of room and go to a right side drive trans to avoid a bike that can only turn one direction and leans going straight down the road.

Why does the offset bug you?

Good luck sorting it out.
 
#3 · (Edited)
hmm, didn't the Softail Standard and Custom come with a 200mm in 06? I think so....06 SE Fatboys and FXSTs at minimum. I have a chrome swingarm ready to go that is an -06 part number (below) and fits 06+ softails with 200mm tires. The 05 SE Fatboy was not a 200mm.

48607-06
Fits '06-'07 FXST, FXSTB, FXSTS and '07 FXSTC, FXSTSSE and FLSTF models.

Anyway, not that the offset bugs me so much as I genuinely want to change the front end (yes, I bought the wrong bike, it is now bobbed in the rear, only the front end to go). The softail front end I want to use does not have the same offset (likely 3/8 like yours) so I assume to use it I have to make changes in the rear end spacing to keep the wheels in line. Offset is not a problem, misaligned wheels are. Sooo, I am just trying to make some changes and keep her straight...and mine stock has a 3/4" offset, double yours...I would not want a 3/4 offset in the rear and 3/8 in the front...

Nice ride, btw...is it not a 200mm????
 
#5 ·
sorry, been away

Kinda lost this in the shuffle. Thanks for the kind words. The 06 bobtail bikes were all 200 wide. Not certain of my offset (still, never looked it up, s/b same as all other softails with the bobtail that year) but there is zero offset in all of the front ends so far as I know. All of the offset is in the rear.
 
#7 ·
offset

Hi, i did read abouth your offset problem with the fatboy 07, i have a fatboy 07 and i have the same problem so i wonder if u did find some information that helps you solve the problem.
I like to change my front end and rake it and then i like the wheel to be in the middle so i need to move the rear wheel to but then the fender will not fit so i can move that to but then the sadle and tank dont fit so the problem is not easy to solve, do u have any ideas..?
 
#8 ·
I don't think you need to change the rear end spacing. Get a parts book (or have the parts guys print that page of the electric version) for the rear wheel. They will point out the spacers for the similar softails... I think all 200mm rear tire models will have the same spacers.

For all 200mm models... same swing arm, and same spacers, must mean rim has same width. Check it out.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for all the responses, sorry I missed them until now. The spacers in the rear may be the same BUT the offset in the rim itself may be different on the FXST versus the Fatboy. Safest bet is to buy wheels and spacers, front and rear, for the same bike. I know when I put a bigger wheel on my Deuce I used stock spacers but the rear wheel hub had a slight offset (.016"). This was not enough to worry about changing spacing in the front wheel but with the Fatboy having a .75" offset, centering this and not changing the rear wheel offset might be hazardous.

The above is just my opinion, there is not much out there to read on this subject but what there is I have read.
 
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