Are the rear wheel axle spacers the same lenght on a 99 FLSTC? I am getting rear brake noise only in a turn and my pads are in good shape.

With the larger outside diameter on the outboard side hold the external spacer between the belt sprocket and the rear swingarm and then slide the axle through left side of the swingarm, the external spacer and the belt sprocket into wheel hub and then when the axle emerges from the hub on the brake disc side of the wheel, push the axle through the short external spacer, the brake caliper bracket and the right side of the rear swingarm.

To remove a 2008 Softail rear wheel FIRST block motorcycle underneath the frame so that theweight of the motorcycle is off of the rear wheel, remove saddlebags if equipped, remove the belt guard and the debris deflector from the rear fork, inspect the wheel bearing end play and service the bearings if and as necessary, label the wheel spacers for left or right locationand orientation i.e. fork side or wheel side, remove the rear brake caliper from the caliper mount and support it using an elastic cord or such,For the FXCW/C modelsthe nut retainer will remain in the axle nut and does not need to be removed and if it is removed it must be replaced. For all but FXCW/C remove e-clip, remove the rear axle nut, and for FXCW/C remove the rear axle nut, loosen both axle adjuster screws an equal number of turns to remove tension from drive belt, with a suitable drift or other tool tap the axle towards the right side and remove it, remove the spacers and the caliper mounting bracket, move the wheel forward and slip the belt off of the sprocket, raise the motorcycle to allow enough clearance for removal of the rear wheel and pull the wheel with the belt sprocket from the rear fork.

To install a 2008 Softail rear wheel FIRST apply a light coat of wheel bearing grease to the axle, to the bearing bores and to the bore of the inner sleeve, roll the wheel into place in the rear fork and slide the drive belt over the drive sprocket, position the left bearing spacer between the wheel and the fork, from the right side carefully insert the axle (with its washer for FXCW/C models) through the right rear fork, the short spacer, the rear caliper mounting bracket, the long spacer and into the bearing bore, continue sliding the axle through the wheel hub sleeve, the left side spacer and the left rear of the fork, install the washer, the axle nut, and the retainer, verify correct axle alignment and the check belt deflection, check the wheel bearing end play after tightening the axle nut to the specified torque because excessive end play can adversely affect stability and handling and insufficient end play can cause bearing seizure, tighten the axle nut to 95-105 ft-lbs (128.8-142.5 Nm), install the belt guard and the debris deflector, install the brake caliper and pads, install the saddlebags, if equipped, pump the brake pedal to move the pistons out until they contact both brake pads, verify the piston location against pads, verify the position of the brake pads against the brake disc, rotate the wheel to check for any interference(s) or misalignment(s) and test the brakes for proper operation.

Sounds like you've got it together correctly. There is no washer between the brake caliper bracket and the swingarm. You can put the axle in from either direction. We usually put them in from the left side so that we no longer have to remove a muffler to remove the rear wheel. The nut is now on that side. Just make sure the wheel turns smoothly and the brakes work correctly before taking in out on the road. If you hear a chirping noise when you shift gears, your rear belt is too loose.

Good luck
Steve

The scraping noise could be a brake pad rubbing on a rotor, most likely caused by not getting the axle set in the right spot after replacing the wheel bearings, (assuming everything else was done correctly). Start by supporting bike with front wheel off the ground. Loosen the front axle nut. Loosen the clamp on the bottom of the right side lower leg. Insert a 7/16" drill bit or steel rod or drill bit, (whatever will fit through the hole without too much slop). Tighten axle nut to 50 to 55 ft lbs. Tighten clamp nuts. Spin the wheel and operate the hand brake a few times. Wheel should now be centered with the brake rotors running in the center of the brake pads. If not, you may have mixed up the spacers.

Get the bike up off the ground, just slightly at first. Then take the nut off the axle. If your axle is inserted into the swing arm from the left side, start to withdraw the axle. If it's inserted from the right side, you'll probably have to remove the muffler(s). As you pull the axle out, remove and mark any spacers that come out. Mark where they go and in what direction they were facing. If you have difficulty getting the axle out, you may have to loosen the wheel adjusters on either side of the swingarm.

Once you have the axle out and the wheel sitting on the ground, start raising the bike more. As you come up with it, work the drive belt off of the pulley. You may have to remove the lower belt guard to do this. Do not twist the belt or squeeze it in a radius sharper than 4 inches or you will damage the belt. When you get the bike raised enough so that the rotor is clear of the caliper, start leaning eh wheel over and working it out from under the bike.

Seems like there are three spacers on a Fat Boy. Two are very short and go into the bearing seals on either side of the wheel, and one is a longer spacer that goes on the belt side. The spacer on the other side is the brake caliper bracket. Make yourself a drawing. Invaribly, you'll look at a spacer and wonder "did it go here or here". Drawings never lie.

When you put the axle back in, insert it from the left side of the bike. That way, next time you won't have to take the exhaust system apart. To adjust the belt, first get both wheel adjusters to the same length. The turn them each the same amount at a time moving the wheel backwards in increments. Once you get the belt tensioned correctly, the two adjusters should be the same lenght. This gets the rear wheel aligned correctly in the swingarm.

Check the operation of your rear brakes before you ride the bike. If you start hearing a "chirp" when you shift gears on the bike, your rear belt is too loose.

Good Luck
Steve

Raise the rear wheel off the ground making sure that the bike is properly supported and will not fall. Remove the nut from the end of the axle. Loosen the rear wheel adjusters and get some slack in the final drive belt. Continue to drive the axle out. Once the axle is out, the wheel will drop down and you can work the belt off the wheel and get the wheel out from under the bike. Make sure you mark any spacers that are in the wheel so you can get them back in their proper location.

When reassembling the wheel, first work the belt over the rear pulley. Then insert the spacers in their proper locations. Lift the wheel and carefully work the rotor back between the brake pads. You may have to sure a screwdriver to open up the pads enough to get the rotor started back between the pads. Insert the axle and work it back through the brake caliper bracket, spacers and the wheel. Install the nut loosely on the end of the axle.

Readjust the final drive belt tension making sure you keep the rear wheel in proper alignment with the bike. Once the final drive belt is properly tensioned, tighten the nut to 50 foot pounds of torque. Spin the wheel and check for proper rotation. Check the brakes prior to riding the bike. Good Luck.

Unless someone has changed a spacer or something , the rear wheel should be centered with the frame, not necessarily the swingarm. The rear brake caliper bracket acts as the spacer on the right side and there is a spacer on the left side. This spacer on the left side should be just short enough to get into the swingarm without a lot of excess space once installed. You should not be squeezing your swingarm more than 0.125 inch or so.

Now, there are other things that will cause the tire to rub the final drive belt. Too wide tire will do this. The '94 models used the old style wide belts unlike the narrower belt used by the later models. If you install a like is on a later model, it's too wide and will probably rub. The next reason for tire belt interference is the rear tire not being adjusted correctly and it is not under the bike straight. Adjust the rear wheel by measuring the length of the adjuster bolt relative to the axle. These measurements should be the same on both sides of the swingarm. If you can't do that, find something about six feet long that you can use as a straight edge to check the alignment of the rear wheel to the front wheel. Keep in mind that there is an offset designed into the front wheel. Just make sure that the rear wheel is as straight relative to the frame as you can get it.

Even with all this stuff correctly set, the final drive belt will be close to the side of the tire but it should not rub.

If you have the wheel properly installed, putting the rear brake back on the bike should not be a problem. The brake caliper bracket should act as the wheel spacer on the right side of the bike and must be properly positioned in order to get the axle back in.

With the caliper bracket on the bike, make sure the brake pads are properly positioned in the caliper bracket. Double check to see that the pads are not installed backwards, especially on the back side of the rotor. Carefully, slide the caliper down over the pads, without distrurbing them, and into the caliper bracket. If this is giving you a problem, you may have to press the piston in the caliper back into the the caliper just a bit to clear the pads. If you replaced the pads with new pads, press the piston all the way back into the caliper. I usually use a large pair of slip joint pliers or a large C-clamp to do this with. Make sure you put a rag or something around the caliper to protect the paint. Good Luck!

Several important specs were left out of your question. First, what year model FLT wheel is it? Up until 2001, I think, all of Harley's axles were 7/8" in diameter. Then around that year sometime, they changed to one inch axle. You will have to measure the size of the inner race or the axle itself to find out if they are the same. If so, just gettting the correct lenght spacers for each side of the wheel is all that is necessary.

Next, you didn't say whether you were asking about a front wheel or rear wheel. Lots of differences there. Are the belt pulleys the same width. Later model bikes use narrower belts.

Next, by "clutches" I'm going to assume you're talking about brake calipers. There are no clutches on a wheel that I know of. Measure the diameter of the rotor and make sure it's the same as you original rotor. Once under the bike, make sure the spacing is correct for the caliper to sit about in the middle of it's side to side travel. It's best to use the wheel only, sans the pulley and rotors. measure the width of the hub and axle as compared to your original wheel. If they are the same, then move to the next item, rotor or pulley or both. Then get the wheel postitioned where it goes and measure for spacers. Good Luck and be careful