I was annoyed with the clunk when applying hard front braking when riding my 2003 Dyna Wide Glide. My first thought was that the bearing cones were not adjusted properly (which would certainly cause a clunk if too loose). I took my (in warranty) Wide Glide to the dealer. The mechanic said, "Wide Glide Clunk! They all do it. I can lessen it but cannot guarantee that it can be reduced completely."

I watched as he simply removed the chrome cover and tightened the top nut to approximately 20% over specifications. I was skeptical; but sure enough, it was difficult to induce the clunk after that. I always worried, though, about the excessive stresses on the bolt and stem. A failure here could be catastrophic.

I am only a home shop mechanic / machinist; although I really enjoy working on my motorcycles. I decided to investigate further.

I learned that freeplay in the top triple clamp is in the design of the assembly. Clunking is inevitable. But, certain steps can be taken to lessen or maybe even completely eliminate occurences.

I have since replaced the triple clamp with an FLH clamp assembly. I noticed that the FLH top clamp has a pinch bolt that tightly secures it onto the steerer spindle. The clunk is impossible on that type top triple clamp.

Click on the pictures to see what I believe causes the Wide Glide Clunk and how I virtually eliminated it on my Wide Glide without exceeding torque specifications.