IDS Warning

[Coyote]

This is a heads up for anyone that bought and installed an IDS last year like I did. I was changing the tires on my Ultra today and was amazed at how completely trashed my IDS was. The rubber was damaged, the bearing well was worn and the bearing seal was damaged and falling out. I went back to stock but had to go by a dealership to get some supplies. The parts guy said HD changed the IDS design after it came out due to lots of failures. Mine was only on the bike about a year.

So, if you have one installed, do yourself a favor and check it. My would wiggle back and forth even before I removed the rear wheel.

[HV]

Funny you should mention that...I had a 08 in this week doing a 103 kit... changed the rear tire.... IDS Bearing seal fell out when I pulled the Axle ....gonna have to keep an eye on these things ....no damage and bearing was good...but with no seal it would not have lasted very long

[Coyote]

It looked to me like the little lip at the bottom of the well was what tore up the bearing seal once the bearing started moving around. And yes, mine just fell out too. 

[WVULTRA]

Coyote:

Just had the rear wheel off for a tire replacement.  Wanted to separate the IDS for a close inspection of the rubber and especially the bearing. Since I had previously purchased new isolators and bearing due to hearing of instances such as yours and HV's, I expected to have to change both.  Close inspection of the bearing, while comparing it to the new one, showed it to be in excellent shape.  The isolators were also in great shape, and I just cleaned them up and reinstalled.

Mileage on the IDS was ~12,000 and it was installed August '07.

HTHs.

[stro1965]

14K on mine ('07 bike w/add-on IDS).  Had it apart just today and it all looked good, bearing and rubber.

[IBARider]

25,000 on a stock '08.  so far so good, but I have an extra bearing on hand just in case.

[Gonzo]

Pardon my stupidity, but WTF is an IDS?

[stro1965]

Pardon my stupidity, but WTF is an IDS?

Isolated Drive Sprocket aka: cush drive

[Ultrashovel]

Uh-oh......looks like another "PRORTHDDC" (Post-release owner road-tested Harley-Davidson design change). Oops.

[dartman]

I have had two tire changes since installing mine, everything is fine. I had Zanotti's press my bearing in place at time of purchase, im guessing some of the problems might be improper bearing install, I can picture a dealer tech/sweeper pounding one in with a hammer.

[FLH]

I bought one of those for my RK last year, but never mounted it due to what I considered to be a cheap bearing. I have one for sale brand new in the box for $150 plus shipping.

[WVULTRA]

The bearing is a #559768 mfg. by FAG and is also stamped CANADA.

Is this a "cheap" bearing?

[fuzznut5197]

The bearing is a #559768 mfg. by FAG and is also stamped CANADA.

Is this a "cheap" bearing?

No, FAG is a well known company. But they have no control when the 22 year old engineers fresh out of school "design" something with a few mouse clicks, with the accountants over their shoulders. 

[02roadcling]

FAG 

[Coyote]

(F)ell (A)part in (G)arage       

[truck]

FAG 

If I remember right the full name is Fagersta.

[HIPPO]

The name of the guy that started ball bearings and the company was Fisher. AG in German is like Inc. in English.

They were later acquired by a group.

http://www.fag.com/content.fag.de/en/company/company.jsp

[ViennaHog]

I ran an IDS kit in my previous 2007 Ultra for about 16,000 miles through 3 tire changes. No issues at all. Same for my obsolete 2008 Ultra at 14,000 miles and 2 tires. It actually works when you install it correctly. BTW FAG is one of the best bearing companies right at par with Timken. We buy large bearings from both companies.

[02roadcling]

IMO that fag IDS is just another crappy way to parasitically lose power. Not interested.

cling

[sandrooney]

I put one on my 07 Ultra, one of the best things I have done to it. I had it apart at about 15,000 and looked new,
SR

[ViennaHog]

IMO that fag IDS is just another crappy way to parasitically lose power. Not interested.

cling

Explain how the IDS reduces power please. 

[02roadcling]

Its a dampner.Admittedly not much but a good excuse to not have one.

[ViennaHog]

It's really not much as the only energy spent on the dampeners is the compression/decompression of the rubber. But on the decompression cycle you get almost all of it back. Only real loss is frictional heat which must be extremely low as rubber doesn't carry heat all that much. The FAG bearing is truly additional frictional loss. But I bet a slightly under- inflated tire adds more to power loss than a few FAG equipped IDSs. Thanks for the chuckles I got out these posts.

[WVULTRA]

The bearing is a #559768 mfg. by FAG and is also stamped CANADA.

Is this a "cheap" bearing?

No, FAG is a well known company. But they have no control when the 22 year old engineers fresh out of school "design" something with a few mouse clicks, with the accountants over their shoulders. 

So fuzz, what would you recommend we replace this FAG bearing with?

I find it strange that it's being used in all '08 Touring bikes, in all the '07 IDS kits, and since it carries an '06 part number it must also be in use in the V-Rods.  Called the dealer, and that 40670-06 part number is still current.

We hear of a few failures on the internet, and now we have an inferior bearing that's been designed by

22 year old engineers fresh out of school "design" something with a few mouse clicks, with the accountants over their shoulders.

And were loosing power with it too!   

[fuzznut5197]

So fuzz, what would you recommend we replace this FAG bearing with?

WVULTRA, my blurb on the design was about the IDS itself, not the bearing.

I can trash the best bearing in the world with a sledge hammer, does that make the bearing a pos?

What I was saying is, did the H-D engineers choose the right bearing for the job (designing the IDS)? Is it the bearing's fault or is the IDS putting unforeseen loads (real world use on a real bike)
that is trashing the bearing?

[Coyote]

I can't imagine that they did a re design that is as different as I saw for nothing though.