Pre 97' front air suspension removal and spring upgrade!
#1
11-18-2011, 08:42 AM
Pre 97' front air suspension removal and spring upgrade!
For those of us that have the front air suspension on our pre-1997 touring bikes here is the best upgrade I have ever done to the bike. I started with a 1994 Ultra Classic. I wanted a Street Glide but didn't have the money so I stripped my Ultra down to look similar. the biggest disappointment was the front air suspension and the soft fork springs. The air hose off the handlebars also got in the way of moving my handlebars any farther forward.
My solution was to get rid of the air suspension all together and put in the CORRECT springs for the weight of the bike plus myself. I called Race Tech and they gave me the CORRECT springs that needed. First put on safety glasses, remove the crossover air tube and solenoid from the top of the forks. Remove the forks, drain the oil and remove the top caps BUT remember they are under pressure! Insert new springs, fork oil (stock amount) and calculate the right length of preload by cutting the spacer to fit. Re-install the fork caps and spacer. There is a threaded hole in each of the fork cap bolts from the removed air tube. Simply plug the holes with the proper size bolt that fits in them. Reinstall the forks.
While the bike was apart I also upgraded the speakers. Any 4 inch round car speakers work. I got a set of Pioneers speaker at Best Buy for $40. I also got rid of the rubber handlebar mounts and replaced them with solid handlebar mounts so the handlebars don't move back and forth. I had to machine them down a bit but they work great.
Now the test drive:
The first thing you feel is the responsiveness of the bike. It does not float in the corners and I hit every pothole I could find in Pennsylvania (and trust me, they ain't too hard to find!) and its like riding a totally different bike. The bike actually steers so much easier, the forks don't bottom out anymore, the front end doesn't dive very much when hard braking, and the handlebars don't move back and forth when accelerating or stopping. I never could figure out why they put rubber handlebar mounts on these bikes with rubber engine mounts anyway and I notice absolutely no difference in vibration thru the bars.It makes my riding experience that much more enjoyable and that's what riding is all about.
I hope this can help someone out. Now stop reading and get out riding....Live Well my friends!
My solution was to get rid of the air suspension all together and put in the CORRECT springs for the weight of the bike plus myself. I called Race Tech and they gave me the CORRECT springs that needed. First put on safety glasses, remove the crossover air tube and solenoid from the top of the forks. Remove the forks, drain the oil and remove the top caps BUT remember they are under pressure! Insert new springs, fork oil (stock amount) and calculate the right length of preload by cutting the spacer to fit. Re-install the fork caps and spacer. There is a threaded hole in each of the fork cap bolts from the removed air tube. Simply plug the holes with the proper size bolt that fits in them. Reinstall the forks.
While the bike was apart I also upgraded the speakers. Any 4 inch round car speakers work. I got a set of Pioneers speaker at Best Buy for $40. I also got rid of the rubber handlebar mounts and replaced them with solid handlebar mounts so the handlebars don't move back and forth. I had to machine them down a bit but they work great.
Now the test drive:
The first thing you feel is the responsiveness of the bike. It does not float in the corners and I hit every pothole I could find in Pennsylvania (and trust me, they ain't too hard to find!) and its like riding a totally different bike. The bike actually steers so much easier, the forks don't bottom out anymore, the front end doesn't dive very much when hard braking, and the handlebars don't move back and forth when accelerating or stopping. I never could figure out why they put rubber handlebar mounts on these bikes with rubber engine mounts anyway and I notice absolutely no difference in vibration thru the bars.It makes my riding experience that much more enjoyable and that's what riding is all about.
I hope this can help someone out. Now stop reading and get out riding....Live Well my friends!
Last edited by trigger1911; 11-18-2011 at 08:45 AM.
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Chris Kieffer (09-16-2020)
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11-18-2011, 08:47 AM
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#4
09-01-2013, 08:42 AM
DO NOT use Progressive Suspension! They tote their springs as kinda "one size fits all" and thats total bullshit. Thats like saying a person with a size 10 shoe can wear a size 12. Sure it will work but its not the CORRECT thing to do.
Springs were from RaceTech and about $125 and they include the spacers. DO NOT order the emulators, it works perfect with the stock ones for street use. Springs are made for many different applications by weight of the driver. This fix is so simple and cheap it will blow your mind when you ride it! If you bike is older than 2006, use the "FLHT" option to choose the springs because its the only one that goes back that far.
http://racetech.com/ChooseVehicle.aspx
Feel free to ask any questions. Thats why we are here. Good luck!
Springs were from RaceTech and about $125 and they include the spacers. DO NOT order the emulators, it works perfect with the stock ones for street use. Springs are made for many different applications by weight of the driver. This fix is so simple and cheap it will blow your mind when you ride it! If you bike is older than 2006, use the "FLHT" option to choose the springs because its the only one that goes back that far.
http://racetech.com/ChooseVehicle.aspx
Feel free to ask any questions. Thats why we are here. Good luck!
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