The forward control kits for Dyna's are cheaper than the ones for softails, if you can find one at the swap meet.

 

I haven't looked at the Softails forwards but it could be possible to use a Dyna pedal (or mod the one that comes with the forwards) and the Dyna brake rod. As far as using the Softail brake line goes I don't know yet. I bought one off of ebay but it isn't here yet.

 

I replaced Dyna forward controls with Softail floorboards, too. At first I tried adapting the brake rod to retain the original Dyna aft-mounted master brake cylinder. After breaking two brake rods, I decided to give it up and convert to the Softail forward-mounted master brake cylinder.

In attempting to re-use my original master cylinder, I had to bend a "dog leg" in the brake rod, and it was a little too long, so I had to cut the end off and fashion a new slotted end. I think the heating and grinding on the brake rods weakened them. Also, the first one I made, the angle wasn't quite right so it didn't depress the master cylinder in a straight motion. The angle would cause it to bind up and fail intermittently ... hence, the second try.

I eventually removed the orinal master cylinder and installed a "T" junction into which I mounted the original line to the caliper and the brake light switch (off the side). I was going to try to bolt it to the original mount but used a zip-tie to hold it in place temporarily ... then decided that it worked well enough to just leave it like that. I ran a 34" stainless steel braided brake line all the way forward to the new master cylinder that I got to mount on the Softail bracket. I just used a straight banjo fitting and angled it toward the frame rail and down slightly. The rest of the set up is all Softail floorboard brake parts.

To address your original question, the frame mount for a Softail is three triangular holes, whereas, the Dyna frame has two. The angle from the lower to the upper on the Dyna is steeper. I used a forward extension kit and mounted the Softail floorboard bracket to the forward holes on the kit. I drilled a new hole for the upper mounting hole to match the Dyna frame and used the original lower hole ... then bolted it right up to the frame using the hardware supplied. Works like a champ, but I seem to have lost a little clearance ... don't have to go as low before I scrape my 'boards. Not a problem for me, just need to make allowance for it/brace myself.

Bottom line is, you'll incur some costs to adapt something not designed for a Dyna--so unless it's something they don't make for your bike that you just gotta have; going with a cheaper product may not end up as cheap after the additional cost to get it on.

Keep the questions coming ... that's how you learn.

R/
Priest

 

Mid controls give no advantage over forward controls in cornering. That's a myth.