I was looking for a spring option for my front end on my Fat Bob I cant find any springs for the fat bob frontend. I dont want to progressive so I am wondering what my options are if anybody can help me i would appreciate it?

 

I just got an email from the staff at Works, and it says:

¨See the feature article in the February issue of Easyriders Road Iron magazine on pages 74-78. Should be on the news stands now.¨

anyone checked it out?

 

I have just installed a set of the Works cartridges in my FXDC. I'm still sorting them out and I've been on the phone to their tech-man Pierre trying to work out some issues.

By the way, these are triple rate units, not dual rate. They have three springs, 30-40 and 60 pound strength. The stock fork has progressive-wound springs and I am not sure of the compression specs on them. The stock fork really relys a great deal on compressed air in the fork above the oil level.

I am coming from a different perspective than many of you. My desire is for curvy road handler rather than a boulevard cruiser. Instead of lowering my suspension, I've jacked the bike up about an inch with the Works cartridges and a pair of Ohlins 906's on the back.

For me, the initial set-up of the Works cartridges were WAY too soft. Static sag was almost 2 inches (55 mm) on a set of forks with only 5 inches of travel. They seemed almost mushy and were too quick to pogo up and down for my tastes. They would be plush like that ! But, that's not my game. When leaned over hard at speed, that softness works against you.

I had to remove the cartridges and crank up the pre-load on the unit. They come pre-loaded by an inch and you can only add an additional 1/8 to 3/16 before the adjuster bottoms out. On top of that, I cut new PVC spaces (1 1/4 pipe) that are 1/2 inch longer. (It's a helluva task to compress all of that and thread the top caps on too!) I also used 15w fork oil instead of the thin stuff. Works instructs you to cover the bottom plunger pipe with oil. They rely on this for rebound dampening. I ended up having to add an additional ounce over that amount and I used 20w for that additional ounce.

I now have about 30 mm of loaded sag on the forks.

I took it out for a ride yesterday and it seems much better. I need to spend a little more time on it before concluding that I have it all as good as I'm gonna get it.

 

After a few R&R sessions with my race tech springs and emulators the bike is working great, i too set up taller than stock..... The bike handles wicked with the works black trackers and full race tech front,
I ran the 12.6" rear shocks

 

First let me say thanks that finally we have a brave soul to try them out jeje.

I think I can speak for some of of the guys here and the reason why we mod our suspensions is not just for ¨boulevard cruising¨ but to hit the twisty roads hard when we see them!

Maybe its because there is not much info on them out there own how to tune them up to different setups, but I hasn't expecting to hear all you had to do to make them work for you. Definitively not a quick install and easy tuning for a guy with not that much tools or suspension knowledge.

 

I have them also and have about 500 miles on them. It seems like at higher speeds on the freeway, they bounce a little and coming to a stop at a light, they dont rebound very much....seem very mushy at almost the stopping point. I'm trying to figure out if thats normal or not. Kind of frustrating actually.

 

Well, in defense of Works, it's hard to make a one-size-fits-all product. Im not saying their cartridge is not worth the money. It's reasonably priced compared to what other few options are out there.

You just may have to do a little fiddling with them to get them right. About the only thing you can vary is the spring preload that determines ride height and rebound dampening that determines how quick the fork extends back down after it takes a hit.

If rebound is too little, the fork will snap back to extension too quick after you hit a bump. If you're in a curve, leaned over and hit a bump, when the fork rebounds too fast it will make the bike seem to wallow around. On the other hand, if you have rebound to high, the fork will not extend back soon enough after a hit. That will cause you to not have enough regained suspension travel to handle the next bump. The fork can "pack down" over a series of bumps and the impacts will feel very harsh since you are running out of travel to absorb the hit.

Lol, it all gets pretty involved and we havent even brought up the influence of the rear shocks on the dynamics of the front fork.

With these cartridges, this rebound dampening is adjusted primary by the weight and level of oil you have in the bottom of the fork. Be sure to amply cover that plunger pipe in the bottom or you'll get foaming and frothing that will alter the dampening of the oil. Also, be aware that going to a heavier weight oil will add dampening. As I mentioned, Im using 15w but I have molybdenum disulfide (moly) in it to make it slicker.

If they seem mushy to you, try adding a 1/2 inch to the PVC spacer pipes up top. The added preload may help. You may also wanna add about an ounce of fork oil. Try something heavier for this extra ounce.

Ohlins makes a killer cartridge too with many more adjustment features on it but it is crazy expensive, over $1000 a pair.

I will say this. I have been riding european sporty bikes for a while. I have this Dyna handling, if not as good, at least in the ball park of my other bikes. You can make them do much better than anyone would believe. Unfortunately, suspension upgrades for doing this have not been in high demand. With Harleys, when you call a suspension supplier, they assume you want to lower your bike, not go fast around curves.

I'll put up some pics as soon as I can.

 

My Works shocks and cartridges were just delivered today. Along with about 3" of snow. It may be a while, but I will get them installed and then post with the results as soon as I can.

 

The installation instructions for the Works cartridges leave a lot to be desired. You may figure this out ahead of time but let me offer some friendly suggestions that may save you time and effort.

Cover the tank with a protective thick towel or rag to avoid any nicks while you work.

Don't remove the fork legs from the bike.

You need to drain the stock oil from them. There's a lot in there. Id say ride the bike a little first and work the forks over some bumps to stir-up the old oil and suspend any sediments before you drain.

Jack up the front end. Watch-out for crimping your clutch cable that may run under the engine. Remove the front wheel just like you were changing the tire.

Do not remove the top chrome fork leg caps yet.

Now, you will need a 12mm hex bit (allen) wrench or ratchet attachment. There is a hex socket screw in the bottom of each fork leg that holds the slider to the fork tube by screwing up into the compression pipe that the spring rests on. You want to loosen these to drain the oil out. The right leg screw is easier to get to but the left leg's screw is recessed up inside an access hole in the bottom of the slider. That's where you'll need some added length for the 12 mm hex bit as many regular 12 mm bit sockets will be too fat to slip up into the access hole on the left leg. Check this out before you start work to make sure you have the right tool.

Extended bit hex tools are available but can run $20-$30. You can improvise and save. All you need is a 12 mm straight hex piece to place inside a normal female 12 mm socket (preferably 3/8 drive). The socket should be skinny enough to go up insde the access hole on the left leg. To get a straight piece of 12mm stock you have several choices. If you have a good fastener supply, they may have a 12 mm threaded rod connector that is just a long piece of hex with threads inside. Also, you can saw off the shank of a cheap 12 mm L allen wrench. Also, you can get a regular 12 mm 3/8 drive socket at most auto parts stores (they may come as a small set of 3 different sizes etc). Place the socket upside down and use a driving pin to drive out the 12 mm hex from its socket.

I highly recommend using an air impact wrench although you may be able to loosen the screws with a regular hand wrench You still have the springs inside pushing down that helps keep the insides from turning as you loosen the bottom screws. If the internals start turning and you can't loosen the screws, take a piece of 2X4 wood or something as a striker to whack the wrench and create an impact on the screw or just simply use an air wrench. I've done it both ways.

Do not remove these screws yet. Just make sure they are loose. Have a drain can beneath the fork because once the bottom screws are loose, oil will start to trickle out.

Now, loosen the top chrome fork leg caps that hold pressure on the internal springs. If your handlebars are in the way, remove the handlebar clamp and set them back on your protective towels. Be aware that the brake master cylinder can weep out brake fluid if left turn over too long. The fork caps have fine threads so it takes a while to back them out. Wrap a towel or rag around it all as you back them out becasue when the threads come out there will be a little pop-up from the spring and you dont want the heavy cap sailing off to the top of your painted gas tank.

Don't remove the springs yet.

Go back to the bottom screws. Leave one side in to prevent the whole bottom sliders from coming off. Completely remove one screw and let the oil gush out to fully drain. Then put that screw back in run it down a little ways. Then take the other side's screw out and let it drain fully.

If you want, you can replace the little copper washers underneath these screws. I didn't.

Once both legs are drained. Tighten both of the bottom screws down as much as possible. Don't worry for now if everything starts turning instead of tightening.

Now, go up top and have a rag in hand and remove the metal spacer pipe you see poking up where there top cap came off. Set it aside. Using a improvised wire hook or an extended magnet thing fish out the washer that the spacer tubes rests on and then fish up the big coil spring. If you do this before draining, these parts will be soaked in oil and messy.

Now, take a flashlight and look down the tube. You'll see the compression pipe at the bottom. Looks like a big hole in the top of it. Gradually start pouring in fork oil. Use 10 or 15w ( I like 15). Go easy and keep watching. Allow time for your pouring to trickle down. You want to completely cover that bottom piece where you cannot see any of it, even with the forks at their rake angle ( Once covered, I added an additional ounce but that may not be for you.)

Now, drop in the fork cartridges with their hex adjusters on top. Drop in the supplied washers on top of the cartridge and make sure they fall over flat and locate on top of the cartridge. Now, drop in the PVC piece.

Here comes the fun part. You may wanna get a pair of new o-rings and replace the old ones on the fork caps. Take some fork oil or grease and lube-up the cap threads and o-rings.

Use protective rags and position your body above the fork tubes. Put the fork cap in your socket wrench and, at the same time you push down on the PVC spacer, turn the cap to start it theading into the fork tube. (If you ever add pre-load by using a longer spacer, getting the caps back in can be difficult.)

Tighten the caps down good. You can check the torque specs but just tighten them down good.

Now, go back down to the fork bottom screws. If you see a drop or two of oil, don't fret. Now, tighten these screws down. The internal spring pressure will help keep the compression tube from turning.

Torque specs are about 150 inch pounds. Tighten them and let them sit for a while. If you see any oil weeps, tighten them some more. I tightened mine down to spec with a torque wrench but I had a little oil weep so I bumped them with the air wrench. No problems.

That's it. Reattach your handlebars if need be and check for weeped brake fluid. Lol, now all you have to do is try them out.

One final note. If you get into this and start measuring sag etc, ride the bike for a while before taking any measurements. My static sag increased a bit as things settled-down with a little use. See previous post for tweaks I made to suit my riding style.

Be careful out there.

 

jeje thats so true!