I am planning on do the install myself and was reading the manual and thought i would ask the people who have done this job how it went for them. Ive got an 06 fxdbi

 

If you're talking about the Progressive Cruise Control front spring / lowering kit, I installed it on my 98 Wide Glide. It was simple. If you've never disassembles your front end, then allow about four hours. If you have, you can probably knock it out in about two hours. No special tools required, but a shop manual helps.

The ride will likely be stiffer. If you're not already running SE fork oil, I advize that you not upgrade to it until you've ridden the bike for a while with standard fork oil. The combination of the Progressive springs and the SE fork oil make for a much stiffer front suspension, which I like but you may not.

Z

 

I want to install same in mine as well. Thanks for heads up on oil....

 

how much do these kits lower the front?

 

Check the service manual on this one. I lowered my old Sportster about 2 years ago and I needed a long shanked (6mm I think) allen socket to get the damper tube out. These new fork tubes are obviously different, but you might need a similar long reach tool.

Kevin

 

you should have the option of 1 or 2 inches. IMO 2 is alot. I chose 1' to offset the 1 1/2" lowered rear. bike is stiffer but worth it for the improved handling.
really makes the dyna come alive performance wise.[sm=smiley20.gif]

 

The kit cost me $80. I also went with the 1" option to match a similar lowering in the rear (12" Progressive 440s, which are 5/8" shorter than stock, yielding about a 1" lowering effect in the rear.)

Z

 

Thanks for all the info, I am going with the 11 inch 412s and i have a 180 55 17 rear tire so that has also droped the rear down some more so not sure if i need to go 1 or 2 inches on the front. The manual shows a 12mm alen to remove the seat pipe screw. I guess i could have made both my threads into one oh well. The manual says that you need a pro level oil guage i assume this is so you can check your oil level. If you dont need this how did you check the fluid level.

 

My bike is older than yours (it's a 98, and it's a Wide Glide). I didn't need an oil gauge: I just measured out the exact amount of for oil indicted in the shop manual and poured it in. I used my ex wife's pyrex measuring cup from the kitchen to do it, and then washed it real good and put it back in the cupboard. GOD I love being a bachelor again! She'd have biched a fit.

I don't know the stock length on your rear shocks, but stock on my WG is 12-5/8". My bike came to me with 412s that were either 11" or 11.5", I'm not sure. But I am sure of this: because I'm 200 pounds, they bottomed out ALL the time. That's why I upgraded to the 12" 440s, which still make the bike sit about an inch lower than stock. Just be careful of the shock length that you choose.

Z

PS: I recently changed my worn-out stock Dunlop rear tire for the same size Avon Venom, which is shaped differently. The bike seems to bottom a bit more often than before.

 

Ive heard of other people on here putting 11 inch 412s on and have had no problems and were well over 200. I am 230 so i hope it will be ok, oh i i got the Heavy duty ones also.