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Hi all, a bit of advice to ask if I may,
I have located some NOS fork lowers from my 1999 fatboy. Whilst 25 years old now the bike has only covered 10k miles and though i have a very good service history nothing suggests the fork isnt anything but original.
I understand I will have cartridges both sides, would you guys disassemble the cartridges to give them a full clean or just pump them a few times to empty out?
Unless someone installed aftermarket cartridges, you just have damper tubes in there. In any case you will have to disassemble to put put new lowers on anyhow so a full cleaning is in order.
[QUOTE=CoolBreeze3646;21879660]Unless someone installed aftermarket cartridges, you just have damper tubes in there. In any case you will have to disassemble to put put new lowers on anyhow so a full cleaning is in order.
[/QUOTE
Hi thanks I wont know till I get in there but I dont imagine anything is other than stock, - whilst i have done this before my memory isnt what is was - and yep i need to refresh my memory with my manual but looking at this photo I thought once the forks are off the bike I could remove the retaining screw at the base and simply pull that complete slider from the lower. I seem to recall the lowers tube is perforated to let oil in and out. What I am referring to as a cartridge as the spring is concealed inside it is the upper slider and part 26 is screwed to part 38 no?
Thanks again
I could remove the retaining screw at the base and simply pull that complete slider from the lower.
You must also remove the retaining ring from the top of the slider.
Buy 2 rebuild kits (PN 49377-09A) from the dealer, they will probably have them in stock.
Replace the springs, even though they are low mileage those springs were weak to begin with, and they have been holding up the weight of the bike for 25 years.
While the forks are removed it is a good time to remove the steering stem and inspect/repack or replace the steering head bearings, they will probably be good, but the grease will have dried up over the years.
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Nov 30, 2024 at 12:12 PM.
Yes on rebuild kits, but are the new lower chrome plated, or just the same anodize units that will have the same problem again.
Don't know what kind of rush you are in to keep the bike from having down time, but can pull your lowers to send them out, to have them chrome plated a lot cheaper that is going to cost to buy new units.
And FYI, when you rebuild the forks, the larger washer 31, gets installed with its rounded edge side up, and flat side down against 43 (every seem to forget to tell you about such in every fork video rebuild on you tube). Also, don't forget that you will need a bushing/seal driver, that you can either buy, or make instead.
As for fork oil, go with 15w at factory amount shown in the manual,
And give the rear shocks a once over for any leaking (pull the rubber boot down to check the rod under it, and if not leaking, then just vacuum out the old shock oil, and replace it with 10w at 10.5oz per shock. The factory shock oil is 10 weight/rear shocks 7w, and has the dampening in the both too fast/soft, to cause a marshmallow ride in the straights, and pogo ride in the corners.
Maxima fork oils for both weights is fine.
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Replacing fork lowers
