Doing an air ride system and looking into the drop in kit for the forks. Wonder if anyone can give some feed back on if the drop in kit is an improvement in ride quality. Don't want to improve the rear suspension and worsen the front for the sake of a 1-2".

(edited to add questions) -Does the amount of fork fluid required change when doing this ? Don't see that you can check the level so if it does. how do you know how much?

 

I have the progressive kit up front and it rides great. Also using Screamen Eagle heavy oil. They took away that mushy cadilac feeling up front. No bottom outs either.

 

I have the same and it works great. you shouldn't have a problem with the drop-ins

 

I'm looking at ordering the "drop in" kit for my Train.
Did you guys install your own? Was it as easy as the video http://www.progressivesuspension.com/dropin/index.html

S/F
Freefall

 

Freefall-

Can't answer your question but curious to know as well. Of course I also wonder how much more work there is an a softail that has a a head light panel and panel brackets. (Do you have to remove all this and headlight )

Reading the posts on the subject, I get the impression that there is an older kit and newer kit and the newer is easier. I don't know if that is the case or my misunderstanding. Also don't know what the difference could possibly be to make one an easier install than the other. Application for my bike on the Progressive site shows part number 10-2003 and describes the dropin kit as new. Just don't know how new that is

 

You remove the fluid that is in there and measure the right amount of fluid to put back in. I seem to remember it is the same amount of fluid as stock... if not, I'm sure the instructions has that info.

 

I have the "old" kit in my bike and with either you use the factory reccommended amount of fork oil. In my bike it was 12 oz and I changed to the SE heavy when I installed the kit.

The difference with the "Drop In" vs the original is the "Drop In" Kit is a combination of 2 or 3 springs and a spacer that create sag in the forks to lower the bike . If you lift a bike on a jack that has the drop in kit the forks will extend to their original lenght. With the "Old" kit as with the Ness and White Bros kits the forks are shortened to lower the bike by adding springs (1" or 2 ") at the damper to stop them from fully extending, so to install these kits you need to remove your lower fork legs. If you jack up a bike with the original "old" style kit the forks will not extend to the full original lenght.

I like the original "Old" kit because you pick the amount of drop and install the spring spacer and its done, with the drop in kit it sometimes takes a few tries to get the preload correct to create the amount of drop that you want.

 

On the Deluxe, at least, the install isn't as simple as the video on their site, but still wasn't hard. You have to lower the forks in the trees to be able to change the springs. It added a little more time to the job, but not much.

The ride was kind of soft with stock oil, but after switching to heavy fork oil it brought the ride back to about stock, imo. Not too firm, and not too soft. Kind of vague, but it's a subjective comparison.

 

Good info. My mechanic was telling me the same thing.
Not quite as easy as the Dyna in the video.

S/F
Freefall

 

Looking at the service manual and can't seem to see what you mean. What prevents the springs from being able to be accessed (like in the progressive video for the dyna) when the slider tube cap bolts are taken off?