Chrome fork sliders
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 119
Likes: 1
From: Southern California
Those videos say to use a piece of 2" Sch. 40 PVC, which I found to be way too big for the Slim. I went with a 2' piece of 1 1/2" instead, and just split it down one side. it slipped right on after that.
And I just used the old steel seal spacer on top of the new seal to help protect it, and it also helped drive the new seal in nice and straight.
And I just used the old steel seal spacer on top of the new seal to help protect it, and it also helped drive the new seal in nice and straight.
Splitting the side of the 1 1/2 is a great idea! Just run your grinder up the side.
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,242
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From: Farmingdale, New York
Found mine at Lowe's... as a single.
But with the ball end, which I just cut off.
And save some time and just buy the "Fork Rebuild Kits" at the dealer [p/n 49377-09A] - contains all necessary seals, bushings, snap rings, and even new damper bolts and washers.
But for some strange reason, it doesn't included new drain plug screws and washers [p/n 45858-77], which you'll need to replace too. They were only a couple bucks more.
..and don't forget [2] pints of the Type E fork oil, and some anti-seize for the axle...
But with the ball end, which I just cut off.
And save some time and just buy the "Fork Rebuild Kits" at the dealer [p/n 49377-09A] - contains all necessary seals, bushings, snap rings, and even new damper bolts and washers.
But for some strange reason, it doesn't included new drain plug screws and washers [p/n 45858-77], which you'll need to replace too. They were only a couple bucks more.
..and don't forget [2] pints of the Type E fork oil, and some anti-seize for the axle...
How long does the 6mm have to be(as in how deep into the fork bottom does it have to go?)
Supporter
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,912
Likes: 73
From: Pittsburgh, PA
And I only needed the extra reach for the left side slider.
The one I found at Lowe's (6" length) was Kobalt # 338170 for around $7.
Hell, I even had an impact gun sitting at the ready since I've been reading how hard those damper bolts were to get out.
I never needed it - mine both cracked loose with just moderate effort. I was expecting a battle.
Of course, my bike only having 500 miles on it at the time may have had something to do with it.
And like those videos show, all I had to do was drop the spring back in when it came time to reassemble and tighten the damper bolts.
Just a little pressure on the spring was all it took for the bolts to stop spinning and tighten right up.
Last edited by jam436; Feb 12, 2013 at 04:49 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 1
From: Farmingdale, New York
On my Slim, about 3" or so.
And I only needed the extra reach for the left side slider.
The one I found at Lowe's (6" length) was Kobalt # 338170 for around $7.
And I only needed the extra reach for the left side slider.
The one I found at Lowe's (6" length) was Kobalt # 338170 for around $7.
Thanks for posting a pic of it. I have one around 4" I think I'll go get one from Lowes to be safe, I am gonna use an electric impact gun for the removal(read its easier) I'll look for one for an impact gun....... Thanks again Man, that was cool of you...............
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,912
Likes: 73
From: Pittsburgh, PA
All you need is that initial jolt to crack them loose - probably due to the mating of dissimilar metals - steel screw, with a copper washer in an aluminum casting.
Same thing with the drain screws - their final torque is only about 70 INCH-lbs, and they gave me a harder time than the damper bolts did.
I ended up using a #2 philips bit in a socket with the impact gun to jar those loose.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: southeastern, ma
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,912
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
A couple more assembly tips:
Once you've reassembled the tubes it's time to add the oil before you cap them off.
The manual says you can measure the oil one of two ways; either by measuring ounces or by measuring the distance between the oil level and the top of the tube.
I opted for the latter. I just used a 6" long, thin screwdriver and marked it to the proper level. Then it was just a simple latter of setting the handle on top of the tube and checking the level.
On my Slim that measurement was 4.4" - and this is with the spring removed and the fork fully compressed. (page 2-58 in my 2013 Softail manual).
Once that's done you can drop in the springs and install the fork tube plug - this was supposed to be one of the harder steps, but I had no trouble at all.
Two people will make this a LOT easier...
I had my son hold the assembly upright (setting on the floor with plenty of cardboard and rags to protect the finish). He pulled the fork tube up as far as it would go, leaving only about 2" of the spring exposed. While he did that, I put a 10" crescent onto the fork plug, and while holding the wrench at about 12 o'clock (away from me) I carefully compressed the plug into the fork, and gave it a half turn to start it. Both plugs went right in without issue.
Just remember to NOT turn the assembly over again, since the new oil will pour out of the hole in the fork tube plug...
Hope this helps.
Once you've reassembled the tubes it's time to add the oil before you cap them off.
The manual says you can measure the oil one of two ways; either by measuring ounces or by measuring the distance between the oil level and the top of the tube.
I opted for the latter. I just used a 6" long, thin screwdriver and marked it to the proper level. Then it was just a simple latter of setting the handle on top of the tube and checking the level.
On my Slim that measurement was 4.4" - and this is with the spring removed and the fork fully compressed. (page 2-58 in my 2013 Softail manual).
Once that's done you can drop in the springs and install the fork tube plug - this was supposed to be one of the harder steps, but I had no trouble at all.
Two people will make this a LOT easier...
I had my son hold the assembly upright (setting on the floor with plenty of cardboard and rags to protect the finish). He pulled the fork tube up as far as it would go, leaving only about 2" of the spring exposed. While he did that, I put a 10" crescent onto the fork plug, and while holding the wrench at about 12 o'clock (away from me) I carefully compressed the plug into the fork, and gave it a half turn to start it. Both plugs went right in without issue.
Just remember to NOT turn the assembly over again, since the new oil will pour out of the hole in the fork tube plug...
Hope this helps.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Allentown, PA
I would just like to add one little note about the bell head allen drivers as shown above. I also only have a shorter set, so I bought that same 6" long 6mm ball head hex bit from lowes. The problem is the bolt heads are very shallow for a hex head. The ball of the bit does not get all the way inside the head of the bolt and makes it very susceptible to stripping. I cut off the ball end of the ball head bit so that there would be 100% positive contact inside the bolt head. Also required grinding the edges of all six sides down a bit after cutting the end off.
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