About a week ago I installed the Harley front lowering kit (54628-06) on my 2007 FLHT. Before I ordered it I read the installation instructions and it seemed pretty straight forward. I did purchase a seal driver, exactly like the one in the instructions, from Ebay for about 40 bucks. I could not find a fork tube holder like in the instructions so I made one from steel stock and rubber strips from the hardware store. Didn't bother with the handy dandy fluid level measure, just used a measured length rod.

Anyway, the removal of the fork, I did one side at a time, was no problem, as was disassembly. Cleaned everything up, put it partially back together, filled the fluid, pumped the fork tube to get the air out, put in the spring and attempted to put the fork tube cap back on. The instructions stated to push down against the spring pressure and screw the cap back on. I then found out there is almost no humanly way possible for a person to push that much heavier spring down AND turn that cap back in. Just isn't going to happen. I had the fork clamp on the tube and clamped into my vice, like in the instructions. I had my wife try to turn in the cap with a 21mm wrench while I kneeled from on top of the bench and pushed that cap down as hard as I could but it wouldn't bite, even after 45 minutes of trying.

I was getting worried I wouldn't get this thing back together when it finally hit me, I just needed to use a press to push that cap down to contact the threads in the tube so I could turn the cap down. I got a hold of my landlord across the street the next day and we used his arbor press to press down the cap and got the cap started. What a relief! Did the next one later that day and got it all back together finally. I left the homemade fork clamp on the tube to use as support when setting the fork tube in the holder of the press.

I wanted to tell this story in case anyone else is contemplating this kit. If you have the right tools and equipment its easy, if you don't it's not worth trying to do it. The seal driver I bought worked great and drove the seals in perfect. If you try to do it any other way you will screw up that seal for sure. The fork clamp is also a necessity, as I found out.

 

I guess being fat helps when wrassling that cap back on..

I can lean on it and get it going.

with most fasteners, rotate COUNTER-clockwise, until you feel or hear a "click".

this means that the threads are now lined up ....and if you turn clockwise, they will immediately engage.

mike

 

double post...not my fault this time
mike

 

I had my son hold mine vertical on the ground and I leaned my 180 skinny *** into it and got it. Unfortunately I had to do this 3 different times. Installed the HD kit.....HATED it. It rode like **** and was noisy. It banged and squeaked and just made noise a front end shouldnt make. Pulled it out and did the Progressive Drop-In kit then realized the bike wasn't level with me on it, so I pulled it apart yet again and leveled it out. Complete PITA but I'm good now!!

 

When I lowered the wife's '07 I had a friend push it down and I treaded it in. Way too hard to do yourself.