Fork oil dripping down lower
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,086
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From:
as mention by others check for steering head grease that has melted and is in cup area of triple tree..The grease from steering head drips when overfilled especially in summer heat after a ride when bike is parked and placed on side stand (left side). This leaves a drip line on left fork and then splatters back on primary when you ride.
Did you or someone just fill the neck with grease?
Usually requires multiple wipe-ups of triple tree with paper towel to remove grease. Becomes a once a week cleaning ritual until the excess grease no longer exits.
Did you or someone just fill the neck with grease?
Usually requires multiple wipe-ups of triple tree with paper towel to remove grease. Becomes a once a week cleaning ritual until the excess grease no longer exits.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 102
From: Central Illinois
I'm fairly certain that is a 41mm fork. I just lowered my front end with the H-D lowering kit and this is the tool I used to drive in the seals. Its an exact duplicate of the factory H-D tool shown in the manual. This tool works fantastic: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&vxp=mtr&item=150879008816
I used Screamin Eagle Heavy fork oil and with the heavier springs in the lowering kit, the front end is more stiffer, and better handling in my opinion. However, with the H-D lowering kit it is a real bitch trying to get the top tube cap screwed in without using a press. The spring pressure is pretty massive. I used a fork clamp (that I made) attached to the tube and used that as a mount to set into a hydraulic press, then pressed down on the fork cap with the ram to get it into the threads, then turned it in with a wrench. Any other way you can screw something up or even get hurt.
I used Screamin Eagle Heavy fork oil and with the heavier springs in the lowering kit, the front end is more stiffer, and better handling in my opinion. However, with the H-D lowering kit it is a real bitch trying to get the top tube cap screwed in without using a press. The spring pressure is pretty massive. I used a fork clamp (that I made) attached to the tube and used that as a mount to set into a hydraulic press, then pressed down on the fork cap with the ram to get it into the threads, then turned it in with a wrench. Any other way you can screw something up or even get hurt.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,602
Likes: 3
From: Southeastern Michigan
A seal and bushing job is pretty simple with basic tools. Get the manual.
Use a piece of PVC as a seal driver.
If the rear is already lowered, lowering the front will give you tighter steering geometry and it'll handle different then what you're used to. Although it'll handle the way it's supposed to.
BTW That oil on the tire or brakes can spell disaster if it's excessive.
Last edited by Scorpion07; Sep 11, 2012 at 08:21 AM.
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 55
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From: AR
Thanks guys, I appreciate all the help. I’ll be more specific in this post for the guys that don’t read through the whole thread before posting. A few weeks ago the lower fork cap (axle strap) fell off while I was riding. Gratefully I made it home and had started another project with the bike and noticed what happened before riding it again. I went by my indy and picked up a new cap…it wouldn’t fit I took pictures and went back up and picked up another lower cap, it fit. The first one was for a 41mm the second was for a 39mm. While the bike was parked in the same spot for a couple weeks I noticed fork oil that was running down the left fork tube and was leaving a spot on the floor. I wiped it up and rode the bike a couple days and noticed fork oil was getting slung over my primary from it dripping out. It’s running from under the cow bell, nothing has been done to the forks recently, the bike has been in a front end wreak before I got it so there is no telling what has really been done to the bike. I just wanted to rebuild the fork seals to stop the leaking, then figured if I was going to have them apart I would go ahead and put progressive drop-in lowering springs in. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to mess the bike up if I rode it while I’m waiting on parts to come in, then I wanted to check in here and see what I needed to do to make sure I order the right rebuild kit and lowering springs (either 41mm or 39mm). I don’t have oil dripping on the brakes or tire and the cap falling off had nothing to do with the oil starting to leak…..my radio has started working sporadically too but the fork cap didn’t cause that either…I also understand why people don’t like to lower motorcycles, I always lower, raise, or mod any vehicle I buy whether it’s a car, truck, boat, atv or bike. I enjoy customizing vehicles sometimes I regret the changes I make and change it back it’s just something I enjoy doing. This being my first Harley and not ever keeping up with what changes have been made through the years, this has been and continues to be a learning experience. It seems as though it’s fairly simple to work on but I don’t like to chase the right parts around, I like to order on-line a lot and hate to order the wrong part and worry with returns. So sometimes I’ll ask questions just to confirm what I need so I don’t order the wrong part, I hope it might help someone else down the rode that’s just starting out too.
Last edited by 1fast99; Sep 11, 2012 at 09:49 AM.
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