'87 FLTC w/160k miles. Have one bad seal and figure with the mileage, best rebuild them completely. I really don't want to pull the tubes out of the tree. Yeah, I can get the seals on from the bottom, I've done it before on a rush job, didn't even pull the fender. It held up for 30 years.

My question is, do you guys usually replace the dampner wear rings (# 9 in photo) or just do bushings and seal, etc? I'll be using an OEM kit and will have all the parts.

 

"'87 FLTC w/160k miles. Have one bad seal and figure with the mileage, best rebuild them completely..."
I'm riding an '85 FXRS w/ 308,000 mi. I've rebuilt the forks a couple of times over the years. Most recently this past Summer. I'm trying to wrap my brain around how I would do it without removing each fork from the tree, but if you say you can do it...more power to you. To me.."rebuild completely" means just that. Replace everything and includes flushing all of the old oil and "sludg-ey" looking gunk out of the tubes and off of all the internal parts.
If'n you have all the parts...why would you put the old ones back in ??

 

why go to all that trouble and NOT change all the necessary wear parts. i would rather bench the forks than try and work around the frame. to each his own go around the block to the left or the right, still around the block!

 

Stayed up too late internet shopping for parts and watching videos I guess. Most kits didn't come with the mentioned dampner rings and none of the vids even showed removing them on the bench. (?) I found a thread in this section with a kit from MoCo (49377-09A) and cross-referencing the parts, it's correct and has those rings. Been bitten too many times with aftermarket repair items. Some are great, others leave you hanging and using old parts just to get it done.

More of matter of "working with what you got" and the design of this particular model bike as to why I don't want to drop the tubes. Replaced this exact seal 30 years ago. Back then I only had a break over stand that got it high enough to pull the axle, drop the wheel enough to remove the 2 fender bolts. That allowed me to drop the lower enough to R&R the seal, didn't even have a seal driver or pull the fender. Stacked the parts up the tube, held the lower up with a block, pushed (not hammer) the bushing, washer and seal in with a punch then pushed it all up to put the bottom bolt in. I honestly don't remember how I protected the seal going over the lower bushing but I did, and it's been good until yesterday so it can be done. So far as cleaning, to me it's just a matter of working with the tubes vertical rather than horizontal. It's air ride, so the springs aren't very long and the fork caps aren't hard to work. I replaced o-rings on them for an air leak about 12 years ago.

Thanks guys, I'll replace those dampner rings. If I get into this and decide to pull the tubes and/or I was an idiot for doing it with tubes in tree, I will be the first to admit it.
PS, I do have a jack/lift now

 

OK, I'm an idiot

I did replace that one seal on frame years ago as mentioned above. And I'm certain I've had the other side spring out, tubes in tree, while replacing all the air manifold washers. The left fork cap was loose to the point I had to hold it to get the banjo bolt loose. The tube had a bit of rust in the top where the o-ring sat. I pulled the spring, stuffed a rag and used a brake hone to clean it up and replaced the cap o-ring.

It was on the ground and apparently I removed the top tree to get the cap off because it can't come off any other way! Rebuilding the forks, it'd be foolish to go thru all that again, so I'm gonna do it by the book... just like y'all said.

I've got the complete kits and have a couple extra I bought for another bike years ago that I never used, so I'll probably do the "cheat" and replace the one that's leaking and pull the assemblies to do the proper rebuild this winter.