Progressive front drop in lowering kit
#11
01-09-2011 | 06:11 PM
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From: Danbury CT
Ok, I'll tell you my experience with the drop in kit and the spacer length. I bought the kit for my 2003 Fatboy. Called progessive two times. I was told by the first tech that the spacer length listed in the instructions would drop the front 2". The second tech told me 1". Installed the kit and got a little less than 1" drop. I would install the spcers cut to the length it says in the instructions and go from there. You can always make new spacers out of schedule 40 3/4" pvc pipe if you need to.
ff, I think you were right on the money. Progressive has no clue.
#12
01-09-2011 | 07:51 PM
OK, job is done. 2.5 hours from start to cleanup & it was pretty easy. Only problem I had was getting the left fork plug off. I put the fork back into the lower tree only about 1", tightened the pinch bolt to hold it & was able to break the cap loose. So after using the 4.5" spacer that the FXST calls for I got a 3/4" drop at most. I took the measurement with the bike on the jiffy & I measured the space between the boot cap & the bottom of the tree. Not even 3/4" from the pre measurement. I also measured the frame at the rear & front before & after & the front is about 5/8" lower. Now it is cold & I can't take it out as the streets are full of snow but I pushed it around the garage & bounced the heck out of the front end to see if it would settle. No difference. I'm just going to wait until spring and maybe take it apart & trim the spacer. Maybe riding it & warmer temps will drop it some. As it stands the frame is about .5" higher in the front then the rear. I was hoping to get it even or a tad lower so I could drop the rear if needed as I have the rear lowering kit already installed. There is no way that the specified spacer lowers the bike 2" as progressive techs say, at least not on my bike. The front end does feel firmer though. Riding it will tell. C'mon spring.
#13
01-09-2011 | 07:58 PM
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How much do you want to drop it?
#15
01-09-2011 | 09:10 PM
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I would cut it to 3.75" & that may not even do it. Doing it twice sucks. I wish I had a Dyna! LOL
Last edited by golfblues; 01-10-2011 at 09:44 AM.
#16
01-10-2011 | 02:34 PM
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I changed the spacers 3 times before it was to my liking. I have a fatboy which as you probably know has the FL style forks. They are a pain to get to the fork plugs because you have to move the top triple tree out of the way. Much easier to change on an fFX softail.
#17
01-10-2011 | 02:51 PM
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Well I'm going to just drop the forks tonight as a unit. I'll slide them down out of the upper tree & support the tire from going any further than needed. Then I'll take the plugs out, remove the 4.5" spacers & drop in 4" spacers, slide it back up & tighten everything up & I should be where I want it to be. This way all I have to do is take off the caliper, top bolt caps & loosen the pinch bolts. Hopefully It should take about 45 minutes.
#19
01-10-2011 | 07:48 PM
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From: Danbury CT
I put in new spacers tonight at 3 7/8" & now have a 1.25" drop from stock which is what I wanted to begin with. It was a 30 minute job by just removing the caliper & dropping the forks to the lower tree, tightening the pinch bolts to get the caps off & getting the assembly back up which I called my son in to help. Much easier to do it this way on the this front end. The extra hands made it much easier to lift it back up. I would have done it this way from the beginning if I knew to. The spacer/spring assembly did not extend past the top of the fork as shown by Progressive. It was about 1/2" from the top. The job is done but with another foot of snow coming it looks like I won't test her until spring.
Last edited by golfblues; 01-10-2011 at 07:57 PM.
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