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1996 front end mod?

Started by fbn ent, April 08, 2021, 09:26:40 AM

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fbn ent

It is probably hear somewhere and I should already know the answer but....

A friend is going to rebuild his '96 Touring fork and I told him I would get the answer for him. Can he delete the air and only run oil or is there a lot more to it than that?  :nix:
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

calif phil

Did 1996 have the air forks? 

fbn ent

Well, he told me it is a '96 so I assume so.....I'm sure he knows it has air forks.
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

kd

If it has 2 air schrader valves mounted on the rt side at the saddlebag lid level it'll be air front too.  Only one is just rear shocks.
KD

Fugawee

A Buddy of mine had a 96' FLHTC.  He ran the Bike with the front shocks flat...0 PSI for quite awhile.  He liked it better.  After some time He eliminated the air assist, and put in an aftermarket front end spring kit in there.  Just capped off the air line going to the front.  Just for what it's worth...in case it may be an earlier year, 1994 for instance...the air valve for the front end is located in the end of the left grip; in case You or He is not aware.  If it has stock grips You will see it.  If the grips may have been replaced with something fancier, You wont see it; and the left grip end cap will need to be unscrewed by hand that secures to the air valve.

fbn ent

April 08, 2021, 03:03:18 PM #5 Last Edit: April 08, 2021, 03:12:50 PM by fbn ent
Thanks. So I guess not running the air isn't an issue at all. Haven't dealt with it at all because I jumped over the EVO years. Thanks again!
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

Hossamania

April 08, 2021, 03:26:08 PM #6 Last Edit: April 08, 2021, 03:30:29 PM by Hossamania
When you say he is rebuilding the forks, what does that mean? All new internals, springs, damping rod, ets.? Or just new seals and oil?
If he wants to eliminate the air, there are very good aftermarket options to make it handle better. Even new stock springs will help.
If just doing a service, or installing new oem springs, keep the air. He can run it at 0 psi, but should experiment with different pressures to try and find a sweet spot.
If the government gives you everything you want,
it can take away everything you have.

smoserx1

April 08, 2021, 03:27:36 PM #7 Last Edit: April 08, 2021, 03:35:37 PM by smoserx1
Just got done redoing mine on my 99.  The air forks were used from 1984 until 2001.  The difference is the cap bolt at the very top of the fork.  The 84-01 models use 45839-84, which has a  threaded hole for the air fitting.  Before 84 AND AFTER 01 the bolt is 45419-80 which has no air fitting hole.  The part these bolts thread into is the fork tube plug 45838-77 and this is the same for all the years.  So you would think you could just replace 45839-84 with 45419-80, but there might be another catch.  All the illustrations I have seen show 45839-84 as having much longer thread length than 45419-80.  It has to reach far enough down to engage the threads in the plug.  As mentioned earlier the forks will run fine with no air.  They ran fine prior to 84 and again after 01 with none.  The air fittings also make it super easy to change fork oil with a mity vac or similar pump.  I'd leave them alone and just run them airless if he does not like using air in them.  Hope this helps.

Fugawee

I have a 1994 FLHTC with front/rear air suspension, and a 2003 FLHTCUI with rear only air shocks.  I have played around with both Bikes air shock pressures over the years.  I have run them all flat, maxed out, and everywhere in between; just to see what they were all about.  It never caused any problems, but I also was never replacing anything.  Neither Bike has even needed a seal, or anything replaced.  I relocated the air valve on the 94' to the inner fairing because the grips were shot, and the selection for replacements was limited to pretty much stock, because of that valve. 

fbn ent

Thanks guys! Hoss.....Seals, springs (Progressives), and probably bushings just because. I guess it's all good.
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

Hossamania

The Progressives will probably eliminate the need for air, but I would still leave the fittings and lines.
I actually run a 2" lowering kit in the front end of my '01 RK with Progressive springs (if I remember right, 20 years ago), and use the air too. 7 to 10 psi seems about best. 15 is too stiff, 0 wallows and bottoms a little too much.
If the government gives you everything you want,
it can take away everything you have.

Fugawee

Your Welcome.  I hope that it works out, and He gets the ride that He may be looking for.  I would also leave the air system intact, meaning available...just in case; or for the possible resale correctness.

hbkeith

Progressive mono tubes  and eliminate air

fbn ent

Yeah, I have Mono Tubes in my '02 (like them) and a spare set just in case (from when I got them Wholesale) but they would be too pricey for him.
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

kd

So is this buddy going to do this mod himself and then call you in to do it cuzz he doesn't know what he did wrong?  I am sure you know how that works.   :crook:   :hyst:
KD

fbn ent

Nope LOL! I told him to strip it down to the tubes and then I will be able to help him with it. He's been after me to do it for him for a year but I'm not going there any more. I'll check out Fort Nine and tell him what parts he should need the buying part is up to him....One good thing is he always has a lot of barley sandwiches around... :beer: :beer: :beer: :up:
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

Fugawee

Ha! Barley Sandwiches.  My Dad had an Uncle right off the boat from Ireland.  And He liked His beers.  What a shock right?  When He would come by for a visit, He would knock back quite a few.  When it was time to eat, He would always say He wasn't hungry.  He would say with the brogue to Me, or My Brothers, or Sister..."Read the damn label!  There's a meal in every one of these".

kd

April 09, 2021, 03:22:21 PM #17 Last Edit: April 09, 2021, 04:30:15 PM by kd
FBN comes by it in earnest.  I used to drink Calgary Export.  It was Export Ale in Ontario and Export Lager west of the Ontario border.  Their ad song was  "Have a good ol barley sandwich".  Four of us used to rent a garage where we built bikes (and partied  :wink: ).  We kept a log on the wall of our monthly consumption at $.50 per bottle into the kitty. We averaged between 55 and 65 cases of 24 per month.  That was before and after our bar visits.  That bar was called the Checkerboard lounge and we had daily "board meetings" there after work and weekends.

KD

Fugawee

That's Great.  Nothing like social drinking.  I like that ad song for the beer.  :up:  :beer:

SixShooter14

haha, I like a good Porter or Stout. I always tell my buddies "I like a beer I can chew"
'97 Road King, Rinehart True Dual, HSR42, 10:1, EVL3010, 2000i

Flhfxd

 I did this to my 94 EG Classic. The original handlebars were the air reservoir as they were sealed and had a schrader valve at the end. I replaced the handlebars with aftermarkets that were way more comfortable, removed the anti dive solenoid and the air plumbing, filled the residual holes with hardware, dropped in Progressive springs and it's been perfect ever since. The original set up wasn't anything special. I still have the parts if anyone needs them.
Cheers, Flhfxd
"And the road goes on forever...... But I got one more silver dollar.....'

smoserx1

April 15, 2021, 12:03:24 PM #21 Last Edit: April 15, 2021, 12:15:24 PM by smoserx1
The bolt with the shorter shank is for the airless forks.  It does not look like it is long enough, but the threads of the 2 cap bolts must be the same because the fork tube plug they screw into is the same part number for both air and airless forks.