60 pan front spring/fork tube length

[craig60pan]

I started to rebuild the fronk forks on my 60 pan and when I opened them up the springs had a spacer on the end of them. The springs measure 20 inches and the fork tubes 22 1/2. One must be the wrong size, any idea which one? It should be a stock length front end
CJ

[fourthgear]

craig.
There was a post on this subject in the other forum, it was a way back so you might have to look back a bit , I seem to remember that with new springs you don't need the spacers or something like that. I don't have them in mine, some one will post a answer with a better memory than mine. I think your stock tubes should be 20 1/2 " in length Thats what I rebuilt mine with ( 49-76 , 20" tubes in V-twin catalog and in JP cycle it says they take 20 1/2 " , Jireh cycles where I bought mine from says 20 1/2 " tubes also)good luck.

[craig60pan]

Thanks for the reply
If I go with 20 1/2 in tubes then the springs look right
The spacers are about 2 inches.
CJ

[Skip]

Just rebuilt mine this winter...my tubes were 20 1/4 and springs were 20...spacers are there for the stiffining purpose, different lenghts for different rides...I went to 23 3/4, which helps with the pipe drag, new springs were still 20 inches...I believe you need to have some sort of spacer in there...you may want to check your manual

[VintageTwin]

You don't need the spacers in there. rebuild the stock fork tubes like the illustration in the '58-68 Spare Parts book. You won't need any shim stock in there either. Rebuild them from a V-Twin kit. Felt and solid washer at the top of the slider or use the later style (no felts, different seals) that come in a Gary Bang kit (in the V-Twin, or J&P catalog). Make sure your fork caps have the baffle stack. I think that's the reason peoples forks slammed. No baffles.
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It's hard to believe how the word "REPOP" has spread around. I invented that phrase (but not the internet).
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[fourthgear]

I used the upgrade seal kit in my hyd. , it consisted of the newer double lip seals at the top and rubbery bottom gaskets where the paper ones go, I have five hundred miles and no leaks and they work great.

[craig60pan]

As usual, lots of great info.
All the parts are there so by going with the 20 1/2 in tubes and no spacers, things should fit the way the parts manual says.
I had looked at the new seal kit but was not sure until I read the response from fourth gear. Thanks
CJ

[VintageTwin]

Rubbery seals where the paper ones used to go? Very good. Better than paper. Occasionally the bottom floor of a slider is bored-out with the floor of the slider being too low. Makes the threaded stem of the damper stick too far out on the exteriro side of the "fixed position" knurled (slotted) washer. A slider would leak fork oil because of it. I had to stack four paper washers between the lower damper bushing and slider floor to compensate, which lifted the threaded stem up. so that the damper nut and washer would always be pulling the stud down, but not allowing the nut bottom-out on the last thread of the stud, which would then leave an air (leak) gap. Good move by somone. Paper was always scary.

[VPH-D]

The 49-76 fork tubes are 20 1/2" long. New fork springs are 19 7/8" long.
Worn springs are not a real lot shorter than new ones. I have measured several sets of worn ones and they were within 1/2" of new ones. The springs were still available from H-D last Spring. If you plan on keeping the bike, I would see if new springs are still available, and get them.
VPH-D

[panz4ever]

Hey fourtgear, where did you get the double lip top seals and rubbery bottom gaskets?

[fourthgear]

I got the kit from JP Cycles , Part #2300354 upgrade kit, it was 12.99 and now looking at the discription it has tripple -lip fork seals. I got bottom washers with the new damper assems. ,but when I saw the ones in the kit , I had to use them insted of the paper ones that came with the dampers. If ya got a JP cat. look under Fork hardware,fork seal kits 1949-84 , it reads upgrade kit fits 1949-E77 FL,FLH ; includes tripple-lip fork seals...................

[VintageTwin]

http://www.jpcycles.com/ProductDetail.a ... 54&cs=All/