Repair And Fix it

Never lower the front end of any motorcycle without also lowering the rear of that motorcycle the same amount. Because of elements of frame geometry called "rake" and "trail" it is possible to safely lower just the rear end of a motorcycle, but lowering only the front end can make the bike dangerously unstable. Lowering a motorcycle also decreases the bikes ground clearance. Nevertheless, it remains a popular modification. Progressive Suspension sells a fork lowering kit that includes all the parts you will need. Harley sells a kit that includes everything except a couple of seals.

Instructions

Fork Disassembly

1

Remove the windshield from the Softail Heritage using the quick detach mechanism.

2

Raise the bike on a motorcycle jack until the front tire is off the floor and the forks are fully extended.

3

Remove the front brake caliper with a hex socket and a socket wrench. Support the caliper with a bungee cord attached to the caliper and the handlebars.

4

Remove the axle nut, lock washer and washer with a socket wrench and hex socket. Pull the axle free from the wheel. Remove the front wheel from the forks.

5

Remove the 4 front fender mounting screws and nuts with an Allen wrench and a hex socket and a socket wrench. Remove the front fender.

6

Remove both slider tube caps with a large adjustable wrench. Remove the slider tube cap washers and seals from both forks.

7

Remove the clamp bolts from both sides of the fork tube bracket with an Allen socket and socket wrench. Pull the forks from the bracket.

8

Remove the fork tube plugs and O-rings from both slider tubes using a large adjustable wrench. Pull the fork springs from both slider tubes.

9

Remove the drain screw and washer from one fork slider at a time with a Phillips head screwdriver. Drain the fork oil from one fork at a time into a drain pan.

Fork Reassembly

10

Reinstall the drain screws and washers into both fork sliders. Refill the forks with the type and quantity of fork oil specified in the owners manual for your year Heritage Softail.

11

Insert the new springs from the fork lowering kit into each slider tube with the more tightly wound portion of the spring on the bottom.

12

Replace the fork tube plugs and O-rings into both slider tubes and tighten securely with a large adjustable wrench. Ensure that one flat on each fork tube plug faces toward the inside of the fork.

13

Insert both fork slider assemblies up through the slider covers, the fork stem and bracket, and the upper fork bracket.

14

Install 2 new fork cap oil seals and the old spacers and slider tube caps onto the tops of the slider tubes with a large adjustable wrench.

15

Reinstall the clamp bots into both sides of the fork tube bracket and tighten with an Allen socket and torque wrench to 35 foot pounds of torque.

16

Replace the front fender. Replace the 4 front fender mounting screws and nuts with an Allen wrench and a hex socket and socket wrench.

Jiffy Stand

17

Retract the jiffy stand installed on the bike to the "up" position. Unhook the jiffy stand spring from the frame. Remove the jiffy stand bolt, washer, lock washer and leg stop from the threaded end of the jiffy stand with a hex socket and socket wrench.

18

Discard the old jiffy stand. Retain all hardware and other components.

19

Assemble the new jiffy stand leg assembly from the kit to the mounting bracket on the motorcycle. Open the jiffy stand to the "down" position.

20

Position the jiffy stand leg over the square end of the jiffy stand assembly. Ensure the "down side" text on the leg is facing down and that the longer side of the leg faces the rear of the bike.

21

Reinstall the flat washer, lock washer and bolt you removed with a socket wrench and hex socket.

22

Reattach the jiffy stand leg spring. Install the rubber from the kit into the hole on the raised tip of the jiffy stand leg. Extend and retract the jiffy stand leg several times to verify proper operation.

Final Reassembly

23

Put your foot under forks. Roll the front laced wheel into the forks atop your foot. Lift your foot.

24

Replace the axle. Replace the axle nut, lock washer and washer. Tighten the axle nut to 55 foot pounds of torque with a hex socket and torque wrench.

25

Replace the front brake caliper. Tighten the brake caliper mounting bolts to 38 pounds of torque with a hex socket and a torque wrench.

26

Lower the motorcycle jack and remove. Replace the front windshield.

There are two types of gear lube to use in your Chevrolet, conventional lube and synthetic lube. Synthetic lube is more expensive than conventional oil but it improves fuel mileage. Gear lube may need to be changed if it becomes contaminated by metal debris. The technical name for a vehicles "rear end" is the rear differential. The rear-end grease, which is extremely thick, is called gear lube.

Instructions

1

Raise the Chevrolets wheels off the ground. Spot two blocks, one behind each rear wheel, to prevent the vehicle from rolling.

2

Place a floor jack under the center of the front cross member. Lift the front of the Chevy off the ground. Insert two jack stands, one under each side of the frame close to the wheels. Lower the jack.

3

Position the floor jack under the center of the rear differential. Lift the rear of the car off the ground. Set two jack stands, one under each axle tube. Lower the jack.

4

Place a ground mat or a piece of cardboard under the vehicle. Position the oil pan under the center of the rear differential. Locate the bottom drain plug. Insert a 1/2-inch breaker bar into the plug socket and remove it. Some rear differentials must be drained by removing the cover. Remove the bolts in the cover and drain the oil.

5

Replace the gear lube. Reinstall the drain plug in the bottom of the differential and tighten it. If you drained the oil, replace the cover and install a new gasket if needed.

6

Locate and remove the level plug. Its found near the horizontal line of the rear differential.

7

Refill the gear lube through the level hole. Fill until oil runs out of the hole. Use the manufacturers recommended oil.

8

Replace and tighten the level fill plug.

9

Position the jack under the center of the rear differential. Jack the vehicle off the stands and place it on the ground.

The 2010 Ford F-250 two-wheel drive is available in several trims with different cab sizes and bed lengths. All trims were referred to as "Super Duty" trucks, as Ford phased out the standard F-250 in 1999. All trims come with a 5.4-liter, 300-horsepower V-8 engine. With the exception of the caster angle on those trims with HD Suspension, the alignment specs are the same for all trims. Alignment specs for a given model of vehicle tend to vary from year to year. It is extremely important to check the trucks model year and suspension type before attempting to make any adjustments to the alignment. The rear alignment is not adjustable on any trim of the 2010 Ford F250 two-wheel drive.

Caster

The caster angle is the forward or rearward slope of the vehicles steering axis, with the steering axis being an imaginary line drawn through the upper and lower ball joints of a wheels knuckles. The measure of the angle is based on a vertical line from the ground straight through the center of the wheel. If the top of caster slope passes on the rear of the vertical line, toward the rear of the vehicle, then the wheel has a positive caster. If the top of the caster slope passes on the front of the vertical line, toward the front bumper of the vehicle, then the wheel has a negative caster. The ideal caster angle for the 2010 Ford F-250 two-wheel drive is +3.6 degrees for trims with HD Suspension and +4.0 degrees for all other trims. The caster can range by 1.2 degrees in either direction on all trims, with a cross tolerance of 0.75 degrees.

Camber

The camber is the inward or outward tilt of a wheel when viewed from the front of a vehicle. If the top of a wheel tilts out, away from the center of the vehicle, then the wheel has a positive camber. If the top of the wheel tilts in, toward the center of the vehicle, then the wheel has a positive camber. The ideal camber angle for the 2010 Ford F-250 two-wheel drive is +0.62 degrees but it can range by 0.75 degrees in either direction, with a cross tolerance of 0.75 degrees.

Toe-in

The toe is the difference in the space between the fronts of the two front wheels and the rears of the two front wheels. If the fronts of the wheels are closer to each other than the rears are, then the wheels have toe-in. If the fronts of the wheels are farther apart than the rears are, then the wheels have toe-out. The toe-in for the 2010 Ford F-250 two-wheel drive should be set at +0.1 degrees but it can range by 0.25 degrees in either direction.