Upgrading Harley’s 39mm Front End, Pt 1
- We will be starting off with a set of triple trees designed and manufactured by Chassis Design Company.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- The handlebars and brakes have already been removed, so we will start by removing the front wheel.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- To start, remove the bolts that hold the front fender to the fork legs and proceed to remove the front wheel and axle.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- Loosen and remove the triple tree bolts.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- Once the fork tubes are free and put in a secure location, remove the triple tree pinch bolt and stem bolt. At this point, the lower triple tree will fall downward and you can remove it from the chassis.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- Since we are using new triple trees, we will need to use new neck bearings and races. To remove the old races from the frame, we will be using the Jims neck race remover tool (part No. DS-196005).
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- Install the race removing cups and insert the spreader tool to secure the raised edges of the tool onto the inner lip of the race inside the neck area.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- With a hammer, pound on the handle of the collet holder with a hammer or mallet. Flip the tool over to the other side and repeat the process to remove the opposite race.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- To install the new neck races, we use a Jims neck bearing race installer specialty tool (part No. DS-198625).
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
- Place the tool with the neck races through the neck and tighten the 7/8-inch nut until the races are snug in their position to install.
Words and Photos: Jeff Leighton
The stock production 39mm front ends on Dynas, FXRs, and Sportys need a little help if you want to get some better performance out of them. Hell, even changing the weight of the oil used internally can help with getting them to react better on the road. Luckily for us (and you) there are a ton of performance goodies on the market, and taking advantage of some such items will make your Harley ride much better and look good while doing so. We are building a stiffer and better 39mm front end with the help of a set of Chassis Design Company triple trees, Gold Valve emulators and a spring kit from Race Tech, a set of The Speed Merchant’s preload adjusters, and some oil from Bel-Ray. We will be putting it all together with the right tools for the job thanks to Jims USA and its line of specialty tools. Here’s part one of how we did it.
Sources
