Shocks

[Robert Luland]

Well here’s the next quest. I’ve taken the 58-? shocks apart. The cartridges are shot do to seal going with age. I’ve been all over the place looking for replacements. From V-Twin to Progressive! I can’t believe with the demand for this item nobody makes an aftermarket cartridge for early BT shocks. The way Monroe sealed these babies up. I can’t figure out if there’s any way to take them apart. Anyone got an answer for this one. Bob L

[bmh]

I wanted to rebuild a set a few years ago and ran into trhe same thing. Wound up buying complete shocks and replacing them that way. Found a set of old stock CCI shocks at a local shop. Guy was happy to find some one to buy them and gave me a good deal. Think the warranty card mentioned Gabriel as the manufacturer. Didn't think of it then, but a visit to your local Munroe dealer could be worth a shot.

[Tom Wilcock]

shocks

Back in the late 60's I was looking for some for my 1962 FL. I thought I could buy them cheaper at the Toronto Gabriel factory than at the Harley dealer. They had them there but they could not sell me any. All their production of those particular shocks had to go to Harley-Davidson. I ended up paying full price at the local Harley dealer. Tom

[Robert Luland]

On those notes. Would anybody have a 60 parts book to give me the shock cartrage number. I have the worthless multi parts book and it shows it as a 65 number. Thanks, Bob L

[Chris Haynes]

There are vendors who do shock rebuilding listed in Hemmings Motor News.

[Robert Luland]

Thanks Chris. I will follow though but I still need the number!

[bmh]

Don't have the 58-66 number but the 67-72 shock used cartridge 54536-67.

[Rubone]

Bob,
The cartridge number in the '61 catalog is 54502-56A, in the '58 catalog it is 54502-56. Not sure what the difference might be but I did not compare the pics too closely.
Robbie

[Robert Luland]

Thank you Rob!

[Fiskis]

Unfortunately I do not have any original partsbook later than 1958, but a parts retail price list from October 20, 1961. Several options for 54502 with different suffixes. There is no text so some might be for Sportster or other models than Duo-Glide.

54502-56A $7.50
54502-58 $9.75
54502-59A $13.50
54502-60 $9.00

Those were the days, in the Confidental Special net price list" from the same date you could buy a new 1948-57 Panhead motor# 16080-48D for $448.00, list price $597.00. Later FLH motor #16081-58B was $495.00 and list price $660.00. Wonder if the older motors were of earlier production or made to earlier specs in 1961?

Regards Fiskis

[Fiskis]

Found an other source, seems like suffix -58 is for Sportster with 1" additional ground clearence and suffix-60 is for Topper. That leaves the suffix -59A which I cannot find anywhere and the two options -56 and -56A given above by Rub.

[Robert Luland]

Fiskis that’s great stuff. The more info the better. Man I’ve just about thrown the towel in on this one. I’ve been everywhere. I think my sixty is going to the grave with me with the swing arm held up with bailing wire. Then again maybe out on the west coast I can find a set of nos hemorrhoid producers in place of. You know. Those struts they used to put on in place of the shock to give you that rigid feeling. As if the pot hole ridden infrastructure we live in isn’t bad enough. Bob L

[Chris Haynes]

On those notes. Would anybody have a 60 parts book to give me the shock cartrage number. I have the worthless multi parts book and it shows it as a 65 number. Thanks, Bob L

This may or may not help.
1956 patts book lists
54502-56 Low Road Clearance and
54502-58 High Road Clearance.
1971 book lists
54502-56A Low Road Clearance(obviously an modification to the part) and
54502-58 High Road Clearance.

[Rubone]

The low road clearance unit numbers are the same for FL and XL.The high road clearance is an XL number only.
Robbie

[Fiskis]

Did not know that. So you should check out the shocks in Sportster boxes at the swaps.