White Bros. Softail Lowering Kit - Hot Bike Tech

The White Bros. lowering kit from Custom Chrome (part No. 8478) fits Softail models from '89-'99 and comes with everything necessary for the installation: adjustable Heim joints, mounting bolts, washers, spacers, and O-rings.

The White Bros. lowering kit from Custom Chrome (part No. 8478) fits Softail models from '

Several issues back, we installed a Heartland 180 kit on our '96 Springer Softail. The installation of the Heartland kit includes mounting one of the company's three rear fender options: short, 20-1/2 inches; medium, 24-1/2 inches; or long, 28 inches. When mocking up the fender, you can only set it so low on the struts and still have enough material for the mounting bolts to hold the fender securely in place. So to get that low-profile, tire-hugging look, Heartland recommends lowering the rear of your bike before drilling the mounting holes so the ride height is pre-established and you can get the fender to fit around the tire exactly how you want.

The most popular way to lower a Softail is to install adjustable shocks, which come in two forms: manual and air ride. The only problem is that both types can be expensive, about $500 for a decent pair of manually adjustable shocks, and $1,300 and up for a good air-ride system.

After the Heartland kit, our budget was blown out until we could scrape up some more funds for a new set of adjustable shocks. So we took the next-best option and got our hands on a bolt-on lowering kit that would allow us to manually lower the bike almost 2 inches. There are several kits available, but after searching through the Custom Chrome website (www.customchrome.com), we found the White Bros. kit (MSRP: $99.95) to be the perfect solution to our money problems.

Since we were going to be lowering the bike, we started thinking about the worn, spongy springs in our OE shocks, and the possibility of bottoming the fender out on the tire on a hard bump. One way to help prevent this would be to swap out the stock springs for a new set of stiffer springs. The OE springs are rated at 800 lbs per square inch, but these LA Choppers Red Springs, also available from Custom Chrome (part No. 28648; MSRP: $209.99), are rated at 1,100 lbs per square inch.
Since we were going to be lowering the bike, we started thinking about the worn, spongy sp
We stopped in at LifeStyle Cycles in Anaheim, CA, for the install. With the bike secured on a lift, the first thing we did was take some measurements to compare the before and after heights. With the new fender mounted and stock shocks, LifeStyle tech Sparky came up with 12-3/8 inches from the middle of the axle to the bottom of the fender lip.
We stopped in at LifeStyle Cycles in Anaheim, CA, for the install. With the bike secured o
Sparky then used a flat jack to lift the rear end and take the weight off the shocks so they could be removed. He unbolted one shock at a time and used some blocks of wood to keep the rear tire and swingarm propped up.
Sparky then used a flat jack to lift the rear end and take the weight off the shocks so th