07 Fatboy Slider Removal Problem

Greetings all. Just joined this morning (after visiting for months). I'm trying to remove the stock sliders on my 07 FLSTF for chroming and having a problem finding the retaining clip. I saw Glider's earlier post about sliders. (Thanks Glider it helped) I was able to pull a small spring from the top of the oil seal but it doesn't look anything like the view in the service manual. And the 'hammering' of the slider down the tube isn't moving anything. Can anybody help, please? Thanks and a belated Happy New Year!

 

Did you remove the 6 MM bolt that runs up into the leg down where the axle goes through?

One on each side.

Welcome to the forum too.

 

Hi Glider, yes, i did. I didn't take the cap off and spring out, though. I don't have to do that, do I? Thanks.

 

Shouldn't be necessary to remove the slider.

 

I didn't think so. It sure has me baffled. If that little coil spring is actually the retainer, maybe I'm not 'hammering' hard enough. But I don't want to mess up the bushings. :dknow

 

Sometimes it takes a few good whacks to get them off.

 

I'm using a couple of dentist's picks. I'm going to run to the parts store to see if I can find a seal puller that's longer but thin enough to get in between the tube and the slider without damaging anything. Maybe if I can pull enough of the seal out, I can tell what's holding it up or just start 'hammering' away.
I'll keep you posted.
Thanks. And thanks for the 'welcome' to the community!

 

Use care not to scratch the tube. The slider will come off once you get the snap rings out.

Didn't realize you hadn't removed the snap ring yet above.

Once apart, clean up the tube before reassembly with some very fine abrasive pad or very fine wet & dry sandpaper and clean it thoroughly before reassembly..

 

it's the rings i'm having a problem with ... i dont see them. i've been able to 'gouge' about half of the seal away and the retainer just doesn't seem to be there. what makes it so tough is the depth of the seal from the top of the slider....tough to see and tough to get any leverage. i'm starting to think that the collar-like piece at the top needs to come off. the service manual doesn't show it as two pieces but there's a single hole in it that has me suspicious...maybe fore attaching and removing? i'm gonna keep trying. my eye is starting to twitch like chief inspector Dreyfus when he thinks about Clouseau.

 

Yeehaw ... just got off of the phone with a tech. it's like i suspected ... the 07 sliders have an 'extension' collar on them because the upper tins (cow bells) have a cutout for fender clearance. hd added the collar so the tube couldn't be seen through the cutout. Solution: the collar is only tapped on and can be removed by gently tapping it off while going around the collar. once removed, the retaining clip and seal can be accessed like they're supposed to. p.s. about the cutout - the front wheel of the 07 softails is offset (I don't know why) and doesn't give enough clearance for the tins to pass between the slider and the fender when the forks are fully compressed. signed, cautiously opptimistic for now.