harleyKmodel

I'll need to get back to you on the cam position, and yes I did go by the eyelets. The number is 1556.

starcain wrote:I don't know how much of a purist you are but using the later shocks wouldn't be the end of the world. It would take a pretty knowledgeable person with a verry good eye to spot the difference.

Stan, I am a pretty serious purist, so I want to get this bike as accurate as I possibly can. I know that things like the 9955 shock cover clamps will probably hold me back, but I enjoy learning as much as possibly and taking it as far as I can toward 100%. That is why I truly appreciate all of your help.

I went back to my friends shop today to look at the painted pair of shocks I found laying on his shelf. I found them, and they were indeed the 1952/53 shock bodies. Score! Next we went searching for the rest of the pieces to go with the 52/53 shocks, and things got really confusing because we found a lot of parts, but could not identify all of them as 52/53 vs. 54/55. So we got out the parts manual (and made a call to Jerry Raino), and I think I got it figured out.

Please correct any mistakes I have made:

Here is the page from the 1954 parts manual showing both types of shocks:

Starting at the top, here are the different eyelets at the top. 52/53 on the left, 54/55 on the right. This also matches the illustration Stan provided a few posts back. Also notice the hex nut below the upper eye on the 54/55 shocks. This is important.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHEqS6]Next I found several upper spring plates. I noticed that they have different part numbers in the book, so the one with the hex shaped hole on the right must go with the nut under the upper eye of the 54/55 shocks. And the one with the elongated hole must then match with the 52/53 shocks that do not have the hex nut:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHEo3s]Next up are the bumper retainers. Again, the 1954 parts manual shows 2 different part numbers. The one on the left is 52/53 and fits over the top of the rubber bumper. The one on the right is more of a "top hat" shape and the 54/55 bumper sits inside of it.


[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHEqQh]The lower shock cams are also different. The 52/53 shock cams on the left look to have only two positions, heavy and light. The 54/55 cams on the right look to have 3 positions:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHDMQi]Here is a photo of the two versions of the shocks all laid out next to each other:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHEqX6][url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHEqX6]6

...one other thing. While looking for parts, I found one of the "heavy rider" springs with the harley part number right on the tag! The black spring is the standard spring, and the crusty one is the "heavy rider" spring. If I have any of this wrong, please correct me. Thank you very much to Jerry and Stan for pointing me in the right direction!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHEqTP][url=https://flic.kr/p/2nHEqTP]

Jerry, Man, you got it goin on now. Fantastic comparison pictures. I don't see any mistakes. You should be set to go now. Now, the hard part, THE CLAMPS. Other than the two Roger got from Charley Stahl that I used on my KK, I have only come across one other one in the 40 years of looking for K parts. It's the one pictured in the shock absorber technical section. With a little luck a couple will show up for you.

Stan

Thanks for the posting Jerry, I have been educated.

Unfortunately I have decided to sell this project. I have gathered even more parts. It is posted for sale in the "parts exchange" section of this forum.