Harley Pogo Seat Adjustment

Last time I took my Panhead up to the mountains, I had problems with the seat bottoming out when riding through the twisties and hitting bumps. Now that I have added auxiliary lights under the seat, I am more concerned about bottoming out. Before I buy a set of stiffer springs, I thought I would try tightening the current springs to see what difference that makes.

On a vintage Harley pogo seat, that means pulling the seat post assembly, adjusting the spring preload, and making sure the lower rod nut seats correctly when everything goes back together. This work is part of my 1964 Harley-Davidson FLH Duo-Glide project, and more Panhead repair articles are collected in Panhead Tech.

Removing the Seat Post Assembly

To tighten the springs, you first have to remove the seat post assembly. Pull the seat pin and flip the seat forward to get it out of the way. Then look under the bike and find the 7/8-inch nut that holds the bottom of the assembly in place. It is called the post clamp nut.

Harley pogo seat post clamp nut under the frame — The post clamp nut holds the lower end of the pogo seat post assembly in place.

Remove the nut and use a rubber mallet to tap the end of the seat post assembly up through the seat post tube. Once the assembly is loose, pull it straight up out of the frame tube.

Removing Harley pogo seat post assembly from the seat post tube — After the lower nut is removed, the seat post assembly can be driven upward and pulled out of the frame tube.

Now you will have a greasy seat post assembly, ready to adjust. Make sure you have a spot ready on your bench where you can set it down and not get grease all over the place.

Harley pogo seat post assembly removed for spring adjustment — The removed pogo seat post assembly is greasy, so have a clean bench spot ready before pulling it out.

Adjusting the Spring Tension

At the lower end of the assembly there are four different nuts for either making adjustments or locking them in place.

Lower Harley pogo seat post nuts for adjustment and locking — The lower end of the seat post assembly has the adjustment and lock nuts.

To tighten the springs, you will need to adjust the 7/8-inch nut that is up against the springs. Use a 9/16-inch wrench to hold the shaft steady with the lower lock nut. Having a thin 7/8-inch wrench will make this part much easier.

Adjusting Harley pogo seat spring preload with wrenches — Hold the shaft with the lower lock nut while adjusting the 7/8-inch nut against the springs.

Reinstalling the Seat Post Assembly

Once the adjustments are finished, tighten down the lock nuts and reinstall the assembly. Make sure to note that there is a flat side on the lower rod nut that fits into a flat spot on the bottom of the seat post frame tube. This keeps the entire assembly from twisting, so it is important to make sure it is seated correctly in the frame.

The last steps are to tighten the seat post clamp nut, fold down the seat and pop the seat pin back in.