Any standard ATF will work just fine.  They are close enough that a little difference won't hurt a thing.  They lubricate, they damp, they have anti-foam agents and seal conditioners.  This is not a race bike...it is a cruiser.  Don't bother with a synthetic or anything fancy....just plain old ATF.

Dexron 3 works fine. If you weigh 240 pounds or more, use Type F.

Drain the fork oil currently in place. Collapse the tubes into the sliders. Fill the tubes, all the way. Extend the tubes, drop the springs back in, install on your bike.

Forget about for the next 4-5 years, unlike fork oil, ATF lasts a long time.

Does the Type F not compress as easily as Dexron?  Is it thicker or something?

Kris01 wrote on 03/21/14 at 09:03:17:


A bit thicker, and it will swell the fork's internal o-rings, tightening up any passages.

Remember fancy/expensive B&M Trick Shift "racing" ATF? To give you "harder launches and firmer shifts"? Relabeled Type F sold to guys running General Mistake Corporation slushomatics...  

Type F is the standard ATF for Ford C4/C6 and a common choice for Mopar 727 (which originally came with Dexron/Meron).

HD30 motor oil works fine as well. But bear in mind, the Savage fork is an obsolete component, they are junk when they ship by current standards. Late 1940s technology.