Rear shock removal
 

Greetings to all. I need to r/r the rear shock on my 98 SH. I have a swingarm arm stand but no hoist. Any ideas on the easy way to do it?

Sorry, no fancy aftermarket rear shock going in. When I bought the bike the front preload was completely in and the damping to "h." The rear...preload on "7" and damping completely in and the slot stripped!

I was able to get a used rear shock (cheap) and now need to replace the shock. I don't think I can cannalbize the adjuster screw, can I? Thanks.

Try wedging a piece of wood between the tire and the fender well. You need to cut it to just the right length. You want to remove the weight off the shock, too little or much and the load on the shock will make removing the mounting bolts tough. Be real careful when the shock is out!

Jamie Daugherty
http://members.iquest.net/~daugherj

Re: Rear shock removal
 

Let's see, I've had hmmmm (he's counting....... he's counting.......) SEVEN different shocks on my Superhawk in the last year! :lol:

Break all the bolts first before you lift the bike. If this is the first time the shock has been serviced, they might be real bastards. You'll need to remove the gear shift linkage pivot to access on of the allen head bolts on the dog bone. The rest are 14 or 17mm bolts/nuts. You'll also need to raise the rear of the fuel tank for the upper shock mount.

A rear wheel stand and a way to support the rear of the bike via the rear subframe are all that's needed. I use two ratchet style tie downs (walmart has 'em) hooked to the cross brace behind the battery and the rafters in my garage. I've seen guys build a large T-frame out of cheap cast iron plumbing pipes and fittings (no welding) for the same thing.

Do yourself a favor and remove all of the linkage as it will give you more room plus you can do maintainence on them. Clean and lube all the bearings while you have everything apart as they are commonly ignored maintainence items. Those little things in the picture was once part of the rear pivot bearing on my bike! You might need a long punch for the bolts as they could be stuck.

Similarly, I use a cheap comealong ($12 at Harbor Freight) and just hook it over a rafter and under the subframe with lengths of nylon webbing or rope. You can lift the whole bike. For the front, pull the cap off the steering stem and drop a rope down thru. Tie the bottom through a socket or something to keep it from slipping back. You'll want to take off the rear bodywork, which takes about five minutes.

Re: Rear shock removal
 

I just use my trusty aluminum A-frame step ladder...... it is rated for 250lbs and did a great job.....

Thanks for that tip Bling. It was on my winter maintainance list but didn't have time. Now I had a quick look here at the forum for an easier way to remove the shock (the manual says remove the exhaust) and I think I got to the bearings just in time. Some water inside one of them but no rust that I could see. Now theres a new wilburs and maintained links :-)

[QUOTE=superbling;13893]Let's see, I've had hmmmm (he's counting....... he's counting.......) SEVEN different shocks on my Superhawk in the last year! :lol:
QUOTE]

Seven?? Why? - Which did you like best?

Wow! This one was dragged from the murky depths, eh?

was just curious, hadnt heard of someone doing that.