Need help with rear shock replacement

Hey all, hubby is headed down tomorrow with my bike so we can install my new Wilbers rear shock on Saturday. Unfortunately he can't find my shop manual to bring it down (this could have something to do with his refusal to unpack...). The change seems pretty self explanatory, but could someone with a manual handy give me the torque specs and any other useful tidbits for this project? Thanks in advance.

PMed you, hope this can help.

2brnut2b said:

PMed you, hope this can help.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

I didn't use my shop manual at first, and promptly undid and removed the left side bodywork, only to discover you can't access the upper shock bolt from that side. There is no hole through the frame on the left..

Then, after consulting the manual, undid the right side to expose the hole through the frame, for bolt getting at. I was a little miffed at the unfairness of asymmetrical design, lol.

After undoing everything, it seemed I *might* have been able to get wrenches on both the nut and bolt without having to remove any body panels, but can't be positive. A tight fit, and nimble fingers would be required.

My Nitron shock came with two individual aluminum spacer bushings per eye, (versus the OEM shocks rubber and tube bushings) that were very stubborn to try and squeeze back into the bike's upper mount. They were probably the exact right width to fit in it, but try as I might, I couldn't get the consarned thing to slide in without feeling like I was forcing the issue, and they kept wanting to fall out and/or go out of parallel and go cockeyed. Very precise fit!

I lapped a 64th of a cat's whisker of material off each face of left and right bushing using emery cloth and figure 8's on a thick piece of plate glass, and it fell right into the Goldilocks zone of fitment.

Don't know what your brand of shock does as far as bushings, but just thought I'd mention it.

Have fun!

L.B.S. said:

After undoing everything, it seemed I *might* have been able to get wrenches on both the nut and bolt without having to remove any body panels, but can't be positive. A tight fit, and nimble fingers would be required.

Click to expand...

I can confirm that you don't have to remove any body panels and you are correct, nimble fingers are required. Comes naturally for me, I've been an Auto Technician for more than 25 years.

Confirmed, no panel removal needed to do the deed. Maybe playing the violin for 12 years helped me a bit with finger coordination, but it was relatively easy, only the upper eye bolt was somewhat harder to tighten, it was tricky to use the torque wrench at the end.