Just a heads up to everyone. I know some of us are mechanically inclined, but some aren't. And I bought a rear lowering kit for my 06 deuce, and all online articles said it was easy. They said getting the bolts out were a snap, and compressing the shocks just took a car jack and a wall, etc... Well I'm here to try and help someone who is attempting to tackle this in the future.
Here is a Diagram of the things I explain below:
Some things that helped me:
First off, the front bolts on the shocks are EASY to take off.....the back ones....not so much. We tried hammers and everything...wouldn't budge. Best thing to do (only thing that worked for us) is to have a friend hold the bike on the jack so it's extra stable.....hold onto the frame....and push the wrench with your foot. I squat about 400 pounds, and I had to PUSH...so just remember they will take a beating before they come off.
Second thing to remember is, once you get the swingarm bolts out, put some blocks under the back tire so it's lifted as high as possible. This will allow you to tilt the shocks sideways and pull them out easier. And make sure you keep track of the rubber washers, front bolts, and the spacers on EACH shock. There should be 2 rubbers, 1 bolt, 1 nut, and 1 spacer per shock.
Next step is to compress the shock. I personally have NO idea how people use a jack and a wall...but you have to find a way to push on the very back (rounded edge that bolt goes through) and very top (threaded piece that's as thick as a pencil) of the shock to compress it enough to get a C shaped ring out with a flathead. You really won't see the ring until you get it compressed. But the thing is, there is A LOT of compression and you could hurt yourself without the proper tools. We used a bearing press....and put an old rotor on the bottom of it so the rounded end of the shock went through the hole...but the rotor held the flat part of the shock. Then compressed the top threaded piece and held it in a machine. Once you pop the C sharped ring out, gently let the compression go and the shock will separate, and after that, it's pretty much self explanatory. Just remember that you WILL use your old front bolts, and the new ones you get with your kit go on behind the rubber washers when re-installing.
*Note...Before you put the shocks back in, and before you remove your blocks, make sure NOTHING is going to rub or scrape with the bike lowered. So basically, lift the tire completely up and make sure the frame isn't hitting itself, or the belt guard isn't being rubbed, etc....
Once you get the shocks back together, just remember this....the further away the bolts are from the shocks, the lower your bike is..and vice versa. It's a slow painful process getting everything back togther, but it's worth it. And after it's at the height you want, make sure you bounce up and down with a couple people to ensure that you won't crack your fender off the belt guard or anything else.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Linear Mode
