Shock Bushings

[t-man403]

Not so indestructible! Not really sure how long these are supposed to last these didn’t last that long. Got these from somebody on the forum here that makes them. Might go back to OEM I guess unless who makes them is still around. Anyone know if he is?

[sandy]

New OEM bushings have been upgraded to polyrazzmatazz. Same as the vtx 1800.

[gordonv]

Got these from somebody on the forum here that makes them. Might go back to OEM I guess unless who makes them is still around. Anyone know if he is?

How long ago was that? Garry the bushing guys is the one I remember, out of WA, but he's passed, shortly after I started riding a Valk.

New OEM bushings have been upgraded to polyrazzmatazz. Same as the vtx 1800.

As Sandy posted, I think it's the newer bushing is a better material.

[Jess from VA]

An early batch of Shockbushing Gary's cush drive poly dampers crumbled to bits.  I think he replaced them on request with a better batch.

Mine were a later batch, and they were a great upgrade for a long time.

But years later, both sets of those poly dampers crumbled to bits anyway in both my bikes.  I mean they just disintegrated entirely.

[t-man403]

Yeah, thanks guys. Now that you mention it, I remember him passing away. I ordered from Honda today and they’ll be here Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Just sucks I won’t be able to ride this weekend and you can actually see the sky today …. less smoke.
For now I’m hanging in the garage, watching a hockey game, having a smash of bourbon, putting the new tire on and getting everything else greased up and ready to go!  

[t-man403]

An early batch of Shockbushing Gary's cush drive poly dampers crumbled to bits.  I think he replaced them on request with a better batch.

Mine were a later batch, and they were a great upgrade for a long time.

But years later, both sets of those poly dampers crumbled to bits anyway in both my bikes.  I mean they just disintegrated entirely.

[Jess from VA]

TMan, my dampers looked more like your first picture above (falling apart, crumbling), but not like your second picture (which look more like OE bushings that have gotten old and maybe twisted up).

I'm pretty sure Gary had used the same poly material for both his dampers and shock bushings.

RIP.

PS: I had saved one of my old sets of OE rubber dampers at the time of the swap (like 10 years ago), and that old set went back in one of my bikes last winter, and they are doing fine. 

[t-man403]

The bushings I posted are all the same material. The second picture the bushing has worn and I did put on a hand/lift rail that seemed to wear the bushing and the shock. I will use a washer to protect the shock when I reassemble.

[98valk]

The bushings I posted are all the same material. The second picture the bushing has worn and I did put on a hand/lift rail that seemed to wear the bushing and the shock. I will use a washer to protect the shock when I reassemble.

there is supposed to be an OEM washer installed btwn shock and bolt.
The hand lift rail goes btwn the bolt head and washer.

https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/2000/gl1500c-a-valkyrie/rear-shock-absorber

[t-man403]

The bushings I posted are all the same material. The second picture the bushing has worn and I did put on a hand/lift rail that seemed to wear the bushing and the shock. I will use a washer to protect the shock when I reassemble.

there is supposed to be an OEM washer installed btwn shock and bolt.
The hand lift rail goes btwn the bolt head and washer.

https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/2000/gl1500c-a-valkyrie/rear-shock-absorber

Yes and it was my mistake putting the rail before the washer. Won’t let that happen again!

[longrider]

52489-HN0-671 for the Honda VTX green poly bushings.  Not all VTX used these green ones

[RonW]

Just in case inputting 52489-HN0-671 doesn't work at your parts website,

52489-HN0-671 is for the VTX 1800

While, VTX1300's use the same shock busing as the Valkyrie 52489-MW3-305

52489-HN0-671 is almost half the price, too.

VTX 1800 uses a needle bearing for the top bushing. I wonder if that'll work on a Valk.

[h13man]

I got mine from Redeye and I had one fail looking just like your example. I contacted them and he sent me a complete new set free of charge. Seemed like a molding "startup" piece got into the good parts IMO.
When installing, never use any lubricant to do so. I use a 3/8" hex bolt and washers to press/draw them into the shock eye.

[Kirknik]

Just replaced mine with the Red Eye ones. Unfortunately the lower bolt/pin on the right side shock snapped when inwent to torque it down to 17lbs.

Got the new bolt on order but could be a couple weeks. Sure hope I can get the threaded part out.

Be careful........

[RonW]

"Unfortunately the lower bolt/pin on the right side shock snapped when inwent to torque it down to 17lbs.

Be careful........"


That's a shoulder bolt with a significant step down at the threaded part (9, below).

If by chance, you used threadlock on the bolt ......

"The Loctite people recommend reducing applied torque by 20 percent when using their liquid thread-locking compounds on threaded fasteners."

Personally, I wouldn't lower the torque more than 2ft lbs irregardless.

Also, the torque wrench should be turned with a single motion and only stop when it clicks at 17ft lbs. If you stop midway then try turn the torque wrench again, the torque wrench won't register accurately anything less than 5ft lbs remaining. (5ft lbs, if memory serves). There's less discrepancy with an inch-lb torque wrench of course. You could if you like test your torque wrench out on a random bolt. On larger bolts, I don't follow the Locktite warning at all.

[t-man403]

Bushings arrived from Honda! 

$30 tax in for them. 52489-MW3-305 are the ones i received and are now installed. In all fairness, 2 of the others were still in good shape. Gotta wonder why the one especially, took such a beating. 

Thanks for all the input guys! 

[h13man]

Because the other wasn't a stock rubber variant as it was a defective neoprene variant at least from my experience from the picture posted.

[Avanti]

Bushings arrived from Honda! 

$30 tax in for them. 52489-MW3-305 are the ones i received and are now installed. In all fairness, 2 of the others were still in good shape. Gotta wonder why the one especially, took such a beating. 

Thanks for all the input guys! 

This can be caused by the shocks not being set the same, causing an unequal load. This can also happen if one shock is not working properly.

[t-man403]

Bushings arrived from Honda! 

$30 tax in for them. 52489-MW3-305 are the ones i received and are now installed. In all fairness, 2 of the others were still in good shape. Gotta wonder why the one especially, took such a beating. 

Thanks for all the input guys! 

This can be caused by the shocks not being set the same, causing an unequal load. This can also happen if one shock is not working properly.

Bushings arrived from Honda! 

$30 tax in for them. 52489-MW3-305 are the ones i received and are now installed. In all fairness, 2 of the others were still in good shape. Gotta wonder why the one especially, took such a beating. 

Thanks for all the input guys! 

This can be caused by the shocks not being set the same, causing an unequal load. This can also happen if one shock is not working properly.

Humm, haven’t tried it yet, but is there a start and finish to adjusting the shocks? Or do they just keep clicking around and around. One of them still has an arrow on it but the other doesn’t so if there’s a start and finish, I should be able to figure out if they’re set equally. I guess as you click one way they will lower and the other way they will raise.
I can tell you this, the bushings are well worth the money just for the ride they give …. what a difference. Nice solid ride and no clunking sound which I will assume was the bad bushing.

[Willow]

If you're referring to the OEM shocks they're intended to go only up.  When you go one past the highest they will drop to the lowest.  It's no problem figuring out which notch you're on.

[t-man403]

If you're referring to the OEM shocks they're intended to go only up.  When you go one past the highest they will drop to the lowest.  It's no problem figuring out which notch you're on.

Thanks for the info Carl!
I’m going to check them for the heck of it but I can’t see them being out of wack because it was “troutdude” that set them up for me. I didn’t pay much attention other than I observed them lifting.