Rear Shock Removal Question

[F6AJ]

Hey guys....

Both the shop manuals include removing the exhaust system in order to remove the rear shocks.

Is this absolutely necessary ?? My time is very short and my to do list is very long!!!

Thanks AJ

[MP]

Absolutely,  NOT!

I have had my shocks off many times, I have NEVER taken my pipes off.

MP

[Chrisj CMA]

Hey guys....

Both the shop manuals include removing the exhaust system in order to remove the rear shocks.

Is this absolutely necessary ?? My time is very short and my to do list is very long!!!

Thanks AJ

I agree...no need to remove the mufflers.  However, I believe they have that in there because if you arent careful the swing arm can move too low and the bolts from the left side muffler will damage the swingarm and the right side wont clear the final drive.  You should remove the left shock first and then put a strap on in place of the shock to hold the swingarm so it cannot drop once you remove the right shock.

[PhredValk]

I had to remove my shocks to get the wheel off for tire change. The reason they say remove the pipes is that the shock bolts won't clear them. With the shocks removed everything should clear the exhaust. Make sure you support the swingarm like Chrisj said, as the weight of the wheel and tire can crack the U-joint if the swingarm drops too far. I used a piece of plywood drilled for the shock bolts.
Fred.

[X Ring]

I had to remove my shocks to get the wheel off for tire change. The reason they say remove the pipes is that the shock bolts won't clear them. With the shocks removed everything should clear the exhaust. Make sure you support the swingarm like Chrisj said, as the weight of the wheel and tire can crack the U-joint if the swingarm drops too far. I used a piece of plywood drilled for the shock bolts.
Fred.

Depends on how you do it.  I keep the tire on the ground and raise/lower the bike as needed.

Marty

[0leman]

Or jack up the Valk untill you can put a piece of wood (2X4 or 4X4) under the rear wheel, then lower the bike until you take pressure off the shock. This will mkae for easy removal.   Rear wheel on the wood will prevent the swing arm from going down and cracking the hard to find U-Joint.

[Chrisj CMA]

Or jack up the Valk untill you can put a piece of wood (2X4 or 4X4) under the rear wheel, then lower the bike until you take pressure off the shock. This will mkae for easy removal.   Rear wheel on the wood will prevent the swing arm from going down and cracking the hard to find U-Joint.

Yes those tricks work, just beware of hydraulic pressure leak down if the jack is not on its safety catch........real good way to put the bike on its side if youre not watching. 

I find it easier to just lift her all the way up......secure the swing arm with a strap and then not only is everything up higer, closer......its easier to clean everything up in the air

[X Ring]

On my Tourer, the belly tank prohibits the swingarm from going too low so I remove the axle over the exhaust and I just carried it over to the I/S.

Marty

[Momz]

I agree with Chris. Much better to strap the swing arm and make sure the lift is in a locked position.
I can tell you from experience that lifting a Valk off its side when the lift leaks down is a true BI..H.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I agree with Chris. Much better to strap the swing arm and make sure the lift is in a locked position.
I can tell you from experience that lifting a Valk off its side when the lift leaks down is a true BI..H.

I use a floor jack under the rear tire instead of the strap.

[0leman]

From the last several comments, looks like I should have mentioned that I use a motorcycle lift to lift the bike up, then put jack stands under the engine guards for stability and safety.  Also put the MC lift's safety bar down in case the jack looses pressure.  Safety first, I am too "old" to be picking up the Valk off the floor.

Guess I figured most folks who do their own wrenching would take these steps to ensure their bike doesn't fall.

[F6AJ]

Thank you to all for the input,I appreciated it  much.New 440's on the rear! De-smog too, Carbs on the bench....

Following the Honda Shop" method is sometime best if your paid $85.00 per hour!   

Be safe AJ

[RonW]

From the last several comments, looks like I should have mentioned that I use a motorcycle lift to lift the bike up, then put jack stands under the engine guards for stability and safety.  Also put the MC lift's safety bar down in case the jack looses pressure.  Safety first, I am too "old" to be picking up the Valk off the floor.

Guess I figured most folks who do their own wrenching would take these steps to ensure their bike doesn't fall.

I believe the gist was that if you do stack 2-by-4's or 4-by-4's under your wheels, the bike would balance precariously on the stacks of wood....if the lift is or get's lowered below the elevation of the stacks of wood. The outriggers would no longer be stabilizing the lift. In fact, the lift will raise itself off the floor, strapped to the bike. The hazard with this situation is that when the bike starts to tilt (starts to fall), in haste your hands will try to grab the bike, while in that stance, your foot will put even more pressure on the lift pedal, dropping the bike faster and kaplook. Jack stands under the engine guards would obviate the problem, naturally, but that's not always the set-up. If you stand 20-ft. away from your bike up on the lift, from the side, with the wheels supported on stacks of wood, the aforementioned situation is obvious. However, working closeup to your bike, with tools all around the floor, and on a mission, it's easy to miss an obvious.

[0leman]

From the last several comments, looks like I should have mentioned that I use a motorcycle lift to lift the bike up, then put jack stands under the engine guards for stability and safety.  Also put the MC lift's safety bar down in case the jack looses pressure.  Safety first, I am too "old" to be picking up the Valk off the floor.

Guess I figured most folks who do their own wrenching would take these steps to ensure their bike doesn't fall.

I believe the gist was that if you do stack 2-by-4's or 4-by-4's under your wheels, the bike would balance precariously on the stacks of wood....if the lift is or get's lowered below the elevation of the stacks of wood. The outriggers would no longer be stabilizing the lift. In fact, the lift will raise itself off the floor, strapped to the bike. The hazard with this situation is that when the bike starts to tilt (starts to fall), in haste your hands will try to grab the bike, while in that stance, your foot will put even more pressure on the lift pedal, dropping the bike faster and kaplook. Jack stands under the engine guards would obviate the problem, naturally, but that's not always the set-up. If you stand 20-ft. away from your bike up on the lift, from the side, with the wheels supported on stacks of wood, the aforementioned situation is obvious. However, working closeup to your bike, with tools all around the floor, and on a mission, it's easy to miss an obvious.

Not to start a pissing contest, I said that I put wood under the "rear tire", not both wheels, while I have the bike on a motorcycle lift. This allows me to take the pressure off the shocks so I can remove them.   This is an option to strapping the swing arm to the frame while removing the rear shocks.   There is not a balance issue, especially with jacks under the engine guards. (Normally the front tire is off the ground.)  I also put the lift's locks down so the jack can't go down if the lift's hyrdaulic's fail.  The bike is stable, I can sit on it or shake it.  I doesn't move. 

[RonW]

Not to start a pissing contest, I said that I put wood under the "rear tire", not both wheels, while I have the bike on a motorcycle lift. This allows me to take the pressure off the shocks so I can remove them.   This is an option to strapping the swing arm to the frame while removing the rear shocks.  There is not a balance issue, especially with jacks under the engine guards. (Normally the front tire is off the ground.)  I also put the lift's locks down so the jack can't go down if the lift's hyrdaulic's fail.  The bike is stable, I can sit on it or shake it.  I doesn't move. 

If you bothered to re-read the post before you responded, you'd might have noticed that I duly noted that....

"Jack stands under the engine guards would obviate the problem, naturally, but that's not always the set-up."

....as in, regarding other people's set-ups.

The reason that I brought this up is that more often than not removing the rear shocks is in preparation to removing the rear wheel not just replacing shocks, and a person who didn't place jack stands under the engine guards, didn't own a pair of jack stands, would stack 2-by-4's under the front tire, as well, to keep the bike from tilting forth after the rear wheel is removed since the lift tethered at midpoint acts as a fulcrum. That's the ancillary point and the only ancillary point. With our jerky hydraulic lift pedals, the bike is easily unbalanced laterally if the lift is jolted below the elevation of the stacks of wood supporting the wheels. Again, your natural reaction is to grab hold of the bike, either falling to you or away from you, sideways, but the motion simultaneously puts more weight on the foot that's on the lift pedal and drops the bike faster.