Sometime this coming week I'll be installing a new rear tire on my 2011 Limited. This will be the first time removing the rear wheel for me on this particular bike/model... Just curious - how high will I need to lift the bike to clear the rear fender when removing the wheel?

 

As high as you can. How high does your lift go ?

 

my lift goes 18 inches and its got plenty of height to remove rear tire.

 

I have both a jack and a lift table. I'd prefer to do the work on the lift table but I'm not sure if I can get the rear wheel high enough on the table. I'm sure I could lift it high enough on my jack, but I don't have complete trust in the jack - It's no pitbull or J&S. That was my reason for asking.

I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Thanks.

 

I have a sears yellow aluminum jak and it gets plenty high you do not need to get all that high to remove the rear wheel. I have done it many times on my 04 EGC and once on my 2011 RGU. Your rear tire needs to be off the ground 5 or 6 inches and just tilt it to the side and it comes right out, don't forget to remove the rear brake caliper before you start. I was used to doing my 04 and never bothered to look at the sm so I pulled my axle and the realized I need to unbolt the caliper lol.

 

Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. 5 or 6 inches off the ground, or table in my case, shouldn't be a problem.

 

Take a sharpie and mark the washers on your axle to the swingarm and make sure you see how much play the belt has. This will help you know about where the washer was in reference with the belt play.

It would be nice if you have a torque wrench and a 36mm socket to retorque the axle net to specs.
And when you remove the rear caliper, make sure you use Red locktite to put the screws back in to hold the caliper back in place.

If you have to remove the mufflers use anitseize on the inside of them when puttin the mufflers back on.

Note with the new 180 rear wheel it makes it harder to git the calipers off.

 

Thanks - mostly good advice there although I'll pass on the red loctite for the caliper screws.

 

Read the HD manual.
The screws that hold the calipers to the brace gits red locktite.
Not the screws that go threw the brake pads.

 

I have a 2011 factory sm and it says nothing about using red loctite, I have never used it and never had an issue. I do torq to proper torq tho.