im going to replace my my shocks. im not going to change the ride height or anything like that. going to get the same length that is on there now.
im a bit nervous about doing it though.
looks easy enough but i would like to make sure there is nothing that i am missing.
when the shocks are on the bike and nobody is on it, they are not compressed it any way correct?
so if/when i remove one of the shocks it should not extend right?

simple as a 2 bolt on each shock r&r?
do i need to jack it up to take the load off?

i was going to take it to the shop but if it is a simple r&r i want to do it myself. just paranoid about messing it up

 

also, i measured from bolt to bolt and i got 12.5 inches but the drag specialties fat book only lists 11 and 12 inch shock for a 97 fxdl.
is bolt to bolt the proper measurement place?

these are what i want.
http://www.dragspecialties.com/produ...umber=13100642

my wife and i are both big peeps so i need some heavy duty shocks.
any shock masters here able to verify this is what i need?
thanks

 

You'll need to support the bike when you remove the shocks, even if you remove them one at a time the bike will settle and it'll be hard to get the shock back on.

Other than that, it's a 15 minute job with no hidden complications.

 

Hi, and yes it is very simple to change. There may be new bushings included or some spacers if so there will also be an instruction sheet with model specific information as to which to use. The bes would be to call the manufactureer ahead of time and collect the info you need.
It would be good if you could support the frame without putting pressure on the swing arm, but then only to support the frame , not to actually suspend it causing the possibility of sag once removed. I would remove one and replace then move to the other side and proceed as such.
Although this can be accomplished single handedly it is best to have extra hands - mainly to open beers and tell jokes prolonging the pleasure of doing the job yourself, and second to give stability and support the frame in case you have any problems working the shocks into place at any given moment!
And it can be done without jacking the frame and then the second person would become necessary.

 

Those Drag Specialties shocks will be as bad or possibly even worse than the stock shocks.
You need to do some research on heavy duty shocks before wasting money on something that won't do what you need it to.
I just put on Hagon Nitro shocks and they were $540 delivered to my door.
If you order them from Dave Quinn Cycles he will talk to you about the weight that you're gonna load them with and order them accordingly.
Sometimes it takes a little time to get them, but they are definitely worth the money and the wait.

 

Get a factory service manual before doing any work yourself. Yes, a shock swap is as easy as it gets, but you'll want to jack the bike up. On the bike, the shock is compressed some. If you're getting 12.5", they are probably 13" shocks.

I would avoid the Drag Specialties shocks. If you and your wife are on the larger side and ride 2up, I would definitely go with the heavy duty shocks. The Progressive 412's don't get much love, but it's hard to do any better for $200. If you're into high speed cornering and sweeping turns and scraping pegs, you'll probably want to go with something else. If you just like to cruise and want a little more comfortable ride, the 412's will probably serve you well.

I have 12" Progressive 412's and I don't regret buying them, they're worth what they cost and are better than the stock shocks I had.

 

Went the Hagon Nitro shock route myself ordered from Dave Quinn. VERY worthwhile upgrade. I went 13" vs. the stock 12". Dave was very helpful on the phone. The tough part was waiting for the shocks to ship from England. It took about a month from time of order to delivery.

Don't do low end shocks. It is not worth the money.

As far as installation, I used a scissor lift.

Put bike on lift.
Remove old shocks (2 bolts/nuts per side)
Adjust scissor lift for length of new shocks
Install new shocks (2 bolts/nuts per side)
Take bike off of lift.

The 2nd side, I had to help with a love tap from a rubber mallet.

Went for maiden ride on the new shocks yesterday for a 50'ish mile run. The bike felt truly transformed. The bike is much more enjoyable to ride now.

Are you planning on doing your forks also? If not, I highly recommend doing so. There is a bazillion page thread on Ricor Intimadators and Traxxion springs. Very useful info. I went the Racetech route and installed Racetech straight springs, Belray 10wgt fork oil and Racetech Gold Valve Emulators. Had to retweek one fork leg, but it was very much worth it. It was a little intimidating at first, but not hard to do. While out on my run yesterday, I hate a crater (pothole) that would have probably had my *** out of the seat with the stock suspension. The new Nitros and fork upgrades allow me to retain control of the bike during the hit. Of course, I felt the hit, but I wasn't fearing for my life like I would on the stock suspension.

 

I also have the 412s Heavy Duty version, and have recently switched to the 444s. I think the 412s handled better under loaded conditions.

 

could you shoot me a link to the progressive 412's?
200 bucks sounds good to me.

didnt plan on doing the front end but im not opposed to it either

 

I didn't bother to ask why you wanted to change shocks seeing as your bike is a '97 thinking maybe they are blown,or rusted out. If you really want a ride upgrade don't stop at 412's they will not be a big improvement and once the novelty wears off you will find yourself thinking that realistically. Sure they have a good name and are in-expensive but you will be way better served if you put down more money now and avoid the future regret + an extra pair of shocks on a shelf somewhere + spending more money on top of the bucks you will have lost on the cheap shocks.... you know Harley shocks are probably worth like 400 a pair.
Suspension is one of the areas you least want to go cheap on.

http://www.progressivesuspension.com/products/harley