Shock fell off while riding
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 137
Likes: 24
From: NY
Shock fell off while riding
Bad luck. I took a ride and within 2 miles, I heard a bang/crash. My right side shock was on the pavement sliding along next to me. I carefully pulled over and walked back to retrieve the shock in the road.
Upon examination of my bike, I noticed the upper shock bolt snapped off inside the strut mounting hole. I also observed that the lower shock bolt, spacer and the actual shock bushing were still mounted on the bike. Very odd. The entire lower shock bushing stayed with the bike; so the shock had actually slipped off and over the bushing and lower bolt.
Luckily, I was close to home and no other damage to bike.
The recovered shock had scrapes and road rash and obviously no lower bushing.
Cause unknown. I didnt bottom out or hit any potholes. It happened just after a slight, and I mean slight dip.
I was able to extract the sheared upper bolt.
Major bummer.
Upon examination of my bike, I noticed the upper shock bolt snapped off inside the strut mounting hole. I also observed that the lower shock bolt, spacer and the actual shock bushing were still mounted on the bike. Very odd. The entire lower shock bushing stayed with the bike; so the shock had actually slipped off and over the bushing and lower bolt.
Luckily, I was close to home and no other damage to bike.
The recovered shock had scrapes and road rash and obviously no lower bushing.
Cause unknown. I didnt bottom out or hit any potholes. It happened just after a slight, and I mean slight dip.
I was able to extract the sheared upper bolt.
Major bummer.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 3,072
Likes: 1,727
From: Dallas, Texas
Right shock top bolt snapped on my 07 too. A few months later my Riding Buddy had the same bolt snap on his 07 Dyna. Replaced the grade 5 with a grade 8 bolt on both shocks. Problem solved.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 137
Likes: 24
From: NY
So Im not alone. Wow. Well I guess thats why the moco went to the stud design the next year.
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Joined: Jun 2014
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From: NW Ohio
Not uncommon on certain years. The top stud has changed a few times. The early ones seem the strongest, the middle ones weakest, and the later ones good enough.
the lower bushing loss is just because the shock hit the ground and twisted/whipped around so violently that it blew out the bushing.
the lower bushing loss is just because the shock hit the ground and twisted/whipped around so violently that it blew out the bushing.
. Sorry, couldn't help it.