My wife and I took my '07 WG out for a spin last night. We went down a paved road with a few potholes (normal iowa roads) when the bike began to handle really weird. I immediately pulled over and found both upper shock bolts sheared off! One of the bolts was still in the hole and kept the rear fender from bottoming out on the fender (thank god). I got it home and had to use an easy out to get the threaded portion out. I replaced them with hardened black oxide allen head bolts. The HD ones that came out weren't hardened. They appeared to be the factory stock bolts, 6 points with a slightly rounded head. My wife and I aren't overweight, I weigh 200 and she weighs 125, this shouldn't have happened. Has anyone else experienced this or even heard of it? Could've been very dangerous.

Matt

 

Bolts? There are usually studs for the top mounts...with a non-threaded portion of the stud where the shock grommets ride on. Unless something is different about later year WG....

 

Bolt on the bottom, Studs on the top. If there were bolts on top....Someone changed them at some point.
You could probably get away with that if you used grade 9 bolts, but it should be the studs to be right.

 

They are the stock bolts part#54718-06 with a domed hex head. They have a smooth section the grommet rides on. HD wants $9 a piece, I'm not putting those back on.

 

Unless they changed them, those are not the top shock studs....The top studs should look like part number 7 in this picture.

 

The shocks on my '07 do not look like that, those look like the shocks on the newer style WG's. Here's a pic of mine with the factory shocks and the bolt I replaced. I think I can get a chrome cover for the bolt head.

 

Do you have the stock or aftermarket shocks? At some point if removed they may have been over torqued. Is the bike a clean title never laid down? Many things may have caused the fastener failure. Seems odd to happen without some sort of a reason that caused it. The HD bolts should be plently.sufficient or order some from fastenal or somewhere that is the right head and thread pitch with a higher grade to them.

 

According to the MoCo catalog, the 'new' style Dyna upper shock mounting stud was used beginning with '08; '07 and back Dynas used the straight bolt. You might check to see if the stud can be retrofitted to your bike….
~

 

The bike has never been wrecked (to my knowledge). I bought it used from a HD tech, it was his personal bike. I bought the hardened bolts from a Fastenal type supplier for $1.94. I actually like the look of the black anodized head.

 

Like the look too! Good job! Gotta remember that for my project. Thanks!