Via the link I gave?!

The parts diagrams don't show every single item, we do have to interpret them. That light assembly isn't going to stay put with only one fastener, the second speed-nut will be in the opposite-handed location on the other side of the fender. Use a torch!

With your light unit as difficult as it is to get off, I suggest you leave the fender well alone. You may risk damaging it. Remove the rear wheel to get better access to the light.

I have had similar problems to you in the recent past and eventually replaced my fender and rear lights with later ones, but I am not fussy about keeping my bike original.

 

Doing this job by feel with the rear wheel installed is a serious PITA IMO.
If you want the most room possible I suggest pulling the rear wheel to assist in getting at the bolts holding on the rear fender.

I suggest getting some wooden dowels to put in the fender bolt holes to keep the fender up while you remove the other bolts.

 

Thanks, I guess, I am going to learn how to remove the rear wheel.....


In my garage, I only have a small scissor lift. Am I going to be able to get the rear wheel off with just that?

 

Thanks

 

Yes, with a little care.

When I bought my first Harley, back in 1974, the dealer (the only one in the UK at the time), used trolley jacks as his only lift and would take out both wheels of a Glide using two of them!

To get the wheel out of yours will require lifting to a reasonable height, to create the space to jiggle the wheel out to one side. You could use your jack to lift the bike onto it's jiffy (which is extremely strong) and lower it back onto a pile of lumber blocks, to stabilise your bike and hold it upright. Or use a single block of lumber if you have suitable big stuff, bricks, etc!

 

I am thinking that I will build some kind of stand out of cinder blocks and wood. Lift the bike carefully with my scissor lift, slide the stand under the bike and lower it on to the stand. My scissor lift has a 1,000 lb capacity so hopefully that will work.


I have used the scissor life in the past to get the bike supported vertically and with the rear wheel just a little off the ground. For this, I have positioned the scissor lift behind the shocks (on the softail, they protrude a little below the frame). When I do this, just the rear comes up since I am well behind the balance point. If I position the scissor life a head of the shocks, will I be near enough to the balance point that I will be able to get the entire bike off the ground? Is this a two person job to make sure I do not crush myself?

 

Harbor Freight sells a cheap jack that is better than nothing.
I think it would work better than your scissor jack.

 

I messed with the scissor lift a bit. If I put it in front of the shocks, it seems to be close to the balance point. I can lift it to the point that I can gently rock the bike forward and back to touch either the front or rear wheel. It rocks on a support cross piece that connects the two sides of the frame.


I think if I put a 2x4 in front of the cross piece and a 2x2 behind it, the bike would lift with reasonable stability. However, I would not want to work on it suspended like that, especially not removing the rear wheel.


Therefore, I am thinking that I could lift it that way and then slide a cinder block with a 2x4 on top of it under the frame behind the shocks. Then if I lower it back down a bit, I should put enough weight on the cinder block for the bike to be stable.


Then tie it down to the scissor lift in the front and cinder block in the back. Hopefully that will be stable enough.


I am a novice as you can tell by my questions. Do not hesitate to chime in if you think I am getting ready to do something stupid..... Would not be the first time....


Thanks again for all the great comments and advice - very helpful - you guys are an amazingly valuable resource.

 

Thanks, I will look at that. I bought the scissor jack since I wanted something that would not take up much space in the garage. I have been involved in a lot of activities over the years with my two boys and we have a lot of stuff in the garage.


But a jack that has a wider support dimension with two support cross pieces and a gap in the middle would work well to get around the shape of the bottom of the frame on my bike.


And it would be nice to easily jack it up, work on it and put it down.


Then again, for what I am doing and as slow as I go, it may be on the jack for a while once I get the wheel off.

 

Think I should get the bigger one for $180?


https://www.harborfreight.com/high-p...ift-99887.html


Or the smaller one for $90?


https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-l...ift-60536.html


Also thinking about getting a wheel chock I could mount to some plywood. Lift the bike a bit higher than I need. Create some kind of support structure for wheel chock, then lower bike onto wheel chock. That way when I remove rear wheel, I will not have to worry about changing the balance point.