stop from bottoming out
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Los Angeles
rquest, when you get under the bike it will make sense. It's been 4 yrs since I adjusted my Heritage. You likely wont need a spanner wrench. Spray the shaft of both shocks, you will see 2 large lock nuts tightened against each shock, I think they are 1"1/8" open end. Each shaft is notched for a 9/16" open end wrench. Hold the shaft with the 9/16 and loosen the 2 large nuts and screw them all the way to the front of each shaft, then turn the 2 shock "cans" forward against the large nuts making sure the front edges of the shock"cans" are equal at their front edge. You should be able to turn the "cans" forward by hand using a gripper glove. Hold the "cans" with a gripper glove or hold/pry a wood lever gently between cans to hold them while you tighten large nuts against the cans, done.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Los Angeles
Checkers, I'm really pleased with your explanation but I'm really afraid to start turning nuts, it looks like I could let the gas out of the shock if I were to loosen nut 1 or 2? Could someone please explain to me as if I were 5 yrs old how to raise the bike or stiffen the ride using my picture as a guide?
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From: East Tn Foot of The Dragon
Checkers, I'm really pleased with your explanation but I'm really afraid to start turning nuts, it looks like I could let the gas out of the shock if I were to loosen nut 1 or 2? Could someone please explain to me as if I were 5 yrs old how to raise the bike or stiffen the ride using my picture as a guide?
Last edited by checkers; Oct 2, 2016 at 12:50 PM.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Los Angeles
Those shocks and nuts and shaft do not look what I have on my 2011 Heritage OEM shocks. If the cross frame you show in your pic is in front of the shocks, they look like they are already forward as far as they can go. They also may be aftermarket replacements and may be bad, if they are forward and bottoming out. My OEM shocks are black, not chrome.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2014
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Something in that picture looks really wrong. Almost like someone tried to lower the bike by backing off the mounting bolts. Either that or it has some kind of aftermarket lowering kit installed. Has the bike been lowered?
Dan
Dan
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Los Angeles
I really don't know Krustee, the bike was never finished when I bought it and I do not know the maker.It looks like if I tighten #3 and #4 it would push the shock giving me a little more height even if only 1/4". LOL
Last edited by rquest; Oct 3, 2016 at 12:42 AM.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2014
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I know it sounds backward but, you shorten the shock to raise the bike. The suspension pulls on the shock instead of compressing like a vertically mounted one. Looks to me like it has had an extension or lowering link added to the front end.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rear-Adjusta...tVcra8&vxp=mtr
Dan
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rear-Adjusta...tVcra8&vxp=mtr
Dan
Last edited by Just Dan; Oct 3, 2016 at 12:18 PM.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,070
Likes: 74
From: Los Angeles
I know it sounds backward but, you shorten the shock to raise the bike. The suspension pulls on the shock instead of compressing like a vertically mounted one. Looks to me like it has had an extension or lowering link added to the front end.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rear-Adjusta...tVcra8&vxp=mtr
Dan
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rear-Adjusta...tVcra8&vxp=mtr
Dan
Last edited by rquest; Oct 4, 2016 at 01:02 AM.
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From: Doghouse... mostly
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: New York City
Hello there,
My first softail here (2016 Fat Boy S), riding mostly solo, (186 lbs) and sometimes with wife (115 lbs). 300 miles on it now, the bike seems to be WAY TOO HARD of a ride, always in any bump on highways, the lower back suffers a big punch in SOLO or two-up riding.
Is this normal on HD bikes?
Can you improve the softness of the rear suspension without mods.
Appreciate any inputs.
Cheers
LCL
My first softail here (2016 Fat Boy S), riding mostly solo, (186 lbs) and sometimes with wife (115 lbs). 300 miles on it now, the bike seems to be WAY TOO HARD of a ride, always in any bump on highways, the lower back suffers a big punch in SOLO or two-up riding.
Is this normal on HD bikes?
Can you improve the softness of the rear suspension without mods.
Appreciate any inputs.
Cheers
LCL
Last edited by brazeagle; Oct 4, 2016 at 09:55 AM.