I am removing a lowering kit from the rear of my bike.

It is just a simple bracket that relocates the lower shock mount.

I have removed the bracket that you bolt the shock to when lowering, but now I cant get the rear shock to line up with the swing arm where it needs to bolt on.
Whats the secret?
I cant seem to compress the shock at all.

I dont have any air in them as far as I can tell, and nothing bleeds out of the valve when I try to leak it.

It is so stiff I can not compress it the inch I need to make it fit back in its stock position, what am I missing here?
Any help would be great
Thanks
Lump

 

I assume you have the bike on a jack, right?

If so, use a floor jack under the rear tire to lift/lower the swing arm to the desired height.

 

Yes I have it on a jack.
The thing is it is too long, not too short, if I jack up the rear wheel wont that do the opposite?
.
I need to either compress the shock or stretch out the swing arm etc..
Are you saying if I jack up the rear wheel the \swing arm will drop or stay and then I will gain the inch I need?
I am going to go try it and see if it works,m I appreciate your lightening fast reply bro, thats awesome man,
Im taking my phone out there so I can read more from the bike, take a pic if necessary and check this post again in 5 minutes.
Thanks
Lump

 

with the shocks top mounts bolted up...

lift the bike so the swingarm is hanging below where the shock lower mount holes are

get some one to steady the bike for you... just in case

I use a wedge shaped 4" block of wood ( imagine a large doorstop)... I push that with my foot under the tire...that raises the swingarm to the height I need, and I slip the bolts through


use lock tite on the threads


I swap my shocks a couple times a year- takes 20 minutes incl coffee.

( I use 12's in town and 13's when touring)


Mike

 

k, thanks again I figured it out.
All I needed to do was loosen the other side one turn and everything dropped right into place, lol
See without having ever done it I wasnt sure and I figured alright maybe there is a trick here or something obviously it is pretty idiot proof but what was I missing.
SO before I used a second jack to lift the swingarm into place I just went to the other side and loosened the bracket one turn, and it was on, took 5 minutes going slow to do the whole job once I figured that out.
Live and learn, at least we lived,
Lump

 

You didn't like the effects of the lowering block? I love mine, it put my feet flat on the ground:

 

Tucci,

I have a 34" inseam, my feet sit flat on the ground even if I raised the bike 6", lol

See, I had my wife on the back yesterday and we were bottoming out and hitting the tire on the fender at speed, it was kind of scary.
She is tiny, light and small, so its not like I have it overloaded or anything.

I decided to lose the lowering kit, and make sure I didnt have a leak in my shocks and check my tire pressure.
Well between the three my bike rides so much smoother, handles better and doesnt bottom out now, well I mean within reason you know, it was really bad yesterday today I couldnt make it bottom out, I feel much better about it.
The guy I bought the bike from was a little guy, he also had a landing gear system on the bike to hold it up at lights an stops, and that was after lowering and using the seat he put on, etc..

Anyway my issues are fixed, I love the ride now I still have to put her on the back and test it but I can feel the difference myself and it is drastic.

If I find a leak in the shocks that will be the end of it, but so far so good I am going to check it out tomorrow.

Thanks again for the good tips.

If I have to do it again I will remember to loosen both sides together, one after the other before putting one back together take them both off at the bottom.

Lump