Shock bushings

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
Anybody here ever try to press out the bushings in their shocks for re-use? I got a set of sportster shocks which don't match up to my bike but both sets are Showa and the HD shocks have the same eyes so the bushings should fit. Do you guys think the bushings will tear if I put them in a press? And more importantly, is this doable? My other option is to machine the new shocks at school.

Cheers, Steve

[SqDancerLynn1]

Chances are they will tear. so you don't have anything to loose. I would contact Works preformance or some place like it. they may have bushings for replacement If that fails I would get a polyurethane type auto sway bar bushing very hard rubber/plastic then machine it to fit the HD shock and the Suzuki mounting stud

[Anonymous]

yeah, I may get some of that stuff. It's too bad they couldn't have made the the mounting studs threaded section shorter. For some unknown reason the machined part of the stud is only half as wide as the bushing so it will be necessary to put the metal inserts in any bushings I make. :?

Thanks, Steve

[Anonymous]

I just pressed in my old bushings and it worked very well. They can come apart a little when pushing them out so it helps to oil them first. Then wash them off before putting them in the new shocks. These fit the Showa Harley shocks perfectly.

I used an Arbour Press and it was very easy! Now I need to update my fork springs because the Sportster 1200 shocks are pretty stiff. Once I put the luggage on my bike it will be perfect as it adds enough balast to make the springs compress on bumps. :P

Cheers, Steve

[shortlid]

What kind of GS?

I have a set of aftermarket 13" H-D shocks I want to put on the back of my '80 GS850G. You say they are pretty stiff, like unbrearable riding one up?? Also what was the procedure to use the arbor press to push the old bushings out of the old shocks,a nd into teh H-D ones??