Rear shock top mount, bushing stuck.

[Guest]

'81 GS450. I'm replacing the rear shocks. On the left side the bushing is stuck. Any tips or tricks to get if off of there?

[bwringer]

We may need a photo.

Do you want to preserve the bushing or is destruction an option?

Is the shock already off?

Assuming the inner steel sleeve is stuck to the bike, I'd advise liberal applications of Kroil or a similar penetrating oil, and tapping the edges of the inner bushing sleeve with a cold chisel. Basically, try to get it to rotate a bit.

[skreemer]

We may need a photo.

Do you want to preserve the bushing or is destruction an option?

Is the shock already off?

Assuming the inner steel sleeve is stuck to the bike, I'd advise liberal applications of Kroil or a similar penetrating oil, and tapping the edges of the inner bushing sleeve with a cold chisel. Basically, try to get it to rotate a bit.

Yah, you got it in one. The rubber is in good condition and I'd like to save it if I could but there's no real need to do so. The other side and the bottom one came right off. The top one rotates freely with just the rubber bit and the steel sleeve but won't come off.





I loosened up the grab handle and tried to use it as a fulcrum to pry it off and only ended up bending it a bit.

[mrbill5491]

Uh yeah careful on those shock mounts. They are a very mild steel and will bend and strip easy.

[skreemer]

I grabbed the rubber with an set of vice grips and then attacked the vice grips with a hammer and screw driver (none of the correct tools for the job.) Ended up getting it right off though. Then I used the old bushing as a drift to put the new one on. Worked like a charm.

[bwringer]

Good to know the basics of caveman mechanicking still have a place...


MONGO FIX BIKE. UURRGHH!

MONGO GRAB WITH VICE-GRIP!

MONGO SMASH WITH HAMMER! (Please tell me it was a claw hammer...)

MONGO STAB WITH SCREWDRIVER!

[GelandeStrasse]

Good to know the basics of caveman mechanicking still have a place...


MONGO FIX BIKE. UURRGHH!

MONGO GRAB WITH VICE-GRIP!

MONGO SMASH WITH HAMMER! (Please tell me it was a claw hammer...)

MONGO STAB WITH SCREWDRIVER!

Mongo successfully Completes task, sits back with a beer and admires handywork.

[skreemer]

Does a dead blow hammer make if any better? I still hit the bloody thing with a hammer and screw driver. (I still feel bad about it)

[GelandeStrasse]

(I still feel bad about it)

Don't! when needs must you use what you got eh

[bwringer]

Now that I think about it, a real caveman would have hit the screwdriver with a rock. Or a large crescent wrench.

[08rangerdan]

For next time

My assumption is most of those sleeves are split not solid. Yank the rubber off and put a sharp chissel in the split seam of the sleeve and attempt to open up the tolerance of the sleeve. A few brisk taps should break it free.. simply breaking the corrosion enough to get it off.. Use a good penetrating oil. If the sleeve isnt split for some reason then worst case scenario you will need to cut a seam carefully using a dremel or rotary wheel attachment and split from there. Even with a home made split you can reuse it just fine.

[skreemer]

The issue was it was spinning free on the stud, I just couldn't move it laterally to get it off.

Even after attacking the stud with a scotch bright pad, getting all the surface rust off, and dabbing a touch of oil on the stud after the old bushing was off. It took me 10 minutes and using the old bushing as a drift to get the new one on. Of the 4 studs for some reason that one is a hair bigger.