Shock - stuck in top mount.

[Mav617]

Hi guys, not Storm related but grateful for any assistance from you multi-skilled people.

I am changing out the rear shock on my XSR to a YSS unit. Have got the bolts out but the shock is stuck in the top mount, almost like its been glued in there! Perhaps I need to try and force the jaws open after its been in there a few years and 8000 miles, but it ain't for moving. Any ideas? Surely it should pull out, but its stuck fast and I don't want to use too much force (plus access is not easy at the top mount).

[AMCQ46]

I know on the KTM I have, the bushes in the frame are designed to move inwards when you tighten up the shock mounting bolts, and you have to push them back out before you can remove the shock.

they say it just needs pushing the shock side to side, across the frame to free it off, but I have never done this

[Mav617]

Thanks Al, managed it, was the bushes and wiggling and pulling freed it eventually

[AMCQ46]

lucky guess

before you reinstall you might need to push the spacers further back into the frame to it is not the same fight to go in.

you can use a length of threaded bar and 2 nuts to push them apart. 2 nuts go between the spacers where the shock eye would be, feed the threaded bar in via the shock mount bolt hole and then expand teh nuts against each other and they will ease the spacers back into the frame

[Mav617]