Penske 8983 FJ-09 Shock Replacement How To

[betoney]

I'm beginning to think that my only hope is to completely remove the tank to aid in access.  Regardless what everyone says to just move the wiring to the side to access the top mount, I simply cant move them even a few millimeters, let alone enough to even see the bolt.  I know that some say its a 15 minute procedure, but the only progress I made today was removing the lower dog bone bolt.  I feel like a frickin' idiot, I finally gave up and threw all of my tools back in the tool box in frustration. 

Okay, let's take a step back. Make sure you're getting to it from the right side of the bike. Right side, as you sit on it. This is what it looks like on mine. You might want to tape off that area of the frame to keep from scratching it up. 
 

Clint Yes, I can see the nut on the right side, its the bolt head on the left side that I cant access or even see.  Once I remove the nut then I have to pull the bolt out from the left to remove the shock, but like I said, on the left side I cant move the wiring harness out of the way enough to even see the bolt head.  It doesn't want to flex at all.
 
Thanks again for your help.
 

[BentAero]

@betoney , Using a flashlight (or Torch if you're a Brit) so you can see what's happening, stick a long screwdriver in toward that left side/bolt head, and pry up, or pry down on the wire cluster just enough to find out which way has easier movement. Once you can move the wire cluster up or down enough to clear the bolt head, have a friend push it out from the right side. You'll literally have to pry the wires away for the bolt head to clear.
 
It's not your imagination; those wires don't want to move, but they will.

[betoney]

@betoney , Using a flashlight (or Torch if you're a Brit) so you can see what's happening, stick a long screwdriver in toward that left side/bolt head, and pry up, or pry down on the wire cluster just enough to find out which way has easier movement. Once you can move the wire cluster up or down enough to clear the bolt head, have a friend push it out from the right side. You'll literally have to pry the wires away for the bolt head to clear. 
It's not your imagination; those wires don't want to move, but they will.

Thanks so much for the tip, its good to hear that the harness does move.  I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this as difficult to access, I was starting to feel extremely incompetent in my mechanical skills for something that should be very easy.  
 

[clint]

Okay, let's take a step back. Make sure you're getting to it from the right side of the bike. Right side, as you sit on it. This is what it looks like on mine. You might want to tape off that area of the frame to keep from scratching it up. 
 
 

Clint Yes, I can see the nut on the right side, its the bolt head on the left side that I cant access or even see.  Once I remove the nut then I have to pull the bolt out from the left to remove the shock, but like I said, on the left side I cant move the wiring harness out of the way enough to even see the bolt head.  It doesn't want to flex at all.
 
Thanks again for your help.

I forgot to add that after you remove the nut from the top bolt, connect a couple of 1/4 drive ratchet extensions together and tap out the bolt from the right. That pushes it right up against wiring loom and the shock can be dislodged from the mount. No question, this isn't a 15 or 30 min procedure, it's a fiddly and frustrating process. Relax, be patient and it will come together. 

[bruceintucson]

Personally I just found it much easier (and in the long run actually quicker) by taking off the necessary tupperware & propping up the gas tank. Takes 10 minutes to get the tank propped up...once you've done it the first time. :-)

[betoney]

Well, following the above advice, the stock shock came out no problem. That was the easy part, getting the new one in the upper mount has been impossible. Traxxion shipped the shock with no instructions, so does the shock mount with the reservoir hose coming out of the left or right? I cant get it to fit either way, but knowing if I am attempting it right or wrong would help.
And finally where are you supposed to mount the reservoir? The hose seems way too long, its 15" from the elbow on top of the shock to the reservoir. When I mock it up in place, the hose goes way back behind the passenger peg mount with nothing to mount it to.

[betoney]

***UPDATE***
I was FINALLY able to get the shock installed... whew, what a pain in the A$$. 2.5 hours and a lot of skin removed from my knuckles getting the shock into the top mount.
FWIW, when installing the shock, the ONLY way I could get it to fit was to install the rear bolt first then fiddle with the front. I spent forever initially getting the front mounted, only to find that when it is static, the linkage doesn't raise enough to fit the rear mount bolt, not even close.
I wish I cold meet the engineer who designed this bike and ask why everything fits in a puzzle-like manner, then smack him upside the head.

[clint]

***UPDATE*** I was FINALLY able to get the shock installed... whew, what a pain in the A$$. 2.5 hours and a lot of skin removed from my knuckles getting the shock into the top mount.
FWIW, when installing the shock, the ONLY way I could get it to fit was to install the rear bolt first then fiddle with the front. I spent forever initially getting the front mounted, only to find that when it is static, the linkage doesn't raise enough to fit the rear mount bolt, not even close.
I wish I cold meet the engineer who designed this bike and ask why everything fits in a puzzle-like manner, then smack him upside the head.

You rock dude!
 
 

[bruceintucson]

Well, following the above advice, the stock shock came out no problem. That was the easy part, getting the new one in the upper mount has been impossible. Traxxion shipped the shock with no instructions, so does the shock mount with the reservoir hose coming out of the left or right? I cant get it to fit either way, but knowing if I am attempting it right or wrong would help. And finally where are you supposed to mount the reservoir? The hose seems way too long, its 15" from the elbow on top of the shock to the reservoir. When I mock it up in place, the hose goes way back behind the passenger peg mount with nothing to mount it to.

Run the hose in the area under the left rear frame mount & the chain guard. Remove the left passenger peg and install a couple of approx. 2mm washers between the passenger peg & the frame mount. Remount the passenger peg. Take the rubber mounting piece supplied by Penske & cut it in half. Run the hose clamp around/behind the passenger peg & it's mount to the frame (reason the washers are needed), take the now two sections of the rubber mount & put one on each side of the outside of footpeg sections that go down, slide the compression adjuster in place & tighten the hose clamp. Use  couple of zip ties to pull the hose up tight to the rear frame tube.I sent pictures to Dan at Traxxion a couple of months ago but apparently he hasn't made copies to include with the Penske shocke yet. 

[carey]

***UPDATE*** I was FINALLY able to get the shock installed... whew, what a pain in the A$$. 2.5 hours and a lot of skin removed from my knuckles getting the shock into the top mount.
FWIW, when installing the shock, the ONLY way I could get it to fit was to install the rear bolt first then fiddle with the front. I spent forever initially getting the front mounted, only to find that when it is static, the linkage doesn't raise enough to fit the rear mount bolt, not even close.
I wish I cold meet the engineer who designed this bike and ask why everything fits in a puzzle-like manner, then smack him upside the head.

Congrats.  If you think that was hard, try fitting as ZX6 shock with the reservoir at the upper shock mount.  It's a tight fit, but it goes in. The best part is that you did this yourself

[betoney]

Thanks again to all who shared their advise and knowledge. I would probably still be out in the garage throwing tools without your help.

[peporter]

Well, following the above advice, the stock shock came out no problem. That was the easy part, getting the new one in the upper mount has been impossible. Traxxion shipped the shock with no instructions, so does the shock mount with the reservoir hose coming out of the left or right? I cant get it to fit either way, but knowing if I am attempting it right or wrong would help. And finally where are you supposed to mount the reservoir? The hose seems way too long, its 15" from the elbow on top of the shock to the reservoir. When I mock it up in place, the hose goes way back behind the passenger peg mount with nothing to mount it to.

This is how I mounted mine: http://fj-09.org/thread/1829/nitron-rear-suspension-upgrade?page=2 The pics are a little way down the page. I went to Ace Hardware and got a length of 1" flat steel, laid the passenger mount frame on it, marked the holes and drilled them. Took my angle grinder and cut a slight notch from the bottom, put it in a vice and bent in downward. Slapped some paint on it, used the two rubber bumpers Traxxion sent with the shock and zip tied it on. It hasn't moved, and I ride plenty. 

[betoney]

Peporter, thanks to both you and Bruceintucson, you guys gave me some great ideas for mounting the reservior.

[duhs10]

@ulewz thanks for starting this thread 2 years ago. Your step by step was very helpful. The only thing I would suggest from your original step by step is to remove the lower dog bone link first. This allows you to drop the swing arm enough to access the lower shock mount with sockets.
 
(Sorry if this has already been mentioned, I didn't go through all pages of the thread)

[pattonme]

I wish I cold meet the engineer who designed this bike and ask why everything fits in a puzzle-like manner, then smack him upside the head.

it's because the engineer is a CAD monkey and has no concept of the actual toil involved in servicing his creation. On his computer screen it's all perfect and compact. Another contributing factor is no doubt on the factory floor there is no tupperware, FI lines, or air-box at this point, no exhaust mounted, and no wheels so it's trivial to get at stuff from the top and no mechanical interference. 
I don't charge enough (comparatively) to install customer shocks. I curse every time and believe me, I'd use a lead pipe to "smack" some sense into the engineering department.
 
it's very helpful if you first align the holes at either end since as you observed you have to put the bolt thru the bottom clevis first and then rock/wiggle the front up and into it's slot. Here too there's no need for precision fit you aftermarket shock makers!!! Just 1mm of clearance would be such a massive help. I use a length of 10mm fork cartridge rod (naturally) to hold the front of the shock aligned while futzing to get the bolt back in.