Rear shock bottom bolt

big_kitch

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So on Monday I went out to find a pool of oil below the rear shock of my 2007 GS (~57K). Read through the threads on here and decided a refurb by MCT sounded like the best option.

The bike has been ridden all year round for the past 7 years and the elements have taken their toll. In readiness I bought a new exhaust clamp as I could see the original was going to have to be sacrificed to get it off - I was right.

Finally got the silencer off. Despite liberal amounts of WD40 as well as application of heat with a paint stripper gun I couldn't budge the bottom bolt. I've got a 60cm breaker bar but all that did was make it easier to snap two Torx bits...

Have now had to book it into the dealer to slacken off the bolt - they think they might need to drill it out.

Anyone have any successful experiences to share?

Nick
 
Not much help really, but took mine off yesterday for the same reason, 900cm breaker bar and it was out in a jiffy, have you got any tube you could add to the dinky 600cm breaker you used.
 
The bottom bolt is a bastard to get out as the factory but some very hard loctite on the threads.

When I first did mine, the advice on here was:

  • Make sure you have the right torx and it's in nice and tight. I cleaned the bolt head and tapped the torx right in.
  • Use a short an extension as you can get away with to clear the swing arm and all the other gubbins.
  • Get the longest extension bar you can find, stand on it and the crack of the loctite breaking will frighten the shit out of you. I used a mate of mine to hold the torx square in the bolt whilst I applied the pressure on the extension.

i would also book it it with Steptoe who isn't too far from you and he may get this out for you.

Do these first before the dealer has your trousers down and wants to drill it out.
 
Mine came off with a breaker bar and an electric impact gun. Impacted it first then bar'd it.

One thing you'll notice when you get it out is that there is a bush in your swingarm, this should move freely. Mine was solid so I drew it out with bolt and washers. Damaged the paint slightly as not an exactly flat surface. I put some antiseize grease on it and popped it back in. Touratech do a little video about fitting their shocks and show that bush in it.
 
I should cancel the booking at the dealer, they will take one look at it and try to sell you a new swing arm etc.
If the bolt head is still serviceable, you need heat and plenty of it,you need to use a proper quality torx bit ,snap on etc.
If the bolt head is damaged , forget about drilling it out ,it is @ 50mm long, and it's high tensile steel.
In this instance I would use a mig welder to build up the head of the bolt then I would weld a big nut to the bolt,unfortunately this will probably damage the paint finish.also it would be a wise precaution to disconnect the wiring to the ecu,s
I am not very local to you but if you can't get it out I can do the job,
My workshop is 5 miles north of Melton Mowbray
Mike 07786 340692
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Steptoe does service my bike but it's a bit of a schlep up there. I don't have a longer bar and I feel I've reached the end of my capabilities/bravery... One of the snapped Torx bits was a cheap Draper one, the other was one of the Halfords Professional ones - not Snap On but not cheese either. My worry would be that a longer bar would just make it easier to snap another one?

I can see the bush outside the bolt and in one place at the bottom it almost looks as though they are welded together.

I'll think some more but I think I'll end up at the stealer. I'm certainly not going anywhere near a new swing arm or anything like that.

Cheers

Nick
 
Forget my post thought you had a stuck exhaust clamp you've got that off already.
 
Nick

Mike is right and it's not a job for your main dealer. Their mechanics aren't really set for this sort of stuff unless you fall lucky and get an old school guy who can figure it out. I would fear they will just say it's a new swing arm etc which will give them licence use brute force and ignorance on it.

I've had a couple of sheared or stuck bolts over the years and I've taken my bike to a pal who is very old school. He likes a challenge and he's told me to go for a walk for 10 minutes and bingo, the job is done!He will do as mike said i.e weld a nut on the stuck one or use a big bar.

Take it to a professional and they will do it easily enough I would suggest.
 
As others have said - it's a job for a local engineering company / mechanic. Dealers these days aren't geared up for proper repairs and 'mechanicing' they just do diagnostics and fit new parts.

With anything like this, heat is invariably your friend. If BMW use the same green loctite 270 as they do on paralever pins then you *have* to get it hot in order to release it (over 100C). This take a surprisingly long time when the bolt is into a bloody great aluminium heat sink (like a swingarm). If the bolt head isn't hot enough to fizz a licked finger then it's not hot enough (and you've got to give it time for the heat to soak down the length of the bolt).
 
I
MattW said:
If the bolt head isn't hot enough to fizz a licked finger then it's not hot enough (and you've got to give it time for the heat to soak down the length of the bolt).
Click to expand...

Oxyacetylene will do it I make it glow red it'll move then ;)
 
As a few have said, heat and lots of it - if it were me I'd be having one more go, get another quality Torx drive and really heat the bolt up. Then a few shocks to the bolt (ideally a windy gun but if not a lump hammer on the breaker bar) before putting all your weight on the bar and bingo (if you're lucky) :)

Andres
 
Mikey or Steptoe sounds like the men to do it.:rob

forget the dealer they wont have a clue.:nenau
 
I used a torx bit with an extension and the bar end of the extension supported on an axle stand. I was then able to put all my weight on the end of the bar.
 
Hopefully fixed now, plus the wrong link got inserted somehow anyway!
 
Just out of interest, why does this bolt need to be so tight or have such a tough grade of Loctite? It's not in tension and only has to resist the shear force of the suspension unit.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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