Replacing rear shock - DIY or Dealer?

[Woodie]

So... I'm getting ready to replace the rear shock on my lowered 2009.

 

Are there any special tools needed?

Do I need two people to do it?

If DIY, roughly how long should it take?

 

I'm mostly concerned about the spring - will I need a spring compressor tool thing or not.

 

Thanks all!

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, Woodie said:

So... I'm getting ready to replace the rear shock on my lowered 2009.

 

Are there any special tools needed?

Do I need two people to do it?

If DIY, roughly how long should it take?

 

I'm mostly concerned about the spring - will I need a spring compressor tool thing or not.

 

Thanks all!

 

Morning Woodie

 

If you are replacing a bare rear strut (shock) without an existing spring on it then you will need to buy, make, or borrow a spring compressor that will FIT that spring & strut.

 

Or remove your existing strut & take it & the replacement to a place that can change the spring over for you.

 

As for time involved-- no way to predict until we have more details on if you have proper tools, a spring compressor, & how many you have done in the past. If this is your first one & you don't have a spring compressor then LOTS of time.

 

If you plan on changing the rear strut with bike on center stand then be sure to safety strap the center stand to the front wheel/forks as it is REAL easy to knock the bike off the center stand when working on that rear strut.

[Qball 16]

2 hours ago, Woodie said:

So... I'm getting ready to replace the rear shock on my lowered 2009.

 

Are there any special tools needed?

Do I need two people to do it?

If DIY, roughly how long should it take?

 

I'm mostly concerned about the spring - will I need a spring compressor tool thing or not.

 

Thanks all!

 

I changed the front and rear springs on my 06RT, and have full access to the auto shop at my school (I teach high school math).  The school shop has a very safe & secure wall mounted spring compressor that I planned to use, but quickly found out that automotive equipment doesn't always fit the smaller parts we deal with on our bikes.  The arms & fingers on the spring compressor were just too big to deal with the smaller diameter of my RT springs, as well as the thickness of the coils themselves.  I had to use the hydraulic shop press, and a notched tubular 'collar' made from a 6" section of exhaust pipe to compress the spring enough to remove the retaining clips.

 

I have loads of automotive mechanical experience, and have done many car & truck struts and springs, but this was right on the edge of my comfort level.  If I wasn't able to get the shocks mounted securely in the shop press to compress the springs for removal, I was fully prepared to take them to a shop.  I really don't like spending money that I don't have to, but I'm also not willing to risk my long term health & safety just to save a couple bucks...

[Woodie]

Thanks for the replies guys, now that I have the replacement in hand.

Rear shock (used, ~25k miles on it) came with spring already mounted, so I think that removes my biggest worry.

 

I replaced shocks on a Honda some 30 years ago in the driveway. Don't remember much about the experience, but it got done.  Now I have garage, concrete floor, and a fair selection of tools used for routine BMW maintenance (and the occasional heli-coil. See my nickname).  

 

[dirtrider]

10 hours ago, Woodie said:

Thanks for the replies guys, now that I have the replacement in hand.

Rear shock (used, ~25k miles on it) came with spring already mounted, so I think that removes my biggest worry.

 

I replaced shocks on a Honda some 30 years ago in the driveway. Don't remember much about the experience, but it got done.  Now I have garage, concrete floor, and a fair selection of tools used for routine BMW maintenance (and the occasional heli-coil. See my nickname).  

 

 

Morning Woodie

 

Your BMW 1200RT will be a bit more difficult than your old Honda.

 

As I mentioned in a post above be sure to tie the center stand to the front wheel, or tie to forks so you don't knock it off the center stand. (it is REAL EASY to knock a 1200 bike off the center stand while working/jacking on it if the center stand is not secured) 

 

You will probably need some sort of scissors jack or other means  to jack the rear wing arm up a little (your car jack might work). --(be sure to pad the swing arm where the jack makes contact)

 

You will probably have to remove the muffler to get it out of your way (or remove rear muffler bolt then loosen the front clamp then twist/swing the muffler out & away as far as possible)

 

You will have to (should anyhow)  remove the rear wheel.

 

Obviously you will need to  unplug the shock wire connectors & unstrap the pig tails if you have an ESA bike.

 

The front lower part of the rear wheel inner fender plastic will have (should be) removed to give access to get the strut out  (A.F.A.I.R. that is  2 screws)

 

On the lower rear  strut bolt be careful in removing that if stuck as those have been known to break . If that bolt breaks in the swing arm then it is VERY/VERY difficult to remove the broken piece (use much caution on this one).

 

The BMW service manual calls for replacing the rear strut upper trough-bolt nut but you can re-use the original nut if you use a dab of blue (242) Lock-Tite on the bolt threads.

 

On the lower rear strut bolt look for signs of bending, if ANY bending found then REPLACE that bolt (don't try to cheap out on this as it will bite you in the a$$ later).

 

Use a l-i-t-t-l-e  blue (242) Loc-Tite on the lower bolt threads & put just a dab of grease on the outer surface of the   lower bolt head  (head spins free in the swing are hole so you don't want it to bind).

 

If you have an ESA bike then it might work OK when installed or it might not. If it doesn't track or work correctly then you might have to have it calibrated with a GS-911 or dealer computer. (BMW service manual calls for a calibration after installation).

 

If your new strut has a different colored spring then it   probably has a different load and/or a different rate than your original spring so (IF) the spring is a different  color  do research that before installing  that new strut.

 

I probably missed a small step in the above so don't hold it as gospel,  just use it as a general guide. 

 

 

[Woodie]

Sounds right in line with everything else I've read. No ESA...which makes it easier. Will probably go pick up one of the micro-torch thingies, to help break loose the lower bolt. Current and replacement are BMW Black.

 

Yup, will take off the silencer/muffler. 

 

Actually, thinking back..it might have been the R65 rather than one of the Hondas. Gets hard to remember after a while.

[dirtrider]

3 minutes ago, Woodie said:

Sounds right in line with everything else I've read. No ESA...which makes it easier. Will probably go pick up one of the micro-torch thingies, to help break loose the lower bolt. Current and replacement are BMW Black.

 

Yup, will take off the silencer/muffler. 

 

Actually, thinking back..it might have been the R65 rather than one of the Hondas. Gets hard to remember after a while.

 

Evening Woodie

 

I'm not sure how much good a micro torch will help you.

 

Heating the lower bolt head will do nothing for breaking the threads loose as the threads are a LONG way from the bolt head.

 

Using a flame on the lower swing arm will more than likely burn the paint off of it  well before it gets hot enough to loosen anything.

 

A smaller heat gun might be better as that can warm/heat the swing arm in the thread area without burning the paint off (still a LOT of heat diffusing  alloy to get very much heat into the thread area).

 

Most will come out without any heat (BMW service manual doesn't call for heat) but it can be a fine line between breaking the bolt loose & breaking it off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ron-M]

Hey Woodie,

I am by far no mechanic and I have changed out my shocks a couple of times.  Not that difficult.  

[Woodie]

Thanks Ron.

 

Re: heat. Dealership mechanic recommended heat when I asked about doing it myself and special tools. He was concerned about the age of the bike, and possible corrosion, etc.  Someone pointed out that breaking that lower bolt would be a major problem.

 

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, Woodie said:

Thanks Ron.

 

Re: heat. Dealership mechanic recommended heat when I asked about doing it myself and special tools. He was concerned about the age of the bike, and possible corrosion, etc.  Someone pointed out that breaking that lower bolt would be a major problem.

 

 

Afternoon Woodie

 

Yes, breaking that lower bolt would be a MAJOR problem.

 

The problem is, that  lower bolt threads into a large chunk of aluminum alloy. It would take major heat to heat the swing arm  enough to release a corroded in bolt.  You will burn the paint off the outside of the swing arm well before you heat the swing arm casting enough to release a corroded bolt with a flame type heating device.

 

A heat gun might get it warm without damage but I seriously doubt that a torch flame will heat it anywhere near enough without scorching heat damage.

 

The good news is that bolt should have some sealer on it's threads  as installed at the factory so hopefully that  kept the moisture & corrosion from getting in &  acting on the bolt to swing arm threads.

 

 

[Woodie]

Ah, gotcha now. I have a heat gun, so that makes a ton more sense now. One less trip to the store for this project!

 

Thanks

 

BTW, this place is great!

[lkraus]

Somewhere, I saw 100ºC (212º F) as the temperature to aim for when removing bolts with blue thread locker.  That's only the temperature of boiling water. When I took off my shock, I heated the swing arm in the threaded area with my heat gun, waving it back and forth to bring up the temperature gradually and watching for paint discoloration.  I also used a infrared thermometer (similar to this) to monitor the temperature.  The bolt broke loose pretty easily around 95º C, with no paint damage.

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, lkraus said:

Somewhere, I saw 100ºC (212º F) as the temperature to aim for when removing bolts with blue thread locker.  That's only the temperature of boiling water. When I took off my shock, I heated the swing arm in the threaded area with my heat gun, waving it back and forth to bring up the temperature gradually and watching for paint discoloration.  I also used a infrared thermometer (similar to this) to monitor the temperature.  The bolt broke loose pretty easily around 95º C, with no paint damage.

 

Afternoon Larry

 

I think it's a bit higher temperature  than that, BMW uses blue LockTite 243 (probably industrial equivalent) at original assembly,  according to my industrial LockTite chart it's release temperature is 250°c. (458°f)

 

Also, according to my chart LockTite's  243 working temperature is  up to 180°C  (360°F) so heating to under that would probably not do much for removal. Maybe a little but it wouldn't have a working temperature rated above it's release temperature.

 

Due to fairly large bolt diameter 10mm (10.9 rating) & the somewhat low initial breakaway torque of the blue LockTite the BMW manual doesn't ask for or require heat to disassemble. 

 

If BMW got enough 243 on those threads at assembly then it should come loose fairly easily without heat as blue LockTite is a cold release LockTite that is not permanent. On the other hand if BMW didn't get enough LockTite on the threads then moisture could have entered the thread joint & formed corrosion.  Now on 'THAT' I have no idea on how much heat would be required to allow the bolt to come free of the alloy if they are corroded together.

 

I have also seen them stick on the outer end   (where the bolt head free floats in the swing arm outer hole as that isn't sealed from moisture except for some grease at assembly). That really  doesn't effect the bolt itself breaking but CAN effect the amount of torque to remove, or break free, so if it is stuck hard enough that can cause the tool to strip out the bolt socket. (that is also a difficult problem to resolve at home)  

 

If there is corrosion between the bolt & the lower strut bushing that can also cause  removal problems.

[Indy Dave]

Here's a pictorial for teh rear shock. While this is for a ESA shock removal and non ESA shock install, it's pretty much the same thing. Good Luck, it's a pretty easy job.

 

 

https://www.bmwsporttouring.com/topic/11540-r1200rt-ohlins-installation-part-1/

[Dann]

I did mine on my 07 a few years ago and I had to remove it and replace it again when I replaced my drive shaft.

I'm no mechanic and it wasn't that hard.

If you have the BMW repair DVD/manual, all you have to do is follow the instructions.

[Woodie]

Thanks all. Job is done. No ESA, so skipped a few steps, and left the rear tire on. No heat required to break loose any fasteners.  

I did use a second set of hands when doing the actual remove and positioning the actual strut.

 

I took about 90 minutes, but there was some tool-finding parts and garage tidying.