Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Rear shock install (lots of stupid questions)

Hey guys. So I am back at it again. I have just about everything I need for the job. But I do not yet have the chain tool.

I have an 03 America. What I need to do is:

Swap chain
Swap shocks
swap tensioners (not sure about this part
reinstall rear tire, tighten chain PROPERLY
Bring it to someone and make sure it isn't junked.


These are all somewhat basic jobs but everything combined is a bit tricky and there have been some complications. And now I do need help.

I originally needed someone's assistance in determining whether the frame is bent, whether the bike is junked or not. My own opinion is that I didn't properly tighten the chain and warped the tensioner last time I tried to service the chain. The chain was too old and stretched to be riding on so that is my fault.

SO, someone was recommended to me, and I took them up on it. I ignored my instincts because a very good friend made the rec. This person talked a very good game and showed up with a truck full of tools, charged me $50 just to come by. I asked him about my alignment issues and whether the frame was bent or not and he told me a tale about his "laser tool" that he was gonna bring to get it all sorted out. Ok cool...

When he did show up, I had to chase him down for a week. He showed up when I had a plumber inside. He must've thought I invited him to to everything because he immediately started tearing my bike apart. Scratched the hell out of my pipe, tore off the back wheel, popped out the sprockets and without measuring the old chain out, or installing the rear tire OR EVEN LOOKING AT THE DAMAGED SHOCK ABSORBER, he just started grinding the brand new chain together. "oh this doesn't have that clip thing on it. They didn't give you the whole chain!!!"
I explained to him the concept of a master link and asked him why he told me he had a chain tool when he didn't. He said "PPFFF Chain tool? Lemme just use one of your C clamps."
I should mention that he did NOT crimp my chain fully. It's just snapped together and placed around my front sprocket so I am stuck with an unmeasured half crimped chain. So whatever he thought he was doing he had no clue. Also borrowed my socket for the back wheel. "Hmm that's an odd size, I usually get standards" Oh my lord what a friggin idiot.

I could go on. He left me with a jacked up bike, uncrimped chain and pipes scratched to hell. Told me to "buy a chain tool and some bushings for your shocks." I fired him over the phone a week later when he took 5 days to get back to me. He threatened to kill me when I fired him. I would love for him to come cash that check. Basically, he's probably a junkie and I ignored my instincts because I had a lot of stuff going on and I was keen on saving money. Still am. I HAVE A GOOD MECHANIC IN THIS TOWN and I will only use him when I am unsure of myself from now on. This junkie has cost me thousands of dollars and Nate would've banged it out for a few hundred plus parts.

But now I have a grounded bike. It sits on my lift and I don't see why I shouldn't be the one to get it back together.

The thing is, with a half crimped chain and a loosened triple tree, and loosened swingarm, and basically a bunch of other things that I am not sure of, I don't know where to start. He may have loosened my whole friggin bike.
Can any of you, patient enough to have read this ridiculous saga, give me some pointers? Why the hell did he loosen the triple tree? I could kill this person...

I don't have a second new chain yet. I am that broke right now. I will only get one if I can't save this one. Can I save it?
I haven't bought a chain tool. I avoided buying one because tweakerpants told me he had one. He did not. I'm broke but of course I'm gonna get one. I have everything else. New tensioners, new rear brake pads, new shocks (Hagon 2180s), new sprockets (installed).

I know I'm not the only fool to lose a gamble on a shyster mechanic and get screwed like this.

Any advice would be much appreciated, and thank you for listening.

Just damn

Sorry you got taken like that. You can crimp the link with a hammer and center punch but better to wait for the tool. If you want to try the punch you have to back up the pin with something solid ( block of steel etc..) I use clip style master links for ease of assembly and able to fix it along the road.

When you do the shocks do one at a time, it makes the job easier.

No and it is very difficult to do because the pin is so hard.

I'm definitely not using a hammer.

Install a regular style master link, iv'e never busted a chain while riding with a master link fitted.

Tighten the triple tree up till you get a slight drag and i mean slight, use two fingers to push the bars when turning from lock to lock and don't forget to loosen the stantion clamp bolts when adjusting the head bearings ( you won't move the trees closer together if you keep them clamped). I would loosen the lower clamp bolts and leave the top ones tight. Make sure the wheel spindle is clamped correctly.
Make sure the wheel is straight and the bars aren't twisted to one side and "pump" the forks up and down to allow them to settle in the correct position, snug up the lower bolts and check for straightness of the front wheel. Don't forget the upper tree has the adjusting nut/ring and then a nut to lock it all together.
Snug up the swingarm till you can't feel any side to side flex, best done with the wheel out or at least loosened to allow movement when adjusting the swingarm . Hope this helps you, Des.

When you adjust the chain you should have about 1/2" of play in the center of the bottom run when you push up on it with your fingers. A little loose is better than too tight.