rear bottom shock bolt

[3ntune]

went to pull off the belt to change the red dust of death pully and behold, the rear bottom shock bolt is bent like a small v. Does brp not test there metal, I weigh 152 wife 128 so what is the deal. This bike is stating to concern me, I love riding the spyder f3, but the quality of parts is not there. case hardened metal should not bend like this. Just got the new front sprocket and it is white,not like the old one.

[Wmoater]

Is the bolt silver or black? Black hardened steel is Oem. If it’s silver then someone replaced it with lower grade bolt. Pretty hard to bend a hardened bolt. The bar itself would be bent under it and the saddle or U the shock bolts goes in would be bent in. We’ve messed up many shocks on wheelers but never bent a shock bolt. The saddle will break before the bolt. I can’t see how it can bent without cracking the saddle. Is the shock Oem? If someone removed the shock and it was extended they might have tried to put bolt through one side of saddle, then angle bolt into shock to force it to align then pound it through and bend up to go through other side. NEVER USE the bolt to align the holes. Compress with a ratchet strap, slide bolt in and release.

[3ntune]

Yea,I hear you,

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

went to pull off the belt to change the red dust of death pully and behold, the rear bottom shock bolt is bent like a small v. Does brp not test there metal, I weigh 152 wife 128 so what is the deal. This bike is stating to concern me, I love riding the spyder f3, but the quality of parts is not there. case hardened metal should not bend like this. Just got the new front sprocket and it is white,not like the old one.

If you have had any service work done ???? .... using the SHOCK bolt to lift the rear could have done that !!! .... I use a small wood block wider than the SHOCK bolt TABS and lift the rear .... never bent the Bolt ..... Mike

[BajaRon]

I got a used Elka shock which had a larger diameter pin than stock and it was bent. Bottoming could do it. And, as Blueknight said, jacking up on the shock could also do it.

[Gwolf]

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[Jetfixer]

There's a reason why the shop manual says to never lift by the shock bolt, only the frame.

[3ntune]

never have I used the rear shock mounting point to put a jack

[UtahPete]

There's a reason why the shop manual says to never lift by the shock bolt, only the frame.

I didn't know that. I see plenty of posts recommending lifting the rear just that way and that's what I do.

Where should I lift from then?

I like Mike's suggestion of using a wood block, but it's still lifting at that point...

[Bensonoid]

Where should I lift from then?

If you have an ATV jack lift the whole machine from here.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I didn't know that. I see plenty of posts recommending lifting the rear just that way and that's what I do.

Where should I lift from then?

I like Mike's suggestion of using a wood block, but it's still lifting at that point...

Those metal Tabs are strong and welded to the frame. I have used them dozens & dozens of times never bent anything ..... Mike

[trikermutha]

My shock bolt was silver and was from the factory that way. Now I went after market on the shocks and the bolt bent so I went with a 10.9 versus a 8.8 bolt. Last I checked it is not bent.

[PMK]

It is bent from the rear shock bottoming out. You mention F3, and some versions were undersprung. Does yours have the two up or whatever they call it rear shock and spring?

Always kind of funny to read how jacking by the lower shock eyelet will bend the bolt. Seriously guys, if the bolt is supporting the Spyders static weight without bending, and you placed a jack under the shock to raise the Spyder, the same amount of weight is applied into the shock and spring. The load on the bolt is decreased to simply the hanging weight of the swingarm and rear wheel.

The reason to not jack a Spyder under the swingarm tabs or shock eyelet would be possibly bending the swingarm tabs.

[PMK]

Those metal Tabs are strong and welded to the frame. I have used them dozens & dozens of times never bent anything ..... Mike

Someone, somewhere, not saying its you, has the minimal skills required to bend the swingarm tabs. Same people break bowling balls, and ruin hammer. Simply someone has to do it...

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

It is bent from the rear shock bottoming out. You mention F3, and some versions were undersprung. Does yours have the two up or whatever they call it rear shock and spring?

Always kind of funny to read how jacking by the lower shock eyelet will bend the bolt. Seriously guys, if the bolt is supporting the Spyders static weight without bending, and you placed a jack under the shock to raise the Spyder, the same amount of weight is applied into the shock and spring. The load on the bolt is decreased to simply the hanging weight of the swingarm and rear wheel.

The reason to not jack a Spyder under the swingarm tabs or shock eyelet would be possibly bending the swingarm tabs.

This sounds logical .... however most folks who lift their Spyder from that area are changing a tire .... if the jack is on the shock imho that bolt won't be re-moveable ..... finding that out after you have jacked up the Spyder is not going to bring happiness .... Mike

[Gwolf]

F3, most of the heavy weight is well forward of the shock bolt by a good bit. You can jack on the frame 3 to 5 inches forward of the shock bolt and the bike will not try to tip backwards. Most all the major weight is the front end, the engine, and fuel tank. It is well forward. There is really no reason to jack up on the shock bolt.