HarleyMotorcyclePartsFreewheeler (FLRT) Rear Shocks: Easier to See, Still a Trike Job
A stripped trike looks like a simple shock swap. The exposed rear is an invitation to skip steps that its axle still demands.
Look at the back of a Freewheeler and the job appears easy. There is less body than a Tri Glide and more of the rear in plain view, so riders conclude they can treat it like a stripped Softail or Dyna on the bench. They cannot. It shares the same axle logic as its bigger sibling, with a solid differential held by coil-over shocks. Being able to see a part is not the same as being able to safely remove it.
Tools
- FLRT service manual
- Approved axle and chassis support
- Chocks
- Torque wrench and hand tools
- Flashlight
- Clean rags
- A second person
Seeing it is not the same as understanding it
Spend ten minutes just looking. Trace the axle, the differential, and the coil-over on each side, top and bottom. Think about what each end attaches to, and what would move if that shock were not there.
Do this with the trike parked on level ground and the engine cold. Note where you can reach by hand and where you cannot, because a visible fastener can still be awkward to turn. A written list of those points saves wandering around later.
On a two-wheeler with a swingarm, the removal of a shock lets the arm pivot about a known point. A solid axle with a wheel at each end does not behave in the same way. Remove one side's support and the geometry shifts in a way you need to have anticipated, so the two-wheel routine does not transfer.
Also check what you are buying. Trike parts are specific. A shock listed for a two-wheel bike, even a Harley with a similar code, should not be presumed right here. Search by FLRT and model year.
What the manual has to tell you first
Make a short list from the service manual before lifting a wrench: approved support points, any components it wants off first, the sequence of shock removal, and the torque values for each coil-over fastener. Should anything on that list remain unknown, stop there and find it.
Your trike's lower body may let you reach things more easily, but it may also change where a jack can go. Do not rely on anything that worked on a Tri Glide without checking.
Supporting three wheels
A motorcycle lift is the wrong piece of equipment. Work on a flat, hard floor, and raise only as your manual allows, using supports rated comfortably above the machine's weight.
Chock the wheels remaining on the ground on both sides. Place the axle support as specified before any shock is loosened. Rock the trike firmly from the side and from behind. Any shuffle means going back to the beginning.
An exposed rear also means an exposed exhaust and hot parts close to the job, so give it time to cool completely if it has been ridden.
Doing the swap
Clean off the shock mounts with a rag so that you can actually see them. Being out in the open, these collect road dirt and spray in a way a covered rear would not. Soak corroded threads with penetrating oil, and allow it time to work.
If any rear panel or trim blocks you, take it off as directed, tape adjoining paint, and note any wiring.
Take your reference pictures. Then work through the removal in the manual's order, retaining the hardware by location. Keep your hands out from between the axle and body, in case something settles.
Respect the spring. It stays under compression on the shock as an assembly. Never start separating the coil from the body without the proper compressor and procedure.
Now inspect. Bushings ought to be intact and snug, with no cracking or ovaling. Both brackets should be free of cracks, rust scale and bending. Threads must be clean. Give the far-side unit the same scrutiny when you get to it, as an axle does not wear its mounts evenly.
Install the new shock in the direction shown, moving your support in small amounts to align the mounting holes. Start every fastener with your fingers. Tighten to the manual's specification, then mark it with paint.
Closing it out
Stand back and look. The two sides should match in how the shocks are mounted and how the rear sits. Refit anything you took off and check that lights work.
Remove supports only in the order the manual gives. Once the trike is back on the floor, push down on the rear and look for contact at the fenders and tires.
Your test goes in a quiet lot, at walking pace to start. Remember that a Freewheeler does not lean, so a rear that has shifted to one side shows up as a pull at the bars. Work up to a bumpy street, then return and put the torque wrench on every mount again. Check them once more after your first longer ride.
Mistakes that cost money
- Treating an exposed rear as proof of an easy job.
- Borrowing steps from a Softail or Dyna guide.
- Assuming Tri Glide panel and jack points carry over.
- Loosening a shock before the axle has support.
- Inspecting only the side that seemed worn.
When to stop
If the trike shifts on its supports, or if the axle moves when you did not expect it to, stop and back away. Get it safely resupported or call a dealer. Three wheels do not make a machine stable while it is up in the air.
Other Harley how-to guides
This guide covers procedure and judgement. Torque figures, fluid capacities, gaps and tension settings are specific to your model and year and must come from the factory service manual for your motorcycle — we deliberately do not print numbers we cannot stand behind for your bike. Independent aftermarket retailer, not affiliated with Harley-Davidson, Inc.