HarleyMotorcyclePartsRoad Glide (FLTRX) Rear Shocks and the Light Front End
Change the back of a sharknose and you change how the front feels. Set the squat deliberately instead of finding out at speed.
Riders buy rear shocks for this bike thinking only about the rear. Yet the fairing on a Road Glide is mounted to the frame, not the forks, so the steering already feels different from a batwing, and how the back squats shifts weight away from the front. When the rear sags under load, the front can feel light. Treat this as a job on the whole bike's balance.
Tools
- Notebook for before-and-after notes
- Hand tools for your mounts
- Accurate torque wrench
- Lift for the frame rails
- Swingarm jack
- Air pump for shocks if fitted
- Measuring tape
- Factory service manual
The balance you are about to alter
Think of a loaded rear as one end of a seesaw. As it sinks, the nose comes up and the front tire carries less. Under a sharknose, riders often read that as a steering or wind problem and go shopping for bars or tires.
So capture how it behaves now. Note where the steering feels vague or light: under power, on a sweeper, loaded with luggage. Be specific, since those observations become your test sheet later.
Shock length matters too, and rear travel and length vary across standard and low versions of Touring models. Altering length moves the attitude of the entire bike. If you are buying a length different from stock, do so knowing that the front will respond.
Measurements that tell you the truth
With the rear wheel raised and the suspension hanging free, measure upward from the axle to a marked point on the bodywork or frame. Record it. Then have a helper steady the bike while you sit on it, geared up, feet on the pegs, and measure the same span. The difference is your sag.
Compare against the range in your service manual. Too much sag means a squatting tail and a light nose before you even blame a shock. Air or knob adjustments are free, so make them first. Neither stiffens the spring; each simply puts the bike higher in its stroke.
Preparing and supporting
Unload the saddlebags and unmount them, because they block the way on every Touring bike. No need to touch the fairing for any of this.
Set the lift pads to the frame, not the pipes. Lift until the back wheel is barely clear. Then fit your jack under the swingarm, just kissing it.
For bikes up to 2016: open the valve and let the air escape from both shocks, since a single line feeds the pair. Disconnect that line at the point your manual shows. Plug or cover open ends against grit.
For 2017 and newer: see if a preload knob sits on your left shock, as it does on most models, then read the manual's steps for removing it.
Changing the shocks
Start wherever access is best. Before removal, shoot a photo that clearly shows orientation; there is a reported issue on some 2014-2016 Touring bikes of right shocks fitted upside down from the factory, covered by bulletin M-1386A. Install according to the correct instructions, not the old shock's pose.
Back off the lower mount, then the upper. Keep the stack of washers and spacers in order on a labeled card.
With the shock off, turn to the wear items. Press a finger on the bushings and look for cracks or movement. Check that the frame and swingarm mounts have not worn oval and that threads are sound. A sloppy bushing lets the rear steer slightly on its own, which is the last thing you want when chasing a vague feel.
Offer up the new unit, top end first. Move the swingarm jack in small steps until the lower mount lines up, then get the threads going by hand. Refer to your manual for the correct torque at each mount, and tighten accordingly. After that, and not before, tackle the opposite side.
Reconnect or reattach whatever adjuster system your bike has. Follow its full route and look for anything that could rub.
Reading the front from the rear
Bags on, bike down. Press down hard on the back and let it rise, watching for contact. Remeasure sag at the marked points, and adjust until it falls in the manual's range.
Now pull out your notes and ride those same situations in the same order. Start slow. Does the steering feel planted through the sweeper that felt vague? Does the tail settle after a bump, or keep bouncing? Add your usual load and repeat, because a setting chosen solo can leave the front light when packed.
Check your headlight aim too, since a changed rear attitude can tip the beam, and on this bike it sits in the frame-mounted fairing.
Keep the old notes with the bike's records, along with the final sag figures.
Return and check all fasteners with the torque wrench. Check them once more after a longer ride.
Mistakes that cost money
- Chasing light steering at the bars when the rear is squatting.
- Changing shock length without considering the front.
- Setting sag solo and then touring loaded.
- Copying the old shock orientation on a 2014-2016 bike without checking the bulletin.
- Forgetting the headlight aim after changing the stance.
When to stop
If the front feels light or starts to weave once loaded, slow down and fix the setup before riding at highway speed. A weave on a heavy bagger needs attention now, not at the next service.
Parts for this job
Check fitment for your own model and year before ordering — add your bike and we will flag what fits.
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.