dcarver
Well-known member
Fine. Just Fine. Enjoyed every freakin' minute of installing the Pensky.
After reading all the of real mechanic's tales of how easy it was to install the group buy Penske shock, I thought I'd give it a try on my 2006 ABS.
...for me, this was NOT an easy install. Here are some of the problems, and hopefully you won't repeat them, that I encountered.
1. I had to remove the voltage rectifier / regulator to clear the hi/low adjustment of the stock shock. Simply removing the connectors should have been easy enough, except the right hand side connector, the ACV carrier, would NOT come off. So I had to remove the entire regulator and aluminum shield to clear the shock cable, a real PIA. I didn't want to remove the rear tire, so I sacrificed my fat hands and scarred them up, as in blood everywhere, to get that sucka out.
2. The right connector would NOT come off. I depressed the tab, gently tried to remove the connector, no luck. I tried lifting the tab, no luck. Finally, I depressed the tab and used a screw driver to try and break the 'stiction' between the and female connectors. Of course, the only thing I broke was the tab, so on reassembly I had to use a ty-rap to keep the connector connected. Sigh.
3. The upper shock bolt would NOT clear the ABS bracketry. After all was said, and done, I read that some other fart smeller had success removing the bolt by driving the bolt out as far as possible, then removing the 'collar' or 'spacer' to wiggle the bolt free. Me, I just took the die grinder out and cut a nice semi-circle in the ABS bracket to allow easy bolt removal and, more importantly, I can easily get at 17mm socket in there now.
4. I lost the little collar, just like FJFencer did. Sigh. I saw it, heard it drop, then looked for over 30 minutes, even putting on my granny glasses I couldn't find it, so I reassembled EVERTHING and went for a ride. After returning, I looked one more time and FOUND the collar, wedged into a crevice of the center stand. I fetched it, then spent most of the night wondering if it was only needed for the stock shock or if it was also needed with the Penske shock.
4a. YES, the collar is absolutely needed. It 'centers' the bolt in on the right side. So, the next day I assembled it 'correctly'.
5. I found it freakin' impossible to install the rect/regulator and shield without removing the rear tire. So I removed it, and of course in the process the wheel weights fell off...
6. OK, I'm stoopid. It took me some time to figure out exactly how the fancy-shamncy remote reservoir was supposed to line up to the bracket. I first bolted it to the front, but the SS line didn't look happy with that routing, so then I attempted to route it on the back. No good either. For the record, it's supposed to be up front.
Well, I guess that's about it. My 1 hour job estimate turned out to be more like 5 hours, and I ended up with a broken connector for the regulator. I'm still not sure on how to properly remove that connector, but don't reply with answers here please, I'll create a new thread.
Good Luck Future Installers --
Back40 mekanic Don
After reading all the of real mechanic's tales of how easy it was to install the group buy Penske shock, I thought I'd give it a try on my 2006 ABS.
...for me, this was NOT an easy install. Here are some of the problems, and hopefully you won't repeat them, that I encountered.
1. I had to remove the voltage rectifier / regulator to clear the hi/low adjustment of the stock shock. Simply removing the connectors should have been easy enough, except the right hand side connector, the ACV carrier, would NOT come off. So I had to remove the entire regulator and aluminum shield to clear the shock cable, a real PIA. I didn't want to remove the rear tire, so I sacrificed my fat hands and scarred them up, as in blood everywhere, to get that sucka out.
2. The right connector would NOT come off. I depressed the tab, gently tried to remove the connector, no luck. I tried lifting the tab, no luck. Finally, I depressed the tab and used a screw driver to try and break the 'stiction' between the and female connectors. Of course, the only thing I broke was the tab, so on reassembly I had to use a ty-rap to keep the connector connected. Sigh.
3. The upper shock bolt would NOT clear the ABS bracketry. After all was said, and done, I read that some other fart smeller had success removing the bolt by driving the bolt out as far as possible, then removing the 'collar' or 'spacer' to wiggle the bolt free. Me, I just took the die grinder out and cut a nice semi-circle in the ABS bracket to allow easy bolt removal and, more importantly, I can easily get at 17mm socket in there now.
4. I lost the little collar, just like FJFencer did. Sigh. I saw it, heard it drop, then looked for over 30 minutes, even putting on my granny glasses I couldn't find it, so I reassembled EVERTHING and went for a ride. After returning, I looked one more time and FOUND the collar, wedged into a crevice of the center stand. I fetched it, then spent most of the night wondering if it was only needed for the stock shock or if it was also needed with the Penske shock.
4a. YES, the collar is absolutely needed. It 'centers' the bolt in on the right side. So, the next day I assembled it 'correctly'.
5. I found it freakin' impossible to install the rect/regulator and shield without removing the rear tire. So I removed it, and of course in the process the wheel weights fell off...
6. OK, I'm stoopid. It took me some time to figure out exactly how the fancy-shamncy remote reservoir was supposed to line up to the bracket. I first bolted it to the front, but the SS line didn't look happy with that routing, so then I attempted to route it on the back. No good either. For the record, it's supposed to be up front.
Well, I guess that's about it. My 1 hour job estimate turned out to be more like 5 hours, and I ended up with a broken connector for the regulator. I'm still not sure on how to properly remove that connector, but don't reply with answers here please, I'll create a new thread.
Good Luck Future Installers --
Back40 mekanic Don
IIRC, someplace, Highlander did a write-up of his last year and mentioned some of those very issues. At least you now have it done! (Assuming you found the spacer...) 
