I ordered a new taillight today $120.00.it looks like it would be easier to move the fender.would i have to only remove the 4 front fender bolts,and leave the fender support on the fender?Thanks

 

Yep, I think it's pretty shitty that the MoCo knows (or at the very least SHOULD know) that this part is prone to breakage, and not only do they not find a way to make it so that it doesn't break, they don't sell the part itself as a separate part but make you order a whole tail light for $120 a pop, so you can take the part you want off and toss the rest of it in a box to collect dust.

And yeah, you should be able to pull the fender and fender struts off as a single piece if you remove those four bolts. Just remember to unplug the rear wiring harness under your seat before you try and pull it off or you might pull out some of the wires from the pin connectors.

 

And before anyone else points it out, I recognize that the MoCo is notorious for this and other customer screwing types of stuff.

 

I got the rear fender off pretty easy today.I guess I'll replace the stock torq bolts with either chome or stainless bolts.Should I stay with the torq ,or swtich to allen head bolts?

 

There's a thread on page one today with guys complaining about the quality of the Torx bolts Harley uses, and having a hard time getting them out/stripping, etc. If you have the parts on hand or are willing to go find them it's up to you. If you replace every stock bolt you pull when you do a mod with a better quality stainless one and standardize them all to either Torx or Allen then you'll probably get most of the important ones replaces before long, and will likely be better off in the long run.

I've been fairly lucky with the Torx bolts on mine and haven't stripped any yet. I'm generally too lazy to go to the hardware store and track down all the right replacements I need, and I'm too cheap to buy one of those full replacement kits people sell.

 

I installed my new taillight yesterday,I'm glad I didn't try to replace it with the fender and rear tire on.Now i know what to do if it breaks again.Thanks for the info.

 

I know this is an old thread, I just got back my 2001 FLSTS from my brother only to find out that the taillight assembly (gray plastic support mount) is broken. Little did I know that these things are prone to breaking. Does anyone know if there are any after market complete taillight assemblies that will work with the FLSTS rear fender?

 

scratch my post.....didnt realize this was so old.

 

Still a good question though. My google search for this part brought me here. :-)

 

That piece of plastic for the tombstone taillight is so fragile I'm surprised it doesn't split while mounting it new. I found an obscure company that made one out a block of aluminum. It was pricey (> $100) if I remember correctly. Perfect fit & never have to worry about it again. Can't find the info, it's been so long ago. But if I come across it again, I'll post!