well my rear shock needs to come off to get rebuilt, and the upper shock bolt seems like it's an inch too long to come out.

 

you have to take the wing arm off , it is a pain in the a s s to take the spring out but i guess you dont have a choice the only way is to take the rear swing arm off , this should to take you about 2 hours , good luck , and it will require a large selection of sockets to

 

No you don't. The swing arm does not have anything to do with the upper shock bolt.

It will clear the frame once you have the bottom of the shock loose and tilt the shock to the side. Make sure the bike is supported with the rear wheel off the ground.