Well after some time of wanting to change the 2front shocks i decided it's time to get of my lazzy bum and (do it).
So i'll try to kept it sweet, to the point and neat.But also will try to put as much as posible details so every possible problem is covered. Here we go.
Tools nedded:
An assistant (to do all heavy stuff like losening the nuts, gettin a cold drink out off the fridge)
Jack
(2 tonne) stands
A wheel spanner (to get the wheels off)
Coil Spring Clamp (coil spring compresor)
Set of ring spanners (cause open ended ones can slip and don't have much grip compared to ring ones)
Degreaser
Pair off thick gloves (so it doesn't hurt so much if your had slips away from the spanner)
Extra Tools (only nedded if you have stubborn nuts that don't want to come off. Due to the fact that the previous owner dind't change the shocks for the last 4 or more years>
):
A big flat headed hammer
Cold Chisel
Extra set off spanners
OK it's time to get down and dirty:
Loosen the wheel nuts not all the way only a bit on each side (meaning left and right wheel).
Then Raise the front of the vehicle and put it on stands.
And, now you can loosen the wheel nuts all the way and Start removing the wheel.
After removal put the wheel under the car just as an safety precation.
Now with the wheel off. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT Put the spring compressors on 1st
(Failing to do so will result in The spring decompressing and jumping out after the nuts are removed and Doing some serious injury to your self and fellow poor assistant even death could be result of your own stupidity) so be careful .
Next step the actual removal procedure of the shocky:
Pop the bonnet open if not already opened and start by removing the Dust cap (if one is in place).
Now loosen the Rod nut (the big one in the middle) Only about >2 full turns (because The nut is holding the preload of the suspension coil spring and we don't want the spring to jump out when the nut is loosened) and the surrounding 3 other retaining nuts by just aprox 180* degrease each.
Now the fun can really start (note my sarcasm and please forgive me But had a hell of a time trying to remove the damm Cam Head nuts Wich are the big ones located down on the shock absorber right on the brake disc).
Start by spary some degreaser on each nut and wait 1minute then spray on some more on them nuts and wait again and repeat once
more and your done.
Start by removing the 1st upper nut my advice is to loosen it on the actual bolt side a bit. But youre only be able to loosen it just a few milimeters due to an bolt lock thingy that is there in place to prevent the bolt from moving while undoing the nut on the opposite side wich you can see in the picture sorta.
# # USE THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE ONLY IF NUTS ARE IMPOSIBLE TO TAKE OFF BY HANDS(elbow grease)
And this is where the hammer and the gloves comes in handy > Make sure that the spaner is sitting straight and firm around the bolt nut and with 3 or more medium powerful taps on the spanner until you hear like a squealling sound wich i is the nut loosening .
After doing that you should be able to loosen the nut more easely now with less comlpications then I did.
You're now ready to tackel the actual nut on the other side that needs to be removed hope fully with no problems. # #
If the nut still isn't lossening you have to cold chisel it. Here's how >place chisel on the end of the nut at an 60*degree
angle and hammer the end of the chisel until slightest movement or a squeaky sound but even if none of the two things happen try to lossen the nut now.
(#here's a pic of the stubborn nut i had the pleassure of dealing with#)
After removing the 1st bolt it's the 2nd bolt's turn. With the same procedure applys as above >tap spanner with hammer on other side until squeaky sound then start trying to loosen the actual nut to remove the shocky wich you should be able remove now with some good old elbow grease if not tap the nut with the spanner hammer procedure.
When the bolts are removed it's time to undo the upper mounting(wich are only the 3ONLY nuts and not the middle big one jet and now youre actually be able to remove the shock absorber from the car.
When removed now you can loosen the middle nut BUT BE CAREFULL as you'll need to tighten the compressor a BIT MORE cause the the upper spring without the compressor on it will pop up about 1-2cm when middle rod nut is unscrewed SO BE CAREFULL
Your spring should look like this now with the middle rod nut removed.
Finally it's time to put the new shock absorber in.
I got the MONROE GT GAS ones because i was on budget . They only cost me $145 each so 290a pair i got mine from a private littel shop where i get all my stuff from so im quite happy. Back to shockys.
I took this pic just to show you that it was really time to change the shocks. A working shock absorber has to come up like the new one in the picture if you know at what im gettin here at. As you can see the old one doesn't do jack shi8t it's not moving at all cause it's buggered.
Now Make sure that you have the right shock absorber and don't mistake the left one for the right one. Like i did I put the left one in the place where the right one is supposed to go in. SO make Sure that the bracket for the brake line(little hose) is facing the front bumper
and is not facing the exhaust. This apply's for both left and right shock absorber.
Thats it .
Topic: how to: changing front shocks (Read 2070 times)