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Poohhbear9044 · 10-29-2006, 06:43 PM

Had some time this morning before going to work so decided to make a start on swapping the old shocks out for the new ones. I used a trolley jack in the center of the rear cross member and got the car high enough to install axle stands at each end of the same cross member .

I then removed both rear wheels, after this, the first job was to spray all the nuts and bolts with WD40 hopefully make them easier to remove. I decided to start with the drivers side shock first.

As I am replacing the rubber brake hoses with Goodrich SS braided lines I decided to swap this over first. I applied the brake hose clamp to minimise fluid loss then undid the banjo bolt at the caliper end, next the bottom clip where the hose is secured to the strut needs to be removed which then allows the hose to thread up through the strut bracket.
Now it was just a case of undoing the two bolts that secure the other end of the hose to the inner wheel arch. I then bolted the new hose top bracket to the arch, then swapped the hard brake line connection over and applied the hose clamp to the top of the new hose, again to minimise fluid loss, I left this hanging ready for when the new strut was installed.

Next up was the removal of the drop link, since I am replacing my drop links I only needed to undo the ARB end of the link. This is accomplished by using a hexagon 5mm allen key to prevent the ball joint of the link from turning while the nut is undone with a 14mm AF spanner. I was lucky and managed to get the nut off but just in case I had my trusty angle grinder nearby, which I suspect I will have to use at some point.

Having done that I then loosened and removed the hub to strut mounting bolt nuts using a breaker bar and 19mm socket. I removed the lower bolt totally but left the upper one half in to stop the strut dropping and potentially damaging the CV boot.

Time to look at the top end of the strut now, first I needed to remove the engine side panel and the top mount dust cap to gain access to all the strut mounting bolts.

I didn’t need to do this, but here is a handy tip if you are removing your struts to replace the springs or inserts: Loosen the top piston rod nut(19mm) ¼ of a turn before taking it out of the car, it’s much easier to do this now than when the shock is off the car.

Next I undid and removed two of the three(14mm) top mount securing nuts, the third one I undid and left screwed on a couple of turns. This was so that when I removed the final bolt at the hub end of the shock, it wouldn’t drop down unsupported.

I then removed the second hub mounting bolt and eased the hub assembly out of the bracket at the bottom of the strut with the aid of a large flat bladed screwdriver.
Then while supporting the weight of the strut I was able to reach up and remove the final top mount nut. It was then just a case of gently threading the strut down and out of the wheel arch.

Now it was time to install the new strut that I described building up earlier. This needs to be threaded up past the disc and hub so that the three top mount studs locate in the holes in the strut tower. Once these are located I span the three nuts on loosely for the time being. Being careful not to damage the CV boot I then fitted the hub-mounting lug into the bracket on the bottom of the strut, this just needed me to press down with a little weight until it slid in, and the mounting bolts were then re-instated.

I then tightened these up to the recommended torque of 188 ft-lb :eek:

Next step was to install the new drop link, which was straightforward, and then these were tightened to the recommended torque of 36 ft-lb. At this point I threaded the brake hose through the strut bracket and secured it with the spring clips. After reconnecting the hose to the caliper, using 2 new copper crush washers for the banjo bolt, I then used an easy bleeder to get air out of the system.

Next step was to tighten the three top mount bolts to the recommended torque of 59 ft-lb and the shock absorber piston rod top nut to 54 ft-lb. The top mount dust cover and engine side cover were then re-installed.

Repeat the above procedure to do the passenger side strut.

Watch this space for more…………Bob

10-29-2006, 06:43 PM	#11 (permalink)
Poohhbear9044 Some Skills Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 79 Thanks: 2 Thanked 19 Times in 10 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Had some time this morning before going to work so decided to make a start on swapping the old shocks out for the new ones. I used a trolley jack in the center of the rear cross member and got the car high enough to install axle stands at each end of the same cross member . I then removed both rear wheels, after this, the first job was to spray all the nuts and bolts with WD40 hopefully make them easier to remove. I decided to start with the drivers side shock first. As I am replacing the rubber brake hoses with Goodrich SS braided lines I decided to swap this over first. I applied the brake hose clamp to minimise fluid loss then undid the banjo bolt at the caliper end, next the bottom clip where the hose is secured to the strut needs to be removed which then allows the hose to thread up through the strut bracket. Now it was just a case of undoing the two bolts that secure the other end of the hose to the inner wheel arch. I then bolted the new hose top bracket to the arch, then swapped the hard brake line connection over and applied the hose clamp to the top of the new hose, again to minimise fluid loss, I left this hanging ready for when the new strut was installed. Next up was the removal of the drop link, since I am replacing my drop links I only needed to undo the ARB end of the link. This is accomplished by using a hexagon 5mm allen key to prevent the ball joint of the link from turning while the nut is undone with a 14mm AF spanner. I was lucky and managed to get the nut off but just in case I had my trusty angle grinder nearby, which I suspect I will have to use at some point. Having done that I then loosened and removed the hub to strut mounting bolt nuts using a breaker bar and 19mm socket. I removed the lower bolt totally but left the upper one half in to stop the strut dropping and potentially damaging the CV boot. Time to look at the top end of the strut now, first I needed to remove the engine side panel and the top mount dust cap to gain access to all the strut mounting bolts. I didn’t need to do this, but here is a handy tip if you are removing your struts to replace the springs or inserts: Loosen the top piston rod nut(19mm) ¼ of a turn before taking it out of the car, it’s much easier to do this now than when the shock is off the car. Next I undid and removed two of the three(14mm) top mount securing nuts, the third one I undid and left screwed on a couple of turns. This was so that when I removed the final bolt at the hub end of the shock, it wouldn’t drop down unsupported. I then removed the second hub mounting bolt and eased the hub assembly out of the bracket at the bottom of the strut with the aid of a large flat bladed screwdriver. Then while supporting the weight of the strut I was able to reach up and remove the final top mount nut. It was then just a case of gently threading the strut down and out of the wheel arch. Now it was time to install the new strut that I described building up earlier. This needs to be threaded up past the disc and hub so that the three top mount studs locate in the holes in the strut tower. Once these are located I span the three nuts on loosely for the time being. Being careful not to damage the CV boot I then fitted the hub-mounting lug into the bracket on the bottom of the strut, this just needed me to press down with a little weight until it slid in, and the mounting bolts were then re-instated. I then tightened these up to the recommended torque of 188 ft-lb :eek: Next step was to install the new drop link, which was straightforward, and then these were tightened to the recommended torque of 36 ft-lb. At this point I threaded the brake hose through the strut bracket and secured it with the spring clips. After reconnecting the hose to the caliper, using 2 new copper crush washers for the banjo bolt, I then used an easy bleeder to get air out of the system. Next step was to tighten the three top mount bolts to the recommended torque of 59 ft-lb and the shock absorber piston rod top nut to 54 ft-lb. The top mount dust cover and engine side cover were then re-installed. Repeat the above procedure to do the passenger side strut. Watch this space for more…………Bob Last edited by Poohhbear9044; 11-02-2006 at 05:31 AM..