Changing Rear Shocks

[happygoron 2]

Just a quickie on changing the rear shocks. I have new pug ones and new bolts and nuts (at least I hope that's what the parcel in the post office is!). Haynes manual makes it look pretty straight forward however it mentions not tightening the bolts unless the centres are 288mm apart, how does this matter if I'm doing like for like? Surely just taking the shock out shouldn't affect ride height? Or am I making a schoolboy error in my head here ?

[welshpug 1,645]

its so that you don't pre-stress the bonded in bushes

 

easy enough to do, just fit the bolts loosely, take spare wheel off if applicable drop car onto the ground and get under with spanners.

[j_turnell 134 3 Cars]

Or if you have it on axle stands, just remove the wheels and jack under the arms to lift them up, then tighten, but tbh i have never done this and fitted god knows how many sets of rear shocks without any issues of premature bush failure so its up to you.

[hengti 2]

if the bushes are bonded in, wouldn't they affect the damper's work? was wondering about this recently

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

It sounds logical, as it's like the wishbone inner bolts I guess, i.e. you're supposed to only torque them up when the wishbone's level or at its normal height with the wheel on the ground and car's weight on it.

 

You can do that the same way as described using a jack under the wheel to raise it and level the wishbone.

 

That's what it seems like to me anyway.

[j_turnell 134 3 Cars]

Yeh, the same principle, likewise with wishbones, never had the bushes go in my experience from just doing them FT.

[Rippthrough 98]

if the bushes are bonded in, wouldn't they affect the damper's work? was wondering about this recently

 

Yep, same way as bonded bushes affect how the wishbones work, everything's a compromise, as always.

[happygoron 2]

Well two and a half hours later I have 4 nuts off and two bolts out! The bottom ones don't fancy coming out at all and can't get anything on it to try and unscre it out! Also had to make a trip to get an 18mm spanner and socket off a mate, is nothing on these pugs a standard size?!

[pablo 0]

be careful on those bottom bolts mate they deform really easy if you try and bash them out (believe me). I had to order 2 new ones from pug over it.

 

can you get away with leaving the bolts in place though?

Edited October 10, 2009 by pablo

[jord294 89]

no need to worry about knackering the bolts.

 

as happygoron bought some new ones from me

[Rippthrough 98]

can you get away with leaving the bolts in place though?

 

Yep.

[happygoron 2]

Have nice shiney ones fron Jord so not worried about the bolts! Still need to get them out though!

[welshpug 1,645]

bigger ammer!

[happygoron 2]

Sod it, wanted the botton ones out but it wasn't happening. Stuck fast. Got it all changed over though, after repairing the one bolt I'd been bashing! Rear doesn't seem to crash on bumps any more which is nice. That's the last bit of work I have planned (!) on the car this year now, time to get saving for some skiing!

[pablo 0]

I had to bash heavily on one of mine to get it out with a full sized sledge. was welded in I think lol. The other side was the opposite, the nut was so tough to loosen all the way out that the bolt came loose and wouldnt grip on the beam, and its hard to get a spanner or socket onto it

[happygoron 2]

I had a good bash away with a lump hammer before admitting defeat. May have come out with heat as well but I'm not too confident. Can't get anything on the head of the bolt otherwise it may twist out. I didn't bash the bolt with the nut on (silly boy) so damaged the thread. Managed to save it with a file, some grinding paste and some elbow grease. All good in the end!

[pablo 0]

you could probably cut the last 1/2" off as well which I considered but the nuts were so tough coming off that I just plumped for two new bolts/nuts. Easily got from the local dealer.

[stutto 0]

I had a nightmare with one of those bolts too, but worse as the damper was corroded onto the bolt - possibly due to being previously fully tightened with no load?. This led me to cut the bolt to get the damper off but then I could not get the bolt remains out.

 

The bolt had corroded into the arm and I ended up drilling / grinding most of the bolt away then whacking the 'tube' left with a big chisel and a hammer. This was after breaking a (previously) unused bearing puller and getting very frustrated.

 

Surprisingly the other side came out with a couple of light taps with the hammer.