Easiest way to remove shocks?

[Daston]

Evening chaps

I am swapping the suspension arms and shocks on my RX7 and am struggling to remove the current shock absorber.

It's loose in the wheel arch but I can't move the suspension down far enough for the shock to clear the hub and come out.

Would a spring compressor help with this?

[E-bmw]

Front?

Rear?

Spring compressors are usually only needed to remove shocks in the case of coilovers where they are part of the each other.

I would guess you may need to drop anti-roll bars or lower suspension arms having not done an RX7 specifically.

Pics might help.

[stevieturbo]

Daston said:

Evening chaps

I am swapping the suspension arms and shocks on my RX7 and am struggling to remove the current shock absorber.

It's loose in the wheel arch but I can't move the suspension down far enough for the shock to clear the hub and come out.

Would a spring compressor help with this?

Surely if you're already removed the suspension arms....it would all just fall off ?

[Daston]

It is the rear I am working on at the moment.

I have removed the drop link and bolt which holds the shock to the suspension arm. If I push down on the hub I can swing the shock out towards the hub but there is not enough clearance for it to come all the way out.

I am unable to get to the bolts at the back of the suspension arm but I can drop the end off the hub. Will give that a go and report back

[E-bmw]

Is the spring around the shock, or separate?

If it is around the shock, you have coilovers & may well need a set of spring compressors if you can't drop the hub/suspension lower arm.

Alternatively, if not use some small rope/strong string, attach it to the top eye of the shock, compress the shock with a level or jack, tie the bottom end up to the string from the top, and then you should have the clearance.

PICS WOULD HELP.

[Daston]

Success

Managed to use my breaker bar to lever the lower suspension arm down which in turn moved the suspension down far enough to get the shock out!

This is how it looked before (lots of plus gas used)



And tonight....



Offending part



Will remove the upper arm tomorrow night and start cleaning down the subframe of rust ready for some new paint.

[crogthomas]

In your Before picture you appear to have the anti-roll bar still attached. So the fully extended damper on the other side would have been preventing you pushing the suspension down any further on the side you are working on. With the ARB now disconnected, you should find it a lot easier to put back together. Reconnect the ARB drop links last when you reassemble (but definitely before putting the wheels back on).