Removing Front Shocks
Discussion
One of my Nitrons is weeping so I'm going to get them rebuilt. Now seems like a good time of year.
Is it just as simple as remove the top and bottom bolt to get the whole unit off? it looks tight to get them out?
Any issues with the AntiRoll bar etc?
Probably worth me taking off the rears as well.
Is it just as simple as remove the top and bottom bolt to get the whole unit off? it looks tight to get them out?
Any issues with the AntiRoll bar etc?
Probably worth me taking off the rears as well.
If the Nitrons have bronze bushes either side of the rose joints, pray that they were greased up properly when fitted
When I took my Protechs off to be rebuilt I found a couple of the bushes were seized and I had to slice through them
Unfortunately it was very easy to find the idiot that fitted them and give him the rebuke he deserved
When I took my Protechs off to be rebuilt I found a couple of the bushes were seized and I had to slice through them
Unfortunately it was very easy to find the idiot that fitted them and give him the rebuke he deserved
itsallyellow said:
it almost that simple,
You also need to undo the the bolt that holds the front drag link to the lower wishbone so you can remove the lower shock bolt.
Hopefully when they were fitted they were done so with a good amount of copper slip.
Yeah I looked at that but I can get a ring spanner in there so can get the bolt out OK.You also need to undo the the bolt that holds the front drag link to the lower wishbone so you can remove the lower shock bolt.
Hopefully when they were fitted they were done so with a good amount of copper slip.
Cheers all - job for this week then
This was my story when I replaced some original Bilstein's with a set of ProTechs 
First problem, as I looked at the job, was how to remove the front, lower shock retaining nut.
The head was obscured by the end of the lower trailing arm so I decided that would have to be removed first.
My main supply of spanners are metric so I had to use 19mm instead of ¾AF to remove the trailing arm nut
and then knock it from its location in the radius arm with a leather-headed mallet but success and the lower shock nut came out equally as easily.
I then jacked the hanging suspension assembly to alleviate as much tension as I could.
I used the old ‘tried and trusted’ Moles clamped at 90 degrees to measure the tension release on the
sock bolt and, after it had moved freely, managed to extract the same.
Just the top bolt assembly remained.
Again, relatively easily extracted and I was beginning to grin like the feline from the cheese county.
Doh !
The shock was now completely loose and almost falling out on its own.
Unfortunately the operative word there was ‘almost’.
There wasn’t enough travel in the whole assembly to get enough “clearance Clarence !” so I undid
the 17mm (11/16 AF)anti-roll bar drop link.
Yeehaaa ! the extra few cms became available and the old unit was wrestled from its home.
The driver’s side unit turned out to be different - Nuts came undone readily enough but I couldn’t extract the lower shock
absorber retaining bolt.
I realised that the inner collar of the shocker mounting had detached itself from the rubber Centre insulation and was ‘STUCK’ to the bolt.
The eventual solution was to take an angle saw with 1mm blade and cut up, through the bolt, rotating it as I went, rip the remaining head off and then repeat for the other, threaded side.
After a bucket of expletives and a couple of tea-urns the pieces were eventually extracted and the shocker freed.
That one bolt took me a week to remove.
I was full of trepidation for the rear end !
At first look, the rear nuts and bolts looked to be totally inaccessible but following the very kind loan of some imperial tools,
all that was needed was some careful application and brute force and ignorance.
The two units were replaced in just under 10 hours
Best o'
Mate
First problem, as I looked at the job, was how to remove the front, lower shock retaining nut.
The head was obscured by the end of the lower trailing arm so I decided that would have to be removed first.
My main supply of spanners are metric so I had to use 19mm instead of ¾AF to remove the trailing arm nut
and then knock it from its location in the radius arm with a leather-headed mallet but success and the lower shock nut came out equally as easily.
I then jacked the hanging suspension assembly to alleviate as much tension as I could.
I used the old ‘tried and trusted’ Moles clamped at 90 degrees to measure the tension release on the
sock bolt and, after it had moved freely, managed to extract the same.
Just the top bolt assembly remained.
Again, relatively easily extracted and I was beginning to grin like the feline from the cheese county.
Doh !
The shock was now completely loose and almost falling out on its own.
Unfortunately the operative word there was ‘almost’.
There wasn’t enough travel in the whole assembly to get enough “clearance Clarence !” so I undid
the 17mm (11/16 AF)anti-roll bar drop link.
Yeehaaa ! the extra few cms became available and the old unit was wrestled from its home.
The driver’s side unit turned out to be different - Nuts came undone readily enough but I couldn’t extract the lower shock
absorber retaining bolt.
I realised that the inner collar of the shocker mounting had detached itself from the rubber Centre insulation and was ‘STUCK’ to the bolt.
The eventual solution was to take an angle saw with 1mm blade and cut up, through the bolt, rotating it as I went, rip the remaining head off and then repeat for the other, threaded side.
After a bucket of expletives and a couple of tea-urns the pieces were eventually extracted and the shocker freed.
That one bolt took me a week to remove.
I was full of trepidation for the rear end !
At first look, the rear nuts and bolts looked to be totally inaccessible but following the very kind loan of some imperial tools,
all that was needed was some careful application and brute force and ignorance.
The two units were replaced in just under 10 hours
Best o'
Mate Edited by Mr Cerbera on Wednesday 12th February 20:00
Finally had time to do this this afternoon.
I found a tyre iron wedge perfectly under the difficult nut on the lower wishbone, which trapped and held it, so I didn't need to remove the front drag link.
Off to Nitron tomorrow as they aren't far away.
itsallyellow said:
You also need to undo the the bolt that holds the front drag link to the lower wishbone so you can remove the lower shock bolt.
Hopefully when they were fitted they were done so with a good amount of copper slip.
A good soaking with penetrating oil last week has done the trick.Hopefully when they were fitted they were done so with a good amount of copper slip.
I found a tyre iron wedge perfectly under the difficult nut on the lower wishbone, which trapped and held it, so I didn't need to remove the front drag link.
Off to Nitron tomorrow as they aren't far away.
So dropped off yesterday, the springs were rusty so I'm getting new ones of those as well but when cleaned up the bodies were like new - amazing as they are 13-14 years old.
4-5 week turnaround though.
I've bought a gallon of gunk and 4 cheap toothbrushes. Time to clean the chassis then...
4-5 week turnaround though.
I've bought a gallon of gunk and 4 cheap toothbrushes. Time to clean the chassis then...
I've just took my Nitrons off mine, i dropped the track rod end off to get mine out.
I am sending my shocks to the guys who used to do my Supersport suspension way back when.
I'm powder coating my springs as Eibach said to carrry on using them unless they snap!
One of my rear shocks was weeping oil and had no damping for the first half of its travel, all of the bearings are all still spot on though.
I am sending my shocks to the guys who used to do my Supersport suspension way back when.
I'm powder coating my springs as Eibach said to carrry on using them unless they snap!
One of my rear shocks was weeping oil and had no damping for the first half of its travel, all of the bearings are all still spot on though.
£62 for new springs. I got lazy and went for new ones.
Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
Byker28i said:
£62 for new springs. I got lazy and went for new ones.
Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
£62 for all 4?!Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
Byker28i said:
So dropped off yesterday, the springs were rusty so I'm getting new ones of those as well but when cleaned up the bodies were like new - amazing as they are 13-14 years old.
4-5 week turnaround though.
I've bought a gallon of gunk and 4 cheap toothbrushes. Time to clean the chassis then...
Are your shocks shorter on the front?4-5 week turnaround though.
I've bought a gallon of gunk and 4 cheap toothbrushes. Time to clean the chassis then...
Jhonno said:
Byker28i said:
£62 for new springs. I got lazy and went for new ones.
Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
£62 for all 4?!Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
Brummmie said:
Are your shocks shorter on the front?
Yes.They were mounted upside down? with the rebound adjuster at the bottom, is that right, does it make adjustment easier? I might see when I put them back on.
White spirit rots rubber gloves quite quickly but does shift old waxoil quickly
Byker28i said:
Jhonno said:
Byker28i said:
£62 for new springs. I got lazy and went for new ones.
Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
£62 for all 4?!Mind you, whilst it's all apart I thought I'd clean off the old clear waxoil which is now black and encrusted in dirt, take it back to the clean chassis and reapply. Jobs you wish you never started. White spirit, steam cleaner, gunk and it's still slow progress....
Byker28i said:
Brummmie said:
Are your shocks shorter on the front?
Yes.They were mounted upside down? with the rebound adjuster at the bottom, is that right, does it make adjustment easier? I might see when I put them back on.
White spirit rots rubber gloves quite quickly but does shift old waxoil quickly
"Upside down" is the best way (Shock body end bolted to chassis).. Reduces unsprung mass.
Jhonno said:
Byker28i said:
Brummmie said:
Are your shocks shorter on the front?
Yes.They were mounted upside down? with the rebound adjuster at the bottom, is that right, does it make adjustment easier? I might see when I put them back on.
White spirit rots rubber gloves quite quickly but does shift old waxoil quickly
My front shocks are shorter too..
"Upside down" is the best way (Shock body end bolted to chassis).. Reduces unsprung mass.
Brummmie said:
Jhonno said:
Byker28i said:
Brummmie said:
Are your shocks shorter on the front?
Yes.They were mounted upside down? with the rebound adjuster at the bottom, is that right, does it make adjustment easier? I might see when I put them back on.
White spirit rots rubber gloves quite quickly but does shift old waxoil quickly
"Upside down" is the best way (Shock body end bolted to chassis).. Reduces unsprung mass.
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