DIY replacing rear suspension dampers

[pxg638]

First post, so be kind!! (Did have a quick search for this, so really this is a clarification).

I had my rear damper shear off on my Chim 450 a week or so back (off-putting noise when that happens) and have got her up on axle stands on the drive. To my casual 'never good enough with cars for my father's approval' eye, it looks like a 'simple' job of undoing the top and bottom bolts and swapping out the broken damper/spring unit.

Is this the case?

Reading up a bit, I get the impression those bolts can be a little resistant, so what I was looking to do was buy new bolts, bushes and obviously dampers/springs for both sides, something akin to:

1x http://www.tvrshop.com/product-subsection-detail.a...
4x http://www.tvrshop.com/product-subsection-detail.a...
1x http://www.tvrshop.com/product-subsection-detail.a...

(sorry if links to shops are bad, I fell asleep reading the t&c....if it helps, I am sure other vendors of bolts are available!)

...that way if I have to *ahem* drift the bolts out, I don't have to spend 4 hours re-shaping them to get them back in!

One final question, is there a recommended torque for those bolts? My Heath bible was not forthcoming with that number, though I am not prepared to say I have read it cover to cover!

Thanks for any advice!!

[mariner]

1. squirt with WD40 or similar the night before
2. IMPORTANT. use a metal toothbrush to clean off as much rust and crap out of the threads, otherwise they may start to undo but then get stuck.
3. I had to buy a pair of long spanners the correct size, sockets wouldn't cut it on the way off.
4. also had to brace one side with rubber aginst the frame to stop the spanner from chipping the, Ahem, Factory Powdercoating, and use the car jack to ease the spanner/nut off in stages, took ages. There is not enough room to get an extension bar in there.

Easy enough once the nuts are off.
Torque settings can be found on here for doing them up again.

That's the basics. I'm sure the more experienced can add some tips.

If you are replacing your shocks with height adjustable ones then look at a trip to the professionals to setup the geometry.


Credit to those I pinched the ideas from in the first place! All read here.

Edited by mariner on Monday 1st September 23:10

[dogbucket]

The trickiest part for me was drifting the top long bolt out as there is no room to swing a hammer. I used a long pribar to lever and push the bolt which did the trick.

Do not worry too much about torques as the nuts are nylocked, so just nip them up with spanners should be fine.