C'mon, be honest, how difficult is it to take off, and refit, your shocks?

[imoyes]

OK! Right! Assuming that everything isn't seized, 'cos the garage just had her guts all over the floor anyway. :hurl:

I'm looking for yous experts to jump in with comments that start "No stupid! ..."

Front
Jack up the car
Take off the front wheel
Take off the upper lock nut
Take off the upper wishbone
Take out the shock/spring

Set Koni to "Less bouncy"

Bolt Koni to lower wishbone
Fit spring on lower perch on shock
Fit spring to strut top bush
Jack up lower wishbone until shock upper bolt protrudes through top of top spring perch and bolt down
Fit upper wishbone
Fit wheel
Drop jack

Right? C'mo it can't be any harder than that?

Rear
Jack up the car
Take off the rear wheel
Take off the upper lock nut
Take out the shock/spring

Set Koni to "Less bouncy"

Bolt Koni to hub carrier
Fit spring on shock lower perch
Fit spring into position on upper spring perch
Jack up hub carrier until shock upper bolt protrudes through top of top spring perch and bolt down
Fit wheel
Drop jack

Right?

Piece of cake right? :cheeky:

[supradupra.com]

I found I did not have to remove the upper wishbone if memory serves..

[G.T]

Fronts are defiinitely longer to do than rears, makes it easier having a ramp to do them on (thanks Nick) oh and a spare pair of hands makesit quicker too.
All in all, not that bad to do.

[Sean]

Its a very non-mechanical minded job to do and quite easy Ian every thing is thre in front of you and visible mate I did my first set on a trolley jack bit fiddly but do-able then second set on 2foot axle stands much easier :)

[imoyes]

The bit I was worried about was how do you compress the spring enough to get the shock to reach from the bottom wishbone (on the front) hub carrier (on the rear) to the top strut seat.

I'm right in thinking that you just bolt up the shock to the bottom end & trolley jack the hub carrier up until the shock reaches, right? The weight of the car, working against the power of the jack compresses the spring, right?

[Sean]

Invest in a pair of spring compressor's Ian your local motor factor will have them in :bigeyes: makes it a lot easier and safer

[Sean]

It all comes off in 1 piece then break them down when off and reassembl then refit

[nigel w]

Not planning on taking that new suspension off already are you?

[imoyes]

Not planning on taking that new suspension off already are you?

Yeah, the Koni's are set on "Soft" and they're a little bit bouncy. Not a lot, just a smidge. Well there's 3 settings X 2 ends of the car so I don't want to be taking it back & forth to a garage to have them reset them until I have the setup I want, at £120 a time :flush: (that's what TC quoted me so you've gotta think that a garage-on-the-street would be more expensive).

So I though, Sunday afternoon, have a fiddle, get them off, set the backs to "medium" & the fronts to "Stiff as a board" (Lofty's idea, thanks mate) then try them again. :)

[Penfold]

Replaced front shocks a few weeks ago, quickly taught me how little mechanics actually know about differences between cars. Just about everything that needed a spanner, socket, allen key, was seized. Liberal use on air grinder ensued, should have bathed the lot in WD40 or suchlike but was scared to squirt it around a day or two b4 so near to the brake disks. After all, i could shoot an arrow into the air and miss. Spring compressors defo made job easier. watch out for ABS sensor cable clips, both of mine seperated from brackets, but are now replaced with some snazzy little FIA approved ones that were "over bought" for a Porsche they were getting ready as a track car!

I would honestly suggest a minimum ground clearance of about 18-24 ins to get bits in and out.

[imoyes]

I would honestly suggest a minimum ground clearance of about 18-24 ins to get bits in and out.

Shopping list
Second pair of axle stands
Pair of spring compressors
Torque wrench

Anything else?

[Adam W]

You will need two sockets and two big bars to get the upper wishbone bolts undone, I think it's 17mm but check. The drivers side bolt is a PITA as it gets caught up on the plastic wing guard and the washer reservoir on the way out.

[imoyes]

You will need two sockets and two big bars to get the upper wishbone bolts undone, I think it's 17mm but check. The drivers side bolt is a PITA as it gets caught up on the plastic wing guard and the washer reservoir on the way out.

Lucky thing is, since it was all out a couple of weeks ago I don't have to deal with anything being seized. :) I was in the wheel arch and the garage must have shares in Copper-slip it's everywhere!

[Nick@TC]

If you want to pop in Saturday morning, your welcome to borrow what's on your shopping list as long as they're back by Tuesday say.

[formal]

Just as an aside.

In theory having the front stiffer than the rear will encourage understeer.

Just a thought.

[imoyes]

Just as an aside.

In theory having the front stiffer than the rear will encourage understeer.

Just a thought.

LOL! It's a 3 litre, RWD, 250BHP car without traction control. Understeer may not be a problem. :D

[Dillinger]

Shopping list
Second pair of axle stands
Pair of spring compressors
Torque wrench

Anything else?

is it okay to put a car on 4 axle stands? im really paranoid about working under cars on stands and its bad enough on 2 (especially on a tank like the supe with fairly low clearance!) ;)
go on, call me a :gay: :)

[Dino]

is it okay to put a car on 4 axle stands? im really paranoid about working under cars on stands and its bad enough on 2 (especially on a tank like the supe with fairly low clearance!) ;)
go on, call me a :gay:


i always used to use railway sleepers jack it up put it on sleepers. ah the good old days now days i just make sure the trolley jack is not gonna slip then under i go life to short to spend time being safe. :cheeky: :cheeky:

[nigel w]

is it okay to put a car on 4 axle stands?
No, not really as you've got nothing stopping the car from being knocked back or forth and off the stands.

[Sean]

No, not really as you've got nothing stopping the car from being knocked back or forth and off the stands.
:agreed:

[damo_mk3]

well mine was safe a nuff i think ?

damo

[Penfold]

Hey Dino, if youve got a trolley jack that gets a supe up high enuf for you to get under, can we expect to see it on one of those giant machines documentaries? :gay: