Spinoff:replacing shocks procedure
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,269
Likes: 3
From: St. Charles IL
Cruise-In 5-6-7-8-9-11-12 Veteran
A CI-6 Car Show Winner
The pre-load on the rear spring can cause you some problems if you are not careful. Once the car is on stands you will need a jack under each trailing arm to just slightly raise them while disconnecting the shocks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
Spray the nuts a day or so in advance. The upper bolt installation is a little different. I believe they used a thin nut and the lock washer goes on the head bolt side. The lower mount just involves taking off the nut and washers. This should hopefully be an easy job but wierd things can happen.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 165
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From: Viva Nash Vegas! TN
Originally Posted by Big Fish
The pre-load on the rear spring can cause you some problems if you are not careful. Once the car is on stands you will need a jack under each trailing arm to just slightly raise them while disconnecting the shocks.
I only have two jacks...never done this before...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 165
Likes: 0
From: Viva Nash Vegas! TN
*This should hopefully be an easy job but wierd things can happen.*
The story of my life....that shock mount thread had me wondering what I thought buying those bilstien shocks...
The story of my life....that shock mount thread had me wondering what I thought buying those bilstien shocks...
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,269
Likes: 3
From: St. Charles IL
Cruise-In 5-6-7-8-9-11-12 Veteran
A CI-6 Car Show Winner
Originally Posted by 1969c3mandy
Is it safe to do one side at a time, using one jack to raise the car and one to raise the arm?
I only have two jacks...never done this before...
I only have two jacks...never done this before...
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,353
Likes: 787
From: Redondo Beach, California
As soon as I can get a little free time, I'm going to buy a Craftsman aluminum floor jack. It's $199 ($179 on sale;i.e. the normal price). I understand Harbor Frieght sells an aluminum jack that looks the same for $34.99. I'll spend the substantial extra for the Craftsman. I really fear my car falling off the jackstands/jack. (I use both to try to provide protection, and I sometimes push a wheel/tire assembly underneath the car also to keep it from falling down.)
One of the nice things about Craftsman; if the jack fails and injures you, you or your heirs can always easily sue Craftstman. With a made in China floor jack...it's probably going to be difficult.
I bought a ladder from an ACE hardware store a couple of years ago. It was really expensive...you know why? Because ladder manufacturers get sued again and again. They just put a big pad into the price of the ladder to cover the costs of their lawsuits! Maybe that's why Sears has to sell a floor jack for $179 and Harbor Freight can sell a look alike for $39.99.
One of the nice things about Craftsman; if the jack fails and injures you, you or your heirs can always easily sue Craftstman. With a made in China floor jack...it's probably going to be difficult.
I bought a ladder from an ACE hardware store a couple of years ago. It was really expensive...you know why? Because ladder manufacturers get sued again and again. They just put a big pad into the price of the ladder to cover the costs of their lawsuits! Maybe that's why Sears has to sell a floor jack for $179 and Harbor Freight can sell a look alike for $39.99.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,456
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From: Coming home from Luckenbach Texas
It doesn't matter if you use a cheesy jack or not. But ya gotta have good jackstands! After all, the car should only be supported by the jack for as long as it takes to put a jackstand in place. If you want, leave the jack in place as a backup.But never, ever work on a car supported only by a jack. That's a fool's errand...and there should be a law preventing people who do so from suing a manufacturer!
