Replacing shocks
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
Likes: 8
From: Lake Mary Florida
Originally Posted by RAGOVET
How difficult is it to replace shocks? I have never done this myself on any car. Is it low risk?
Fronts and rears are fairly easy. (Torque wrench is needed)
If you have two floor jacks it makes it easier. One for the car and one to hold up on the front suspenion knuckle. Otherwise when you remove the bolts the whole assembly drops to the floor. Basically the fronts you have a top nut and two on the bottom.
The rear are held to the bottom by one large bolt, and the top you remove the whole plate I think it is two bolts and then remove the top of the shock from the plate away from the vehicle. Assembly is the reverse. I don't have the torque values off hand but can get them if needed.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
Likes: 8
From: Lake Mary Florida
Originally Posted by wht_slvr_86
iirc somebody did their fronts without even taking off the tire or using a jack
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 920
Likes: 1
From: Shelby Township Michigan
Originally Posted by wht_slvr_86
iirc somebody did their fronts without even taking off the tire or using a jack
Dino
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
My '88 Shop Manual is a bit sketchy on servicing the shocks.
For the fronts in only says to remove the service plate on the inner wheel well over the shock nut if difficulty in removing that nut.
For the rears it says only to jack the vehicle, remove the lower mounting bolt, remove the upper bracket and then the shock from the bracket. Then reverse the sequence for installation.
For the fronts in only says to remove the service plate on the inner wheel well over the shock nut if difficulty in removing that nut.
For the rears it says only to jack the vehicle, remove the lower mounting bolt, remove the upper bracket and then the shock from the bracket. Then reverse the sequence for installation.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 18,721
Likes: 708
From: Bergen County, NJ
Originally Posted by RAGOVET
How difficult is it to replace shocks? I have never done this myself on any car. Is it low risk?
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Race Director
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,153
Likes: 142
From: Central Il
Originally Posted by 93JetJocky
Low risk....hmmm don't know about that.
Fronts and rears are fairly easy. (Torque wrench is needed)
If you have two floor jacks it makes it easier. One for the car and one to hold up on the front suspenion knuckle. Otherwise when you remove the bolts the whole assembly drops to the floor. Basically the fronts you have a top nut and two on the bottom.
The rear are held to the bottom by one large bolt, and the top you remove the whole plate I think it is two bolts and then remove the top of the shock from the plate away from the vehicle. Assembly is the reverse. I don't have the torque values off hand but can get them if needed.
Fronts and rears are fairly easy. (Torque wrench is needed)
If you have two floor jacks it makes it easier. One for the car and one to hold up on the front suspenion knuckle. Otherwise when you remove the bolts the whole assembly drops to the floor. Basically the fronts you have a top nut and two on the bottom.
The rear are held to the bottom by one large bolt, and the top you remove the whole plate I think it is two bolts and then remove the top of the shock from the plate away from the vehicle. Assembly is the reverse. I don't have the torque values off hand but can get them if needed.
This is pretty much it for changing shocks. The fronts can be probably be changed without removing the tires, but I don't recommend it as it would be a pita to work around the tire.
Spray the bolts liberally with some liquid wrench before trying to crack them loose or you could end up rounding off a bolt head or breaking the bolt.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,346
Likes: 223
From: Northeast FL
Originally Posted by rocco16
Replacing shocks is one of the easier tasks on the C4. Very straight-forward, simple, and gratifying.
First thing I did when I bought mine this spring. I hadn't worked on a car in over 10 years. Easy afternoon project.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
Did our FX3 shocks last year, had a lift and used a jack stand per the manual, but was pretty easy.
However, if you have the FX3 (Selective Ride) shocks, you must take care when doing the rears as the actuator (motor) wire isn't that long and is up in the frame. Also, whereas you can buy new FX3 shocks from Ecklers for around $180/per shock, new rubber bushings were hard to find for us, and were needed.
Hope this helps..
However, if you have the FX3 (Selective Ride) shocks, you must take care when doing the rears as the actuator (motor) wire isn't that long and is up in the frame. Also, whereas you can buy new FX3 shocks from Ecklers for around $180/per shock, new rubber bushings were hard to find for us, and were needed.
Hope this helps..
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
We love the ride in the Vette now with the new Bilstein FX3 shocks from Ecklers.
Stay away from Monroes -- put them on our 2000 Pontiac Trans Am rear (thinking they were a good replacment to OEM), and they make the rear ride very harsh and hard over bumps versus OEM's (which were a Bilstein mono-shock or equivalent from AC Delco).
Hope this helps.
Stay away from Monroes -- put them on our 2000 Pontiac Trans Am rear (thinking they were a good replacment to OEM), and they make the rear ride very harsh and hard over bumps versus OEM's (which were a Bilstein mono-shock or equivalent from AC Delco).
Hope this helps.
