shock removal
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,190
Likes: 56
From: Milan Indiana
shock removal
Have seen threads regarding changing front shocks on my 92 and now that temps have reached 30 here,I decided to get this done. Heated garage so perfect time-my shocks are original Billsteins and bottom bolts are easy to remove. However the top piece has become difficult to remove I've attached channel locks to the stud end and while trying to back off the nut,it seems that I am rounding off the top of the stud. Does anyone know of an easier way to do this without using a hack saw to cut the top off?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,478
Likes: 254
From: Downers Grove Illinois
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,953
Likes: 550
From: Mission Viejo CA
I decided the easiest way was to drill a hole thru the fiberglass that is just above the shock, so I could get a tool into the hole in the top of the shock. This hole hides under the wire bundle, so it's not visible.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 49
Likes: 3
From: Lima Ohio
pnewt...as CJjunkie says above, the stud should have a socket in the top of it for an Allen wrench, I can't remember what size. I used a pair of Channel locks on the first one to keep the stud from turning while removing the nut but when I got it off I saw the Allen wrench socket in the top of the stud and that is what I used on the other side. Soak the nut in some Kroil tonight then get at it tomorrow, should come loose relatively easy with the Allen wrench holding it against turning up against the car's body. Good luck.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,190
Likes: 56
From: Milan Indiana
shocks
I should have waited till I saw allen wrench advice. Channel locks beat it up so I used my trusty Metabo and have 1 side done, second tomorrow thanks everyone for ll the great advice. Cleaning up brakes and wheel wells while waiting for new wheels to arrive
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4,427
Likes: 604
From: Minneapolis Mn
If you still have problems, check out a nut splitter. Assuming you get one with a good quality cutter in it, just slip it over the nut and crank the bolt down against the side of the nut. It forces the cutter into the nut eventually splitting it.
These are what I'm talking about:
These are what I'm talking about:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,561
Likes: 946
From: Communist Colorado
I actually drilled a hole in the side of the nut...then used a cold chisel. A rap or two by the hammer and chisel and the nut was easy to remove.
Nw to reinstall, I did exactly what Hot Rod Roy did. .. worked like a champ!
Nw to reinstall, I did exactly what Hot Rod Roy did. .. worked like a champ!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,227
Likes: 697
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
Have seen threads regarding changing front shocks on my 92 and now that temps have reached 30 here,I decided to get this done. Heated garage so perfect time-my shocks are original Billsteins and bottom bolts are easy to remove. However the top piece has become difficult to remove I've attached channel locks to the stud end and while trying to back off the nut,it seems that I am rounding off the top of the stud. Does anyone know of an easier way to do this without using a hack saw to cut the top off?
Last edited by Cruisinfanatic; Jan 9, 2018 at 08:45 PM.
