Changing out Front Shocks
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,182
Likes: 14
From: POINT PLEASANT NEW JERSEY
Changing out Front Shocks
I am changing out the front Bilstein shocks off my 87 as they are the originals(72k mi) and the previous owner replaced the Rears last year ...but not with Bilsteins...he put on AC Delco "reactecs" which give my Vette a smoother ride..not so hard over the bumps.
So even though the front Bilsteins arent leaking....they are filthy ...the rubber tops are cracking and I'm figuring it cant be all that good to have a mismatched set of shocks.
This is the first time I am doing this ...I have the Hayes manual....and the removal and installation seems pretty straight foward and easy......this of course is what worries me....its never easy!!!!
So before I start the job...does anyone have any suggestions..comments, recommendations or heads-up to look out for .
I checked the linkages and wheels for play all seems pretty tight . There is a clunking noise I hear occassionally from the front end and I am hoping the new shocks will take care of that. Wish me luck !!!
So even though the front Bilsteins arent leaking....they are filthy ...the rubber tops are cracking and I'm figuring it cant be all that good to have a mismatched set of shocks.
This is the first time I am doing this ...I have the Hayes manual....and the removal and installation seems pretty straight foward and easy......this of course is what worries me....its never easy!!!!
So before I start the job...does anyone have any suggestions..comments, recommendations or heads-up to look out for .
I checked the linkages and wheels for play all seems pretty tight . There is a clunking noise I hear occassionally from the front end and I am hoping the new shocks will take care of that. Wish me luck !!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,470
Likes: 2
From: levittown pa. usa Even a bad day with my `Vette, is better than a good day at work
St. Jude Donor '10
Murphy`s law: " anything that can go wrong, will, & at the most inopportune time ". 
Having said that, this is a pretty straight forward job, & should be pretty easy.
Having said that, this is a pretty straight forward job, & should be pretty easy.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,504
Likes: 0
From: Byron Center MI
Originally Posted by Chewch87
I am changing out the front Bilstein shocks off my 87 as they are the originals(72k mi) and the previous owner replaced the Rears last year ...but not with Bilsteins...he put on AC Delco "reactecs" which give my Vette a smoother ride..not so hard over the bumps.
So even though the front Bilsteins arent leaking....they are filthy ...the rubber tops are cracking and I'm figuring it cant be all that good to have a mismatched set of shocks.
This is the first time I am doing this ...I have the Hayes manual....and the removal and installation seems pretty straight foward and easy......this of course is what worries me....its never easy!!!!
So before I start the job...does anyone have any suggestions..comments, recommendations or heads-up to look out for .
I checked the linkages and wheels for play all seems pretty tight . There is a clunking noise I hear occassionally from the front end and I am hoping the new shocks will take care of that. Wish me luck !!!
So even though the front Bilsteins arent leaking....they are filthy ...the rubber tops are cracking and I'm figuring it cant be all that good to have a mismatched set of shocks.
This is the first time I am doing this ...I have the Hayes manual....and the removal and installation seems pretty straight foward and easy......this of course is what worries me....its never easy!!!!
So before I start the job...does anyone have any suggestions..comments, recommendations or heads-up to look out for .
I checked the linkages and wheels for play all seems pretty tight . There is a clunking noise I hear occassionally from the front end and I am hoping the new shocks will take care of that. Wish me luck !!!
Bench Racer
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,201
Likes: 15
From: Palm Beach Gardens FL
St. Jude '03 thru 14,'25
Originally Posted by Chewch87
I am changing out the front Bilstein shocks off my 87 ... So before I start the job...does anyone have any suggestions..comments, recommendations or heads-up to look out for ...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,182
Likes: 14
From: POINT PLEASANT NEW JERSEY
Yeah...I'm an armchair mechanic too!!!!But my chair hasn't any arms!!!!!
Ok thanks all, the clunkinghappens occasionally when I go over a dip or bump... but only a single clunk particularly when turning...doesn't happen alot though...so I'm not too worried
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Check your bushings for the clunking, it might be a sway bar bushing (or lack of one).
The bilsteins can be a little tricky to change out. They're gas charged, so you'll have to compress it by hand to get it out. The hardest part is getting the upper nut off. You need a tight grip on the upper end of the shock shaft (it's squared off up top to accept a small metric (6mm?) wrench. Soak those top nuts bigtime with penetrating fluid right now, so they'll be easier to remove. That's pretty much all there is to it.
And lube up your bushings while you're in there.
The bilsteins can be a little tricky to change out. They're gas charged, so you'll have to compress it by hand to get it out. The hardest part is getting the upper nut off. You need a tight grip on the upper end of the shock shaft (it's squared off up top to accept a small metric (6mm?) wrench. Soak those top nuts bigtime with penetrating fluid right now, so they'll be easier to remove. That's pretty much all there is to it.
And lube up your bushings while you're in there.
