I just bought the 04 ZO6 shocks for my Y2K coupe and I want to know if there are any "special" tricks for installing them. I did a search on the Forum and couldn't find anything. :confused: :confused:

 

No special tricks at all. They just unbolt and the other go right back in the same way. Shouldn't take more than about 2 hours or less from start to finish.
:cheers:

 

You'll need compress the shocks with tie wraps/zip ties to get them up and in position... you may even need to tie wrap your old ones to get them out depending on what condition they are in...


[Modified by XmentalPilot, 8:38 AM 11/22/2003]

 

Mine took exactly 2 hours I mean 120 minutes just about to the second. :D

Let us know what you think once they are put on. I went on a spirited ride with my Bilsteins one last time to get that memory feel. Put on the 04 Shocks and drove pretty much the same course home. HUGE difference in my opinion. :cheers:

 

Yes, I guess that is one way to do it.

I am in the process of installing my new 04 Z06 shocks on my 02 Coupe. I did one of the fronts a couple days ago and will finish up the job later today.

The easiest way is to follow the shop manual and get the special shock tool from GM. But I don't have one...

Here is what I did... I have the wheel and rotors and calipers off as I am also installing new calipers, SS brake lines, Eradispeeds and Ronal wheels... you can most likely just get away with removing the wheels.

Loosen and remove the top and bottom bolts on the shock. To remove the shock you will need to let the hub assembly drop down slightly more than normal. (Or do the compress thing as mentioned in the earlier post.)

I loosened the 4 top A-arm to frame bolts which let the hub assembly drop. Don't completely remove these bolts, there are shims on them used for front wheel alignment. (If you do remove the bolts, just keep track of the shims so that they go on the same bolt when you reassemble the car).

Then wiggled the bottom of the shock forward so that it is forward of the bottom A-arm. Now the shock still won't come out because the upper part of the shock hits the top A-arm.

So I took a jack and placed it under the lower A-arm assembly and slowly jacked it up just enough to remove the old shock. (Be careful of placement and avoid the spring.) (It doesn't have to go up very far, but it does need to go back up.) When you get to the sweet spot, the shock will come right out.

Now you have the old one off and are ready to install the new one. Installation is the reverse of removal.

Work the upper part of the new shock into place. Lower the jack which allows the lower part of the shock to be moved into place.

Then bolt the shock in and re-tighten the top A-arm bolts. I need to get the manuals out to find out what to torque all the bolts to and will do this before I put the whole car back together.

It is not as hard as it may sound. If you are at all mechanically able, this is sorta easy.

Good luck :cheers:

Edit: The shop manual shows that the rear just bolts right in and doesn't require any special tools. We'll see.... :)

[Modified by Rogue Wave, 1:52 PM 11/22/2003]

Update: I completed the installation on the fronts. I ended up removing all 4 bolts in the upper A-arm. (Just remember don't loose the shims if there are any.) Installation was a breeze.

Now the rears were a different beast. You'll need to do the compress and tie wrap or zip tie the shocks to install the new ones. You might be able to compress the old ones by hand to get them out (thats I did), but the Z06 shocks are too tough to compress in place.

Good luck :cheers:


[Modified by Rogue Wave, 8:20 PM 11/22/2003]

 

Well...they're on and the difference in the way the car feels on the road is absolutely amazing! This is MUST mod for all non-Z06 cars!!! The install was fairly straightforward, although it was a PITA getting the top bolt off of the front shocks. Is there some secret to doing this? I ended up using an open end wrench and a pair of vice grips to hold the post so I could turn the nut. Removing the upper control arm bolts in the front does the trick. The rears took about 15 minutes each...once I figured out how to keep them compressed with zip ties. Oh well...it's time to drive before the snow falls! Thanks to everyone who suggested this mod!!!
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

Thanks for the tips. Been thinking about this mod too.

 

hey gurus,, I bought 03 z06 shocks for my 98 a4,, for 55 bucks, they have very low miles on them,,less than 10,000,,,will they be better than the stock one I have now, or did I waste my money....what is the 4 bolts on the upper a-arm everyone is talking about on the install>>>> let me know I got a deal or shafted......

 

$50 is a great deal for super low mile 2002/2003 Z06 shocks and they are a pretty good damper! Think you'll be just fine... There are some great deals out there for guys wanting to do an inexpensive upgrade to slightly used Z06 shocks from Z51 or base shocks... it's a great way to see if you'll like the firmer damping that the higher performance shocks provide. You may like the difference so much that you'll later want to try 2004's.

Have fun!!! :thumbs:

 

Im kind of curious about the shock tool from GM. Im considering getting the 2004 shocks and if i can get a tool that will make the job easier, i would be interested, just exactly what does the tool do ?
Thanks

 

All you need is something to hold the shock in the compressed mode.
My stock F45 shocks were so weak I didn't need any help removing them... your old shocks may be in better shape and need to be compressed and tied. But the new shocks need to be fully compressed and held that way untill you get them up and into position. The tie wrap method works pretty slick!! Really no need to buy the GM tool...

 

Xmental Pilot,
Enjoyed your home page - nice looking hard top. I also have an F45 equiped 98 and have been thinking of new shocks. Did you go with the used Z06's? What did you do to fool the computer re the non-F45 shock?

 

Is this upgrade to the 04 Z06 shocks recommended for cars with the base suspension or would it be too much for the spring rate? I have already put the Z06 sways on and like that enhancement.

 

I just had the left rear shock off my 03 coupe. I have the Z51 opt. and I believe that has the same shocks as the Z06. Anyway, I compressed the shock and used nylon cable ties to hold it in the compressed state. Once I had the shock in place and lined up, I cut the strap. That let the shock expand as I guided it into place.
Hope this helps.
Nick :cheers:

 

Hey Scott!

The 2004 Z06shocks are a great improvement over the base suspension shock... I have the Z06 bars and 04 shocks and am really pleased with the combo on my car. :thumbs: (it was a base suspension w/F45 car)



[Modified by XmentalPilot, 5:34 PM 12/5/2003]

 

Steve IM'ed you with some info -Don


[Modified by XmentalPilot, 5:33 PM 12/5/2003]

 

Could you describe the difference please. I've read the ride quality is much improved but do you feel like the handling has improved or stayed the same? Also any problems with bottoming out? It looks like your Vette is pretty low. Thanks!! :cheers:

 

cut and past the following link. This is guy provides a very good "how to" for all but the most inexperienced. And he explains how to avoid special tools.

<A HREF="http://www.crossedflags.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=5189&sid=01b3fc63845ff4d 5ce5c7f12ac92c1ba" TARGET="_blank">http://www.crossedflags.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=5189&sid=01b3fc63845ff4d 5ce5c7f12ac92c1ba</a>