shock install on the ground???

[1TallMF]

This might be a dumb question but here goes nothing...

I'm about to swap my rear shocks, and I'm able to loosen the bottom shock bolts without jacking the car up. Is there any problem with taking the shocks off this way with the car sitting on the ground? Has anyone ever done it this way? In my mind it should work fine and everything should stay together. Let me know if I'm wrong in my thinking...

 

[AznStanger3v]

well, as soon as you go to take the shock out, full load will go to the springs, and i think itll be a bitch to try to install the news ones after that.just put it up on jack stands and put the jack under the axle to put a little preload on it. quit being lazy.

 

[1TallMF]

Not trying to be lazy, but right now seems like my only option to do it myself. Problem is I'm currently in school and staying at my folks house for a bit, and their driveway, and the street they live on, are like a friggin 40* incline, which makes it impossible to jack the car up on. Not having a garage really sucks now. None of my buddies have driveways or garages either, which sucks, and I'm not paying some shmoe mechanic 90+ bucks in labor to do a potentially 30 minute job. I figured the old shocks are completely shot anyways, they can't be holding up too much weight if any at all. I know I'll probably have to compress the new ones by hand to get them in place, which will be a bitch, but I'm willing to try it. I'm open to other suggestions though.

 

[Chythar]

As long as the wheels are on the axle, are on the ground AND the car is stable, you should be fine. I would think the hardest part will then be lining the top of the shock up with the hole inside the trunk. Easy if you can get in there, not so easy otherwise.

I don't know how you have enough room to get in there without lifting the car. Even when I had stock springs, I still couldn't get under the car without lifting it.

 

[1TallMF]

yeah, I kinda lucked-out in a way, on flat pavement I can barely even see my shocks, let alone work on them, but I found today that if I back up in that bitch of a driveway, alot of the weight shifts foreward and the back end lifts off a good bit. I was able to get right under it, get behind the rear tires and even reach all the way up and touch the upper shock mount. Heck, I can probably even reach the fuel filter from that angle.

 

[burtonrider787]

you will be fine it is easy. The only thing you have to do is compress the shock a little bit which isn't all that difficult.

 

[1TallMF]

sweet... thanks for the input guys, I only just ordered the Tokicos today, so I might get them by friday hopefully. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

 

[reddy351]

Shocks don't bear any weight. That's what springs are for. They only absorb small impacts that are encountered by the suspension.

Struts on the other hand are designed so that the body of the unit carries weight. The internal parts of it do not, however. Struts were designed to save the number of items that are needed to manufacture the car. It makes the front-end simpler and cheaper to produce.

 

[1TallMF]

very true. Reason I was asking was because I'm used to working on struts, and I know those hold the front-end together. First time changing shocks, just wanted to make sure I wasn't attempting something impossible or dangerous.

 

[Blackened302]

so then changing shocks can be done w/out jacking the car up? simply unbolt the old shock, take it out, put the new one in and bolt it up?

i've had new shocks sitting in my laundry room for the past two weeks and know i need to put them in pretty badly. this'll be my first time (hehehe) so excuse the n00b-ness of my assumption.

 

[1TallMF]

that is what I am assuming. I'm gonna try it.

 

[Blackened302]

well let us know how it turns out =)

 

[reddy351]

If he doesn't answer back in a day or two, does that mean I'm wrong and it IS impossible and dangerous?

 

[1TallMF]

haha probably. I'm hoping to do it as soon as the shocks come in. Hopefully friday.

 

[HISSIN50]

Ive never been able to do them without a jack but it's because I'm too big to fit. I dont ever get the back tires off the ground though (I just use the jack for clearance for me, and to make it so I dont need to compress the shock for the install).

Matter of fact, jacking the rear up off the ground [by the frame] with no shock could be kinda hinky (unless preparing for a spring R/R. ).

Good luck bud.

 

[Blackened302]

lol, does that mean you do or don't think it's a good idea, JT?

 

[HISSIN50]

I think it's a fine idea if he's svelte enough to fit.

 

[Blackened302]

cool, then! guess i'll try and do this myself tomorrow, thanks JT!

 

[95opal]

Little tip, back up onto a couple scraps of 2"x6" or somthing to give you a little more clearance under the car. You should have no problem changing them over on the ground I've done it a few times. good luck

 

[1TallMF]

Update: I'm alive!

Alright, got the shocks today and was able to get them on the car with nothing more than 4 wrenches and a spare tire jack (the latter was not used to jack the car up).

For those who were skeptical, it wasn't that bad. I did spend about an hour loosening the bottom bolt on the driver's side though. Thats where the tire jack came into play.

A few pics:

The amount of room I had to work with (not as bad as it looks):

Stock, busted-ass shock next to the new Tokicos. I got the ones for the Fox cars (pn 3608) because my car is lowered 2" and I was under the impression the fox ones were made shorter. I don't see the difference:

Installed, 1.5 hours later:

I took it for a short drive shortly after the install, and holy crap, I should have done this 8 months ago. The rear feels alot more controled and planted on turns and acceleration, and doesn't crash over bumps. Its fantastic! The real test will come with passengers in the back, since thats when the car drove like absolute crap before.

While I was under there, I noticed two HUGE shiny areas on my driveshaft, indicating that noise I was hearing on hard acceleration was the parking brake line bracket rubbing. Upper and lower control arms will be the first thing on my spring time shopping list. Hopefully the shocks will help, but the arms should solve the driveshaft rubbing problem.