Replacing Rear Shocks with new Bilstein Sports

[tiwebber]

I've had this car for about 2 months. On my first drive with someone in the passengers seat the tires rubbed against the rear fenders. I measured the fender to ground and it was 24". I bounced the rear end and it was really squishy. I posted about this and there was agreement I needed new shocks. I was told I would also get a 1/2" more height with new Bilstein Sports. Everyone here is so good about answering questions I thought I should document how I replaced my shocks just in case it might help someone looking to do the same. I realize it is one of the easiest things to do but for a complete mechanical newbie like me, it was all new.

Here's the car.



Most instructions say you dont have to jack the car and pull the wheels to do this job. However, on my car the lower shock bolt head is facing the engine and the nut is facing the wheel. Backwards from most pictures I have seen. My problem was that the lower bolt would have to come out to replace the shock but the exaust manifold is in the way. Here's the bolt and the exaust manifold



When you raise it up you have lots of room to remove the bolt. So I put floor jacks under both the rear torsion bars ends.
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Now I jacked up the trailing arm and but a few bricks under it to take tension off of the shock. Next I applied some penetrating oil to the nut and then loosened the nut on the lower shock bolt a bit.



Now to remove the top nut in the engine compartment.



My old shocks did'nt have a hex key on top of the top bolt. They did however have a flat head so I clamped the flat head with vice grips to prevent the shock from turning and used my 17mm wrench to remove the nut, washer and rubber stopper below the washer. Once that was done, i finshed lossening off the bottom bolt and was able to finese the bolt out of the trailing arm and remove the shock.

Here a picture of the shock. It was squishy and had grease all over it.

Here's the new shock. The bolt washer and rubber stopper go on top in the engine compartment. I left fat end of the rubber stopper down below thetop bolt and washer in the engine compartment. I left the rubber stopper that stays on the top of the shocks body up - just like it is in the picture. (I could'nt find a definitive answer about whether the rubber stoppers are oriented like they are on my picture of the new shock or if they are reversed with the narrow ends pointing towards each other.



The new shocks were easy to manoeuvre up through the hole in into the engine compartment. I then put the lower bolt back on (backwards like the way I found it) and put the nut on loosely. I then put the rubber stopper, washer and nut on the top bolt, put in the hex key to keep the shock from turning and tightened up the top bolt. I then finished tightening the bottom shock bolt and bob's your uncle. Repeat this for the other side of the car and I was done.

Final measurement indicates I gained just over 1/2" in ride height. I just got back from a drive with someone in the passenger side seat and no rubbing on the tires. I am surprised that it went so well. I think its beginners luck and my DIY time will certainly come.

[livi]

Great write up ! Gorgeous looking car - love the color.

Besides oil change, that was my first DIY project. Rear was rather strait forward, except for reaching the upper right bolt behind the air filter and O2 sensor (Carrera 3.2). Front a bit more struggle. Not least until I figured out how to gain enough movement of the strut to be able to slide it out from under the fender.

Good work !

[rnln]

I have never replace shock/strut on my P but did most of the past cars. New shock/strut/spring will make the car ride a little heigher but it will settle back down soon. Not sure with P car, but I think the basic concept is the same.

[tiwebber]

Great write up !

Thanks Markus, I appreciate the comment. All I have done on Pelican so far is cosume advice - I believe its only fair to give back and hope this post might help someone.

shock/strut/spring will make the car ride a little heigher but it will settle back down soon.

Yikes, I am hoping I dont have to adjust torsion bars too soon!

[dentist90]

Very timely, ti. I was following my wife home this past week while she drove the Porsche and I noticed that it really squatted when she accelerated. I had never noticed that while I was driving. I leaned on the rear bumper and the suspension is very squishy compared to the front, which is hard to compress and doesn't bounce at all. I was planning to raise my ride height 1/2'' this year but now I'll change out the shocks first, just to see what that does.
A mechanic friend of mine pointed out that the shocks should not affect ride height at all... that is determined by the springs ( or torsion bars in our case). The function of the shocks is only to dampen the 'bouncing' of the springs and keep the tires in contact with the road. Can't argue with that, but I hope he's wrong in this case.
BTW, my car is from Victoria. My parents live down there, maybe I'll look you up sometime. The Pointman on this site is also from Victoria, but he is out of commission right now due to a collision

[tiwebber]

My parents live down there, maybe I'll look you up sometime.

For sure. I am in Oak Bay at 2086 Brighton Avenue - near the Oak Bay United Church. I think my email address is posted?

Man, I read the Pointmans post. What bad luck for the car but glad he's doing OK. Would like to meet him too when he's back at it.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally posted by tiwebber
....So I put floor jacks under both the rear torsion bars ends.
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This is an excellent write up, excellent pictures...congratulations.

Not criticizing at all but I think you mispoke (typed?) when you said you placed jacks under the torsion bar covers. The pictures show you placed jack STANDS under at least one torsion bar cap....which is the only safe way to support a car you intend to work under. It is obvious you know this but I wanted to point it out for any newbie - like you USED TO BE who might read this and not pay close attention to the picture.

Like I said, excellent write up, thanks, Dan

[tiwebber]

Thanks Dan. Indeed thanks for pointing that out - the jack stands were under the torsion bar caps on both sides.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Tim, No problem. I could tell you knew exactly what to do and probably did it on both sides. I just remember being sort of a newbie and I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt.

Very nice write up, keep 'em coming, especially if you swap out the front shock...I need to do that and (sorry) it'd be a lot easier if someone with good picture and writing skills tackled it forst!

[dentist90]

Hey Tim,
Can you give us a pic of the ride height of your car now that you've done the rear shocks? I'd like to see how much lift a shock replacement can do without getting into torsion bar/spring plate adjusts.

[tiwebber]

Can you give us a pic of the ride height of your car now that you've done the rear shocks?

Sure, the first pic is the rear passenger side tire. The second pic is the front passenger side tire for comparison. My rear ride height rose from 24" to 24 1/2" when I replaced the old bilsteins with my new sport bilstein shocks. My front ride height is 25 1/2". All measurements from ground to lowest point on the fender. Sorry, the pics were just taken so it a little dark out there. Last thing, rnln posted that the ride height increase might be temporary! I really hope not but will measure from time to time.


REAR:


FROnT: