replacing rear shocks, any last minute tips

[morriss]

I'm baaaaack. I've been in grad school (and working full time) for the past 1.5 years, so I've been MIA. But I'm done, and now I'm once again focusing my free time on restoring the 928. I've read (and copied / pasted) everything I could find in old posts here on Pelican on replacing rear shocks, but I'm just checking to see if there is any other info out there that hasn't been posted yet that will make my task easier. From what I can tell, The WSM is pretty good for this job, and that I should WD-40 or PB Blaster the big bolt every day for a week before beginning. Got any other tips?

[Mrmerlin]

Before you do anything you should check the ride height of the car prior to jacking it up, if the ride height is correct then you simply have to measure the spring perch height to a part on the bottom of the shock. This then transfers to the new shock.

If it needs to be adjusted then IIRC for the rears 1 turn is about 2 MM of ride change

Use PB blaster, look under the hub carrier and you will find hole where the long pin runs,
spray the PB into this hole.

When your ready to remove the rear shocks, first remove both lower sway bar bolts from each LCA

To remove the pins remove the front nut on the pin and use wrench to turn the rear pin nut while you lever it out with a big screwdriver.

Once the pin is out there will be 2 beveled washer that fall out of the hub carrier and one large washer thats between the rear arm and shock.

NOTE the shock bottoms are angled so pay attention to how they come out,
if you have to force the pin in then its backwards.

Once the pin is out wipe it off and roll it on a flat surface if its bent then it should be replaced,
a used pin will work.

Use a generous amount of antiseize on the pin and use the thickest grease you can find to hold the beveled washers in the hub carrier clean these parts first so the grease will stick them in position.

Both sides should be at the same height , same amount of threads showing,
use a mixture of grease and anti seize on the shock body threads and on the spring perch so it can be adjusted easily.

A floor jack is handy for fitting the hub carrier back into position.

Verify that the beveled washers have not fallen out of position otherwise the rear will be very loose when you drive

[morriss]

Perfect, just the kinda stuff I was looking for. As always, thanks Stan for sharing your vast 928 knowledge with the rest of us.

[stepson]

Wow! Stan gave you all the super secret special tricks at one time! The only thing I would add is to use anti-seize on the adjustment nut and the threaded collar. It makes it much easier to change or alter the ride height after the fact.

Read Stan's hints several times all the way through. When those washers fall out, you will say to yourself," Stan said that would happen," and when you look at the bottoms of the shocks and notice they are angled, you will say to yourself, " Stan told me to notice which way the angle of the bottom of the shock goes."

Oh yes. Take one side apart at a time. Just in case you need to see how it goes back together and need an example.

[Mrmerlin]

thanks JC but i did put it in there

use a mixture of grease and anti seize on the shock body threads and on the spring perch so it can be adjusted easily.

[MPDano]

Yeah, easier than the fronts. That's when the held deep inside curse words come out. Rears were a lot easier. I used Strut Compressors from Harbor Freight.

[stepson]

Originally Posted by Mrmerlin

thanks JC but i did put it in there

use a mixture of grease and anti seize on the shock body threads and on the spring perch so it can be adjusted easily.

You sure did! I'm glad I told the OP to read your hints several times through because I missed that one when I just read it once. I guess my eyes just skipped right over that line.

Great job as always.

[lfausty]

glad ur back congrats with school. did you go away leaving ur pcar, haha traumatic. or been driving with no more time for resto til now.

[morriss]

Originally Posted by lfausty

glad ur back congrats with school. did you go away leaving ur pcar, haha traumatic. or been driving with no more time for resto til now.

I had zero time to work on it really, and drove it occasionally. (NO AC + Texas summers = no fun).

Thanks everyone.

[153bigblock]

Originally Posted by morriss

I had zero time to work on it really, and drove it occasionally. (NO AC + Texas summers = no fun).

Thanks everyone.

This picture from Bill Ball was very helpful for reassembly and alignment:

[stepson]

Morris,
Are you coming to the Third Coast event in Marble Falls, the first weekend in November?

[dcrasta]

May be longer but easier (For me..)

1-Jack car up
2-Remove Wheel
3-Remove sway bar end links (I took it off the bar).
4-Remove brake caliper
5-Remove Brake rotor
6-Remove dust shield
7-Remove nut on front of Shock Pin (towards front of car)
8-Remove nut on back of Shock Pin (towards rear of car)
9-Remove large washer from both front and back
10-reinstall nut (backwards on the rear if pin (till its flush with the pin). Drive the pin till its level with the rear shock arm.
11-Remove nut, using long punch or 3/8 extension, continue to push pin out until it is past the shock (towards the front).
12-Remove the 3 17mm nuts in the rear hatch area, shock should fall out .

Reassembly is reverse order.

This will allow you to remove the shock without having to drive the pin completely out, and you only have to worry about the 1 conical washer. THe raised side points towards the swing arm (flat side towards the shock).

Doing it this way, (Even with removing the dust shield and brake rotor) I was able to get it down to about 30 minutes removal time per side.

To realign the outer control arm I used a extension and my hand to get the shock and the rest of the control arm aligned. If you have used lube and anti-seize you should be able to push the pin in by hand, after 'wiggling' the items into alignment.

If you have to pound things to install, back off, look down the hole make sure things like the washers are lined up correctly.

[morriss]

Originally Posted by stepson

Morris,
Are you coming to the Third Coast event in Marble Falls, the first weekend in November?

I'm hoping to. I was planning on getting this shock job done next weekend (going dove hunting on our ranch this weekend) , but now I've got to replace the crankcase ventilation valve and all associated hoses on the BMW, a major PIA, ASAP. The BMW is a daily driver, so it takes priority. That being said, I'll be there if the 928 is not on jack stands come November.

[morriss]

Originally Posted by dcrasta

May be longer but easier (For me..)

1-Jack car up
2-Remove Wheel
3-Remove sway bar end links (I took it off the bar).
4-Remove brake caliper
5-Remove Brake rotor
6-Remove dust shield
7-Remove nut on front of Shock Pin (towards front of car)
8-Remove nut on back of Shock Pin (towards rear of car)
9-Remove large washer from both front and back
10-reinstall nut (backwards on the rear if pin (till its flush with the pin). Drive the pin till its level with the rear shock arm.
11-Remove nut, using long punch or 3/8 extension, continue to push pin out until it is past the shock (towards the front).
12-Remove the 3 17mm nuts in the rear hatch area, shock should fall out .

Reassembly is reverse order.

This will allow you to remove the shock without having to drive the pin completely out, and you only have to worry about the 1 conical washer. THe raised side points towards the swing arm (flat side towards the shock).

Doing it this way, (Even with removing the dust shield and brake rotor) I was able to get it down to about 30 minutes removal time per side.

To realign the outer control arm I used a extension and my hand to get the shock and the rest of the control arm aligned. If you have used lube and anti-seize you should be able to push the pin in by hand, after 'wiggling' the items into alignment.

If you have to pound things to install, back off, look down the hole make sure things like the washers are lined up correctly.

30 minutes?! Now we're talking...Thanks for the tips everyone.

[kelanel]

Originally Posted by morriss

30 minutes?! Now we're talking...Thanks for the tips everyone.

per side for removal only.

The reinstall could take up to an hour or so per side depending if youve done it before or not. this not counting shock re-assembly which is 5-25 mins each pending on what tools you have. all the nuts/bolts that were taken got the torque wrench when i did it last time to be sure. so add a few minutes for piece of mind . all in all you want to have at least 4 hours set aside for this especially if its your first time and you feel uncomfortable doing a quick job.

The trick with reinstalling which really helps is to have a second pair of hands when feeding the re-assembled up into the body, someone needs guide the guy from the bottom (who puts it in blindly)and to put the cap back on then thread the nuts or the shock will just drop right back down. i havent looked into how to do this solo but id recommend having a helper at least for the second half.


Cant go wrong with an impact screwdriver by the way for getting the rotor screw off.


Best of luck
Jonathan.

[curtisr]

Originally Posted by Mrmerlin

use a mixture of grease and anti seize on the shock body threads and on the spring perch so it can be adjusted easily.

Mr. Merlin, the above:

1. is something I wish I had thought of
2. are words to live by
3. brilliant
4. may get printed and posted in the garage