Changing Shocks

[attret00]

Should I be able to safely and comfortably change the shocks on a '64 with either the front or rear end up on rhino-ramps? Short cuts or tried and true methods appreciated.

 

[ctjackster]

ahhh, I doubt you could do the fronts very easily that way, perhaps you should take this opprtunity to buy some good jack stands (get some pads too, if you cringe when you see metal on metal on your frame). The reason I say it might be diff on ramps is that the front suspension will be compressed, and even at full travel (such as when the front wheels are off the ground) you still need to compress the shocks a bit to position the bottom end up against the area where the bolts go through, imagine pressing up hard with one hand (or the heel of your hand, actually) while fumbling with a bolt and trying to get it started in the threads - that is not too tough, but change that to having to fully compress the shock if the wheels are on ramps, well it would be far more exiciting. I am sure anything can be done, but I wanted you to know of my experience doing it (swapping shocks in the front on a C2) but perhaps my experience was due to the fact that I used gas shocks. I just changed all four corners on my 65 - Bilstein Sports. As for the rear, I never much cared for backing a car up onto ramps, although when I changed out the rears (with the car up on jack stands) there was no need to engage in the shock compression exercise a la the fronts - the bottom end can be drawn in or out as needed on those.

 

[srthom13]

I recently changed all four shocks on my 66. Like ctjackster I installed gas and followed the same procedure. Besure to use jack stands and not just a jack. The hardest part was the top nut on the rear shocks other than that it was easy. Steve

 

[ctjackster]

agree 100% on the top nut, (but on the fronts for me) being the only swear-word inducing part of the shock job, on one side the bottom of the [two] top nuts that were on the old shcoks, I had to split the nut (using my handy-dandy nut splitter) as it was fully jammed and at that point you are trying to keep the threaded part from spinning with only the little squared-off top of the threaded rod to hold on to, a real friggin pita. As for the rears, yes the forums are full of fully-rusted top and or bottom retaining nut war stories, lots of road spray - rust issues back there, esp true if you are looing at removing original shocks . . . .

 

[JohnZ]

Changing the rears is a LOT easier if you pull the wheels to get a straight shot on the upper bolts, especially if the nuts are rusted....

 

[attret00]

All good advice. I'll go with jack stands and no wheels on rear. As always thanks for your time.