New Shocks

hamish · Post by **hamish** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:43 pm

I need to replace the shock absorbers, just wondering if anyone had any advice on the best option. I had thought about Bilstein Gas for the front and either Sachs Gas or Koni Red for the rear, I've read here that the Bilstein rear shocks knock. Any thoughts would be welcome...

Cerberus · Post by **Cerberus** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:58 pm

usual caveats of you do this at own risk. I accept no responsibility for your actions.. blah blah blah...

It's actually pretty easy to do. But if you get it wrong it's potentially quite dangerous.

If you don't have access to decent tools and a decent place to work on the car and a decent supply of cups of tea.. then.. walk away and pay someone else to do it...

Front shocks :

*Jack up front of car
*Remove road wheel
*Using two 17mm spanners unbolt drop link from shock leg
*Unclip Flexible brake line from shock leg
*Using 17mm and 19mm sockets remove two securing bolts from bottom of shock leg. Releasing it from hub carrier assembly. (a breaker bar and a length of scaff pole may be needed here)
*Open bonnet and using a 13mm socket remove two bolts securing top of shocker assembly
*swear and hop about a bit after shock assembly hits you in the toes.

Remove assembly to a sturdy bench with vice (or kneel on the floor and brace it between your knees. Your call)

*Compress spring using pair of spring compressors. (what do you mean you don't have spring compressors? Best get yourself to halfrauds for a pair Ã‚Â£20)
*With spring compressed (free to move between the upper and lower pads)
*Remove black plastic top cap from damper. Insert 6mm allen key. Using the allen key to stop the shock rotating remove top nut with ??mm spanner. If you have compressed the spring properly you shouldn't die at this point, hopefully.
*Remove top dished washer thingy. Remove top plate. Remove lower dished washer thingy. Remove spring.

Reassembly is the reverse of dissasembly (Except you swear in different places)

Quick note: I found the top shock nut darned impossible to move using the allen key technique. I put the whole assembly in a vice. Removed the spring compressors (to put the assembly back under pressure) and got the top nut moving with an air impact wrench. This is a frankly bloody stupid thing to do. You MUST NOT undo the nut this way. ONLY slacken it a few turns. You must then COMPRESS the spring again BEFORE you remove the now unjammed nut. If you remove the nut without the spring compressed you WILL die horribly.

Rear ones are easy jack up car. take off roadwheel. unbolt shock.

What a nut... I typed all that and then forgot to add the important bit... saved by the edit button!

Bilsteins are my favourites. as are Koni's. I don't like sachs.

I haven't heard that Bilsteins knock. But if they do then I'd go Koni
all around.

C

hamish · Post by **hamish** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:29 pm

Many thanks for the info. To be honest I'll think I'l get a garage to do them, not that confident doing these myself... Do you have any advice on the best make of shocks to fit, was looking at Sachs or Bilstein?

Cerberus · Post by **Cerberus** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:40 pm

I'd go koni. But that's based on the fact that the koni's I had on my Spitfire were great.

C

felyx · Post by **felyx** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:17 am

the bilstiens i have used a few times mainly because they Ã‚Â£40 trade from europarts , but TBH they are not that good , i bought Greenhalf's 480 turbo the other day and it has saches/boge ( about Ã‚Â£55 from GSF ETC ) and iwould say they are better but the car is also lowered by 20mm.

cheers

aibast · Post by **aibast** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:50 am

runnin on konis with 4cm lowering

glasgowjim · Post by **glasgowjim** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:26 pm

22 mm spanner does the job. But I also had to use a bench vice to loosen the top nut.

hamish where are you located ?

hamish · Post by **hamish** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:58 pm

Just outside Kinross, work in Edinburgh though.

Cerberus · Post by **Cerberus** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:15 pm

glasgowjim wrote:22 mm spanner does the job. But I also had to use a bench vice to loosen the top nut.

hamish where are you located ?

22mm... thats the one i couldn't remeber... *grin*

cheers dude!

C

benwalllker · Post by **benwalllker** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:02 pm

weres the best website to purchase new shocks form? preferably upgrades rather than standards?

eEm · Post by **eEm** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:11 pm

partsforvolvosonline do volvo bits at half Volvo price and I tink they do upgrades, adjustables etc etc. Bilstein Sprintline springs and struts Ã‚Â£299.

I bought the Sachs rear and the Bilstein black equivilent to compare, Ã‚Â£80 inc p&p for each pair and tbh the Bilsteins seemed to perform better on the bench. However, now I've read through this thread I've realised what the knocking is coming from the back of the car! I fitted the Bilsteins and they do knock, at quite random times too.