Changing springs and shocks

Hey guys

Im pretty handy with the spanners and for the life of me couldnt get the shock and spring off my sup this morning, was planning on changing all 4 today but thats really not going to happen.

Has anybody got a guide or can give me a step by step ? i dont really want to undo the upper wishbone due to the bolt being huge (iv heard).

i couldnt seem to find any way of applying leverage etc so the shock would pop out.

Any hope would be awesome

are both wheels off the ground? pretty sure without both off it's much harder to lever to get the clearance.....

really ?? see this is why this club is soo good , never would of thought of that, was trying to do one at time

anything else i should know ?

Come on Lee ... a little effort with 30 °C outside temp shouldn't be too much for you :d

I just took the top wishbone bolt out - so much easier to do! yes, its is long, but plenty of WD the night before... comes out relitivly easy!

Big bolt comes out no problem, can be a little tricky getting it back in but nothing TOO hard. The PITA comes on the passenger side when you need to remove the guard and water bottle grrrrrr.

I just took the top wishbone bolt out - so much easier to do! yes, its is long, but plenty of WD the night before... comes out relitivly easy!

I do this too, but having a ramp or wheel stands to allow the bolts to be tightened back up with the cars weight on them is essential.

right !!! i have pretty much tried my hardest , both wheels are off ground both wheels are off , has a tiny bit more leverage but i just cant seem to slide it over the lower wishbone,

is there anything i should be loosening etc ... apart from the wishbone which i just cant be dealing with the hassle of takin it off

ill givbe you a run by on what i have done so far:

taken wheels off

taken strut brace off from under the bonnet and done bolts back up x3

car on axle stands ( on the chassis )

Taken out the bottom bolt that goes through the bottom of the shock, and now im stuck....

tried taking the top bolts off to allow more play bit it just slides into the holes and jams it ... GRRR

Did you have a look at this Jim:

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=177475

You are supporting the weight of the car on the chassis aren't you?

In other words the suspension is free to drop down until the damper is fully extended.

You do have the 3 top nuts off at this stage, right???

Me and my bro undid, obviously all the shock bolts then the inside lower arm bolt, then as i applied pressure downwards on the hub he pulled the shock out top end first towards where the wheel sits, it is close to the arch but it comes out changing the shocks have been the easiest thing to do on my car

Did you have a look at this Jim:

 

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=177475

 

You are supporting the weight of the car on the chassis aren't you?

 

In other words the suspension is free to drop down until the damper is fully extended.

i have the 3 nuts undone now and its almost as if it just gets to the point where i need a hand pushing it down and prising it out, will have another go now.

its a pita but it does "wiggle" out with enough cursing

And you have taken the droplink off yes?

by drop link you mean ?? wishbone ?? sorry for my incompitence

WOW i am unbeleibaly stupid !!! just found out what the drop link does etc feel like a doosh now... ill go disconnect the drop link then see how i get on !! LIVID

The proper way to get it off without mole grips

Pretty much what you have to do because the design is retarded and you'll round the allan key

Off it goes.

Read up TDR's thread, i followed that when mine were done, 3hrs to do one side then 1hr to do the other once i got the jist of it

Then use a bar to lever it down to shoogle out the strut.

Just take the upper wishbone out. It's only a 10 min job.

I tried to change my shocks without taking the wishbone out for 2 hours - I endet up taking it out in 10 mins.

Jim_Jimmy_Jimberoo, seriously, the wishbone is a piece of pee and makes the job FAR easier.

How does the wishbone bolt come out? It looks like a long one to me, doesnt this hit the plastic of the inner arch?

OK im giving up !! iv taken the drop link bolt out that is shown in the picture above and i still cant apply enough pressure to slide the bottom of the shock over lower wishbone

iv tried doing it from the top and pulling it outwards the arch but no way in hell that can come out like that.

I will leave it for another day or just spend £300 getting it done for me

unless anybody local wants to lend a hand ??

Told you, wishbone bolt.

On the passengers side you remove the inner arch at the front and then unbolt the water bottle. This allows you to remove it. Drivers side just comes right out.

You will most likely need a spare pair of hands as you might want to stand on the hub to push it down enough to get the strut out. I did this on my own but it wasn't fun.

Scott's right about making it easier but i assure u it can be done by pushing down and shoogling it out. Me and my auld man done it a few months ago and was fairly straight forward.

Yeah, can do it with 2 folks without removing the wishbone bolt lol. Similar method as I mentioned..... cept with bouncing on the hub lol.

No way mine will come out, saying that its got tt springs on na shocks, so rides like a hilux!