Hey guys I need some help & if anybody is willing/able that would be great... I need to add that I am a beginner so I'm not that knowledgable about this.... So from reading post on the HAMB, I decided it was time to try it out for myself and jump in blind. I figured it out pretty easily and here is what I did: I put a jack under the control arm, took all the bolts out with the jack up under it (frame on stands) lowered the jack until the spring came loose. It turned out ok and I cut 1 1/2 coils out, put it back and all is fine but the shock... the top isn't coming through the hole so that I can put the top bolts back on... any help with this? am I missing something? I'm stuck here with one cut coil and the tire off at a dead end... and this is my daily ride. anything appreciated... thanks, Larry
huh..? Sounds weird..i had mine apart a bazilloin time and never ran into that problem. Just make sure you push the shock staight up and not at an angle...its easy to miss the hole.
Are you sure you have the spring all the way back up into the spring pocket? And, have you tried jacking the suspension up slowly so that the shock can be guided up into it's hole, or are you trying to put it in with the front end hanging?
Yes look at the doubled up busings first. Then you may want to take the bottom of the shock loose and poke it through the hole get her started on the top side and then hook the bottom back up. No help I'm sure but it is what comes to mind for me. If I was closer I would say hang tough I'll be right there.
Did he think to pull the shock up? most likely the shaft is not far enough out of the shock body to reach all the way up.
thanks guys... I'm going to take all that in consideration and head back out there in a minute... maybe rehydrating and getting some info will do some good in this HOT Louisiana heat that has my brain fried LOL I'll post my results when i get it all figured out. Thanks again, Larry
not on a hydralic shock. if its a gas shock it would stay extended but with a hydralic shock it will stay put until you move it.
yep pulling the rod out of the shock if it is so worn out it wont stay in place put a tie rap on it to hold it or better yet buy some gas shocks, if they have a plastic cable on them in box they should expand out to full length even a cheep gas shock now is pretty good i have found
Thanks for all the info... And yep, it was the shocks... just needed to be pulled out. Basically, I was a virgin but a few hours later, a trip to the hardware store to replace some stripped nuts and bolts AND... a lot of curse words later, I feel like I just lost my virginity LOL thanks again, you guys always are big help. She's sitting 2" lower in the front... tomorrow time for the rear... (I've done that before) I got 3" blocks and those blocks should go in like a piece of cake...should... peace, Larry Larry
All shocks should extend to their maximum length when unbolted! Where in the hell did that info come from?
I was going to ask about that myself.... I've got Pete/Jakes tube shocks on the front of my A and when I tore down the frame they stay where ever they are pulled out at, compressed they stay, 1/2 extended they stay, closed they stay, they are fluid filled so how do you know when they are shot, especially with a leaf spring front end?
They stop dampening! In general, gas pressurized shocks when left unattached will extend them selves to their longest length. Oil dampened shocks will stay put where they are left in their travel, unless they are bad, then they will colapse back down. To check a shock, disconnect the top and stroke the shock through it's travel. It should have a nice smooth resistance when stroking in both directions. If it has hard and soft spots, it might be on it's way out. The other big tell tale, is it leaking? This pertains to damn near any shock, with some notable exceptions such as 90/10 drag shocks and such.
soak the u-bolt nuts with some WD40 or PB Blaster, tonight or as soon as you can Oh, and you know we'll want to see the results.
1 and a half coils from a car you're planning to drive on NOLA streets? Those roads suck pretty bad... I hope you have good dental insurance and a kidney belt.
Yep i was pretty sure that was the problem. One more thing you might want to do is shorten the bump stop cause after cutting that much their won't be much room before they hit then it will ride like shit. also have some of your fat ass buddys sit on it and compress it all the way and make sure no steering parts are hitting, have someone turn the steering from lock to lock and watch it does not hit or bind.
I did that same cut on mine and I live in Michigan, they dont spend money on roads up here, we just throw it at corrupt "leaders"..You drive over sub compacts that didnt navigate the pot holes just right, we call them fill. with the change in stance with a 3.5" drop out back and some nice shocks and new sway bar bushings my 53 takes the road really well..aint bottomed out up front yet..out back now i've bumped the trunk pan with the pig a few times, too much in the trunk and a full party load, I put on a set of air up shocks out back to make up for that
The Jalopy Journal
