I have the shocks out of my 2000 xk8 and they seem fine except for the bottom bushing. I called the local shops and no one will do the job. Has anyone found a way to remove and install the bushing wihtout a press or a vice? I can buy new shocks for about $95 a side and am thinking I may be better off just buying new. The bottom bushings seem intact but there is a lot of play in them and not much resistance. The top mounts just more or less crumbled.

 

Ok your question is only about bottom right? Fyi you NEED to replace the upper shock mount or you will destroy your front tires from uneven wear.

I have a press so I can't address your question directly, but here's something I learned: dont have a properly sized cylinder to "press" against (supports the metal on the shock surround from underneath. Has space inside for worn rubber to slide into as its hammered or pressed out)?

Go to home depot or plumbing store. Plenty of steel pipe junctions whose ID and OD fit perfectly for a couple of $$.

John

 

I used a snap-on ball joint press I got used for $80. Then I bought a kit of bushing pusher adapters and found the closest match that fit snug over the balloon seal and had the outside turned down on a lathe to fit trough the shock's bushing bore.

 

Just go to your local Advance or Autozone and rent a ball joint "C" clamp set and press it out with a socket. My 30MM was perfect. Take the spring clip and rubber off the old one and also the new one before pushing it in. A bit painful but worth the effort to not destroy the new one..

 

If you're willing to use google and search the idea lots of approaches at this will come up, many have been mentioned above.

Basically, you can take a long bolt, a good thick bolt that will barely fit through the hole of the lower mount. On the side that you choose to do the "pushing" from, find a socket that rightly fits the ledge of the bush BUT small enough in diameter to clear the out edge of the bush's barrel... From there, find another socket, one that nicely rides the edge of the barrel at the end of the shock that houses the bush and top it all off with a nice thick washer, or a few large washers and begin to tighten the whole thing down.

The side of the bush that has the socket that rides the bush lip BUT fits through the barrel will start to be pulled (or pushed depending in how you look at it) through to the other side. At which you can remove it.

You MAY need a breaker bar to get those first couple turns, from there use a 1/2 wratchet on the nutt. I'm always amazed at the strength of the threaded nut and bolt.

Anyways, here's a video.
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Are the shocks original? If so I can't imagine not replacing the entire shock along with the shock mount, which is what I'm into right now.
My shocks are original and the lower bushings were shot. There is no way I'm installing 19 year old shocks on anything short of a lawn tractor (if it had shocks).
If the shocks are newer, then, yeah, replace whatever needs replaced.

 

Yes the shocks on my car are replacement shocks. If replacing the bushing turns out to be a PITA I will just purchase new shocks. Lets face it when you work on a 20 year old car you can really make a argument to replace just about everything you can get your hands on. I try to limit replacing only what needs to be replaced and if a part seems to be in good working order keeping it. From what I can tell the original shocks on this car were painted green.

 

Take a look at my DIY here.

I used the free loaner tools from Advance Auto and worked fine - although I will never waste my time doing that again preferring instead to just buy whole shocks and be done with it. That is exactly what I did with the rears.

 

That is correct, the original shocks were green. I removed mine in the last week or so. With yours being new, sure, just replace the lower bushings.
As previously stated, removing the shock strut should make this doable on the work bench.
We are definitely in a zone of deciding what to replace when, considering the age of our cars.
I'll also replace just what needs to be replaced but if access is an issue, when I go in I'm going all in.
A year and a half ago I did the whole timing chains/guides/tensioners thing.
I recently replaced all the heater hoses and now I'm into the front suspension, motivated by the rust colored particles around the shock mounts.
When I got into it, it made sense to replace the shocks, bushings, and ball joints. Now I won't have to address that stuff ever again, I hope.
Soon I'll get back into a mode of driving the car more and working on it less. That's the plan anyway.

 

Having replaced the upper / lower bushings in my 2005 (which had green original dampers) I would also suggest buying new. In my case, with some struggle and inventiveness I was able to get the old bushings out. Installing the new ones was impossible without a press. I tried everything, and failed. I had to take the dampers to an auto shop and have the, pressed in. If you can afford it, replace the dampers (its probably time)

 

Taking a break from the project for a while. Coming to the conclusion my best course of action is to buy new shocks ($95 a side at RockAuto) have a shop with the big equipment assemble them and I can put them back in the car and be done with it. Thankfully service history shows a lot of front suspension work and except for the worn out shock mounts is pretty solid.

 

Yes, new shocks and upper shock mounts from RockAuto. I'm doing this with the 2001 XK8 I bought last year. $300 instead of the megabucks the dealer wants. And while you're under there, check all the suspension bushings. Mine are original, well worn, and I'm replacing them too. Then get a front end alignment and smile, smile, smile.

 

What he said.