Anyone have any good resource for an easier way to remove the rear shocks so we can swap the springs? Almost done with car and now this is an issue. Is sub frame necessary to drop?

 

Don't you have JTIS? It's all spelled out in there.



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Honestly, no, I had it for my XJS and haven't needed it until now for my XK8. Was hoping for a quick link I could send him. We're so close to being done.

 

If you release the bolts holding the large steel A frame ( in the centre near the diff ) the hubs and drive shafts drop just enough to get the shocks and springs out without spring compressors. It allows just enough extra drop to manage it. I took out the short bolts and temporarily inserted long ones ( loose ) so that the holes stayed aligned. The rest is easy, just move the brake calliper out of the way supported with zip ties, and remove the shocker bolts. It's pretty straight forward, you will have to compress the shocks a bit and hold them with a bit of wire or string to keep them from extending. The springs just fall out, fully extended.

 

I never remove the shocks......

1. Jack the back of the car up and put it on stands.
2. Remove the brake calliper and support it so you do not strain the flexi, the carrier can stay on
3. Remember to mark the eccentric bolt going through wishbone and hub carrier and remove it, you can lift the disc and hub out of the way and put it to one side.
4. Slide a trolley jack under the wishbone and jack it up just until you see it take the weight of the car without taking it off the stands
5. Remove the bolt holding the damper to the wishbone
6. I just use one spring compressor and fit it on
7. Remove the jack, the wishbone will go down and the spring will become loose
8. Push the damper back up through the spring and slide a screw driver through the spring and the damper bush, you have to move quickly or the damper will push the spring down, give everything a good tug and the spring should come out and slide off the damper over the top of the wishbone.

Normally takes me just over an hour to do a side depending on how seized up things are, the most awkward part is getting the pigtail rubber spring cover back on when fitting the new spring

 

Any ideas on labour cost for this job, my local indy is quoting me 2 hours a corner. is this about right?

 

Depends how they do it..... 2 hours is a little high if they do it in situ but if that is removing the shock that is a bit low

 

its removing the old kyb auto gas crap and fitting a new bilstien shock.

 

So just the rears then...... 2 hours a side is about right

 

thanks for that. hopefully this solves my wayward rear end