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My 97 appears to need shock mounts. Measurements on Driver's side is 14.25", passenger is 14.5". looking at the top of the driver's shock mount, where you can see the bolt for the shock, the shock is no longer centered in that hole on the driver's side. Not sure that just changing the mounts is going to return me to normal ride height. Replacing the lower seat may help a little.
Are the Welsh mounts the current preferred choice? Should the upper Bumper also be replaced? Could you use two of the lower seats per side to raise the car up to compensate a little for the sagging springs?
Already checked the control arm bushings and ball joints, and they look good. Also looked at the wheel bearings, but no noticeable movement, and no noise when spinning them on the lift. Even the shocks look and feel good, although I may replace them anyway just because it will be apart.
Thinking of buying a spring compressor kit like this one. I know I can rent them, but sort of felt like this style might be better??
yes replacing upper shock mounts will raise ride height back up, but definitely check lower shock bushings and replace if bad. mine were toast so I just replaced shocks as well.
With uppers gone, you will most likely need to replace the bump stops as they are foam too!!
Welsh poly are current recommended. You can go with OEM foam but expect to do the job again in 3-4 years as I found out!!
Compressor looks nice but that comment is meaningless, I was just looking at a picture. I hope you can find someone who has used it so you can get good feedback. If you wind up buying it, please let us know how you liked it.
Don't forget you only need to compress when the shock spring assembly is removed from the vehicle. I've always used the free loaner from AutoZone. Found I got best results using 2 pairs simultaneously.
Sounds like this is your 1st time on this job. Heads up - when you position the upper shock mount, pay close attention to the orientation of the 3 vertical bolts that protrude from the upper shock mount with respect to the shock's lower bolt hole. They must be properly aligned/positioned for the assembly to be reinserted in position. Once the compressor is released you'll never be able to slide/rotate the mount so that the 3 bolts position matches the 3 holes in the car and there is nothing mechanical that will force you to orient it correctly. Dont laugh but my first time taught me this one.
Heads up #2: How do I prevent the top center shock bolt from rotating as I try to loosen or tighten it? While you can use an Allen wrench , I just use an impact wrench on my compressor. Your choice...
While I'm at it #3: be careful of the white plastic ring the bottom of the spring sits in / sits against. It is brittle with age. Many of us were half way through the job when it broke = delays.
definitely check lower shock bushings and replace if bad. mine were toast so I just replaced shocks as well.
Yep, checked those when I first got the car to diagnose a clunk. Had to replace 1 of them (passenger side), but the other side looked good. Had the typical Power Steering leak on the passenger side that took out the sway bar bushing, and may have helped the shock bushing along as well.
Johnken, thanks for your comments. I may just go with the rental compressors at this time. Might try and fab something up to work with my 20 ton press, but that might be a project for another day....
Just finished this job a couple of weeks ago. As Jonken said borrow two sets of spring compressors
and use 3 or 4 as necessary. Much easier than using only a single set. The first side took me all day
and the second one with 4 spring compressors on it took 90 minutes.
Darbysan, Neil got me thinking about the last time I did the job. How did I alight the shock mount vertical bolts with the bolt hole in the shock (on the bottom)?
Spring still compressed. Played the assembly down on my workbench. Slid a 2foot long ratchet extension through the shock's lower hole, protrudes 12 inches each side (anythinglong and straight will work). The ratchet extension will parallel the table top. Rotate the upper shock mount so one bolt is at the very top (table surface would be bottom).
Then just loosen the compressor without rotating the mount. You're all set.
Clean the threads on the top mounts, they can be powder coated and snap when you are torquing them down.
Done a few and ordered and replaced shocks, most just needed a lower bushing. You can't really tell until you get them out. So if you have some time, check it out before the order.
Make sure to get the ones (Welsh) that don't need putting together, they may have stopped selling those, real pain.
I just finished my front shocks. I bought new shocks with new lower bushing. I bought my shock mounts as OEM from SNG Barratt. Just a trick I fell onto I bought thru their ebay store and they were less than direct from sng but also less from welch.
I used the compressor that you are looking at. It works quite well and if you go to you tube and search spring compressor, then take a look at eastman tools videos you can see it in action.
Lastly, if you would pay postage cost up and back, I would be glad to loan you my compressor. Probably $15.00 or so each way. Or I may be up in Vegas in a couple of weeks and drop it off and say hi.
If you haven't changed the shocks before, and bushings are indeed bad, new shocks will be noticeable when driving it again. At only $100 each, it's affordable, also.
Update: project complete. Replaced the front upper mounts, bump stops, gators, and shocks. Took about 4 hrs , but some of that was learning time for the new Strut tool I purchased ( referenced in post above). Vern was going to loan me his tool, but shipping costs were prohibitive. Upper mounts were totally collapsed, as were the bump stops. After assembly and test drive, measured fronts at 15.5" each side. Rears also at 15.5". Not quite to spec, but close enough,and much better than the 14.25" I had previously. I did use 2 lower spring isolators, which only gained me about 1/8". Probably not worth the extra money.
Lessons learned. I tried removing the driver's side inner fenderwell, as it was reported that doing so would eliminate the need to disconnect the upper A-arm. I tried for about 1/2 hour to get the strut out, but found no way without removing upper strut bolt. Finally just went with the traditional method. The Tip about keeping the orientation of the Mount, shock and spring is a good one. Use a marking pen and make plenty of reference marks before disassembling. The strut tool worked well, but took a little work to make fit. The spring spacing is a little tight to get the lower bracket between the springs. Finally found I could insert the bracket a little higher, and then rotate the strut assemble to "screw" down the position of the bracket.
Using the tool, with the strut, made for a pretty heavy lot to control. I made an adapter so I could mount the tool. I mounted it to the side of my 20 ton press, but it could me mounted to a wall, the side of a toolbox, etc. I made it out of some 2x2 box tubing i had laying around, but it could probably be made from 2x4 wood with some metal angle iron for the bottom brace. The tool sits in a hole at the bottom, and is held in place using a 1 5/8" exhaust clamp at the top. Strut tool with bracket, attached to 20 ton press
Next project: replace shock mounts
