Shocks and Struts

There is a specialty tool designed for that purpose. You may have a slot or tab in the top of the "strut rod", if you don't have the right tool, you have to use a wrench on the bolt (turning counter clockwise) and a large screw driver on the slot (turning clockwise) or a pair of vise grips on the tab (turning clockwise). I ended up using a "nut splitter", but this isn't the best way, because most struts require that you reuse your hardware. A trip to ACE and I was good.

u can put a four inch block in the rear n tighten up the torsion bars to get a lil bit of lift without spendin a lot of money c.p.c

One can purchase Bilstein shocks on their official website, or on third party distributors' websites such as All Shocks, Summit Racing or Off Road Warehouse.

You are going to need a firm, level surface to work on...a good selection of hand tools, and preferable access to air tools to help break the bolts loose, a couple of jack stands, and a facility to compress the springs for you. Ready? Here we go... Raise the front end of the vehicle and support it under it's frame with the jack stands. Make sure the parking brake is on, and put a chock behind the rear wheels to make sure it doesn't roll while you are working on it. DO NOT RELY ON A CHEAP HYDRAULIC JACK, PLEASE! Remove both front wheels. Scribe a line along the steering knuckle, along the mating edge of the lower strut mount. This will help keep the front suspension aligned. Remove the lower strut mounting bolts and any components that are attached to the lower strut, like brake line mounts or stabilizer links. Remove the upper mounting bolts, typically 3 or 4 of them. Remove the strut assembly from the car, paying attention to the orientation of the strut in the car. Now, you are going to need a spring compressor to actually change the cartridge. An air impact helps break the upper cartridge nut loose. You may want to take them down to your local garage and have them change out the cartridges for you. DON'T FUDGE HERE...THE SPRINGS ARE UNDER ALOT OF TENSION AND CAN SEVERELY HURT YOU. Assemble in the reverse of removal, being sure to properly tighten everthing. Have the front end alignment checked, and adjusted if necessary.

Just shock absorbers - 2 on the front - 2 on the rear ( and there is a smaller " shock absorber " that is angled , it's used to stabilize the differential - when the dealership changed my 4 shocks on my 1995 they did not suggest that I have that one changed also )

Many companies sell conversion kits to convert the air ride sytem to shocks. Click the link to see one.

a drink made by the bane what is bane

When you hit the bump, the mouse wakes up.

I wish someone answered this, I can't seem to be able to take off the top rear shock absorber bolt without it spinning with the top of the schock.

Possibly.

If it's a hot water radiator part of your home heating network, then no worries.

If it is an electric heater, you run the risk of shorting the heater if the internals get wet. This damages the heater and can cause a shock. If you have a GFI plug in the bathroom (a plug with a little reset button on it) you reduce the risk of shock, but damage to the unit can still occur.

If it is a gas heater, you must have good ventillation (an open window will not be enough) otherwise you will fill up the bathroom with exhaust fumes, making it difficult to remain alive for extended periods of time.

Simply put, don't put an external heater in a bathroom.

Does it go away when you turn the steering wheel? At what speeds? It could be the intermediate shaft in the steering or control arm bushings or tie rod end. Many things can cause such sounds - strut assembly, wheel bearings, steering linkages, etc. In the case of ours, it was the wheel bearings - not a cheap fix, but cured the problem. In most cases this sound is a result of motor sub frame front bolts are loose. Try not to hit stop bars on the parking places in the future. Also check that the control arm bushings aren't seperating. The sway bar links are also a popular cause in all vehicles. front end suspension bushing, worn ball joints. bad shock absorbers and loose enge mounts will all cause this s

To replace shocks on the rear wheels of a pickup truck will cost around $100 for the shocks. Labor costs differ by region, but this job might take 1 to 2 hours. Labor could be as high as $100 an hour.

stand on polystyrene or rubber

You can try to repair a dishwasher or something tech. related and fail terribly.

The top of the strut rod should be flattened slightly into a rectangular shape. It should be enough that you can take a crescent wrench and hold the flattened part with it. Use an open end wrench for the nut, putting it on first, then the crescent. Turn them opposite directions to loosen the nut.

check your shock absorber

Lower ball joints call for 1.7 hrs per side for labor, app. $50 per hour = app. $85 per side for labor.

Struts run about $75 each at retail. Shops generally charge between $50-75 each for labor. Plus, you should have the van aligned after.

Go to this link to learn all about shocks and struts.

http://free-auto-repair-advice.blogspot.com/2007/05/shocks-and-struts-what-they-do-when-to.html

Rick

I'm a retired ASE Master/L-1 Technician. I still keep current with the latest automotive technology. Visit my blog for cool articles and TSB's: http://free-auto-repair-advice.blogspot.com

Crawl under the car and inspect the suspension. You may have a loose or broken shock.

Traumatic shock is a condition that occurs when a person has been severely injured. This usually happens when there is severe blood loss or a long lack of oxygen to the brain.

"Its not possible, the car must be scrapped."

This just isn't true, I recently had the wishbones changed on my Ford Fiesta, it only cost about 40 quid or there abouts.

There is a small " shock absorber " that is angled to stabilize the differential

So , I guess the answer would be ( yes )

It depends on the suspension type, it could be trailing arm bushing, strut bushing, shock bushing... Jack it up, get the tire off the ground, then use a long bar or 2X4 to move the tire up and down while you or a friend watch to see if there are any loose parts. Don't get under a vehicle that is up on jacks or even jack stands if you're playing around with the 2x4.

Yes