Good Shocks for non-racer

**kool-aide** · 05-24-2008, 07:25 AM

Originally Posted by ls1_alex

You really never know. With stock springs and decent roads they should last a long time. If they are not bouncing too much you are fine, when they start to bounce is usually the time to start looking for replacements. I remember my stock shocks, they would not bounce but any kind of dip or bad road they would make a very hard jarring ride. Bilsteins made it much better, Konis made my car feel as if it was riding on air

that's the shade tree rule I always heard. They are bad if they start to bounce. Man I have seen cars travel several inches because the shocks were so bad. That wasn't the scary part. It was them driving on the highway at 75+ MPH, yikes.

thanks.

**kool-aide** · 05-24-2008, 07:29 AM

i've read the posts about the good Bilsteins and then the not so good period. In the end I think I will go KYB. It seems to be something I can afford, and it is a name I have known on other cars.

thanks for all the input.

I just didn't know how many different brands were out there.

I have heard of Bilstein, KYB, Koni, Edelbrock, Monroe, the stockers of course.

I'm not looking forward to the fronts. Ugh it sounds like an all day deal, oh well. I'm sure I will get through it after screwing something up, lol...

**kool-aide** · 05-26-2008, 08:33 AM

ok, so i decided on the KYB, unfortunately not the AGX. I don't know squat about adjustments, so I went Gas-A-Just.

I only drove a short distance so far and only with the rear done. Can I tell the difference, nope, does it bother me, nope. For me it is the peace of mind I have 0 mile shocks vs. 102k and going,

.

Did I need to replace any of them, probably not, but I have been working down a list of things to replace since the first owner never did. Even things like cracked dash and torn sun visors. I don't have a perfect car, and don't plan on a show car. But sometimes you just have to say, dude, don't let it get ratty.

I have the fronts on, but I have been recouping from one heck of an install. Man I suck as a mechanic. But if you want to save money DIY, right.... And laugh at all the mistakes and long hours, lol... Man, no way i could make a living at this, lol...

**kool-aide** · 05-26-2008, 08:37 AM

This is why I don't pimp myself out as a shade tree mechanic. This is the short version, lol..

I did the rear shocks in about, 2-2.5 hours. I took my time and moved like a snail for some reason. Must have been all the air guitar to the classic rock,

. The rear is very easy, i was impressed how simple it is. Mind you I didn't replace springs, so...

The front, goodness, slow doesn't describe my pace. I think I spent 14 or so hours. I would say 10 of those was just one side, with one pit stop for new end links.

I thought I was making good time by how the tear down went. Then I hit the rusted nuts. I think I spent close to four hours with a dremel on those freakin things. And about 1 hour on the first shock trying to figure out how to get the top mount off.

So i decided to do something you shouldn't, lol.. I slowly let the spring compressor out until the top went shooting out of the garage, lol... I followed the directions, never put your face in front or over the top, lol... Scared the crap out of my wife, lol... The first one didn't pop too much, didn't even leave the garage. The second one though. I almost dented my wifes car in the drive way, oops.

My tips for this install, have a good work bench and vice because a garage floor is uncomfortable and slow. Have better cutting tools because while a dremel is great, it is very slow. and don't start the project at 1 or 2 in the afternoon if your as slow as me,

.

And be prepared to break stuff. The nuts on my end links were rusted just as bad as the shocks. I may be in FL but we get lots of rain, and I go to the beach a few times a year. It may not be snow and salt, but it can still cause a ton of rust. I think every bolt or nut I have turned on my car so far has been a rusty nightmare. PB Blaster is good, but I bet A torch would work better, wish I had one or knew how to use one.

other than that, it was fun, way better than changing motor mounts, lol...

**ls1_alex** · 05-26-2008, 10:35 AM

Every time you do this kind of shit you get faster and faster. I can do the front shocks in about 3 hours now. First time was a pita though.

**kool-aide** · 05-26-2008, 11:37 AM

well, let's say i don't plan to do them any time soon,

. but yeah, most of my time was spent fooling around with how to do something, like cutting the nut off, getting new end links on. I must have sat there for 30 minutes swearing at the end links saying it was impossible to get new ones on. then it hit me, c-clamp and compress them a little, duh.

I would say if i didn't have to do all that cutting and stuff it would have saved a number of hours. no kidding on how long i spent cutting, felt like 30 minutes but must have been 4+ hours. I think I spent 10 hours on one shock and then like 2 on the other, lol...

**9T8W66** · 05-26-2008, 12:38 PM

Good to hear you finished the Job
And yeah those fronts are a PITA I actually took the shocks to my Dads friends shop to have them seperated. Even with a wall mount spring compressor, Impact Air Hammer and Dremel it still took 3 hours at the shop to get them apart.
I used some chassis grease to cover the new stud and nut so next time it won't be so hard to get them apart.

**kool-aide** · 05-26-2008, 02:01 PM

i should have asked the shop to do the same.

i just got back from a shop. Apparently i busted one of the shock mounts and didn't know it. The center metal shaft thing ripped out of the mount and is still on my old shock. I haven't driven the car until just late this afternoon. On my first little bump i heard a clunk on one side.

turns out the shock was smacking the mount, damn. so they found a big washer to sit in the bottom of the mount to keep the shock from clunking.

now i need to replace the shock mounts. Dude, can you say another all day job, lol...

it sucks, to replace the mounts you have to do the same thing to replace the shock. Nuttin like learning the hard way, twice, lol...

**kool-aide** · 05-26-2008, 02:06 PM

oh and some how i managed to screw up the threads near the bottom of the shock, damn. the guy had to double nut to get it back together. Now I'm thinking I may need to buy a new one, oops.

That's what I'm here for, every one's amusement, lol... If you need a funny story or something done wrong, just give me a call.

**chuckie669** · 05-26-2008, 02:12 PM

You'll prob be pissed after you hear this then. Somehow god smiled upon me because my front mounts had 0 rust on them, and I was able to break them while holding in my lap. lol...

I did still fill that spot with wheel bearing grease just in case...

**kool-aide** · 05-26-2008, 03:04 PM

nah not pissed, just envy

i heard multi purpose or any petroleum based grease will eat the rubber?

what did you use?

**chuckie669** · 05-26-2008, 03:08 PM

I hope not. I was told to put a glob of wheel bearing grease in there to keep water from seeping and sitting in that area. I'm pretty sure that the grease wouldn't cause any more damage than water that sits stagnant in there.