new shocks advice

[Vinnie]

So this is what happens when trying to order from overseas, great....

Fabrice: you mentioned you made them yourself. How did you do that?

I will be travelling to Europe in 10 days. Not to Netherlands, but these are small enough that I could bring them with me and drop them in the mail if that works for you. As long as you guys need small parts, and there won't be a problem with customs I can bring them. The customs issue can be fixed by removing the packaging. Just PM me if interested. I will be happy to help any fellow 7173 members.

PM sent

 

[Fabrice]

Busy looking for an online shop to buy coloured thick plates over here.

found this one.

https://www.harjonpolyester.nl/polyurethaan.html

and they have the pigments for grey and black too

https://www.harjonpolyester.nl/polyurethaan/polyurethaan-pigmentpasta-tube-37-ml.html

Never did this. for 23 euros, it's worth a try!

 

[Vinnie]

You can probably make a couple of hundred bushing with those cans! No idea about the quality you get though. Tricky...

 

[Vinnie]

I just replaced the old ones:

with new ones:

I replaced the outer and inner ones. They are a bit smaller than the old ones. Is that OK?

Cheers,

V.

 

[Don C]

You would typically tighten them down until they bulged out to the washer diameter, but those appear to be too small to do that. Plus, it looks like one of them is already splitting.

 

[Vinnie]

You would typically tighten them down until they bulged out to the washer diameter, but those appear to be too small to do that. Plus, it looks like one of them is already splitting.

The one splitting is an old rubber bushing. It is replaced with the smaller polyurethane bushing. Polyurethane is harder than rubber so you can’t really make them bulge...

 

[Fabrice]

If the hole in center fits the shock shaft all right, I think its plenty enough surface for what's its supposed to do. Its a strong material vs the original rubber.

I would look at reducing the radius of the washer on top (don't know the name) and ensure its having a good contact over the circumference.

 

[Vinnie]

I had to push the bushings on the shaft by tightening the nut coz the hole was slightly too small.

The washer (inside washer too) is hollow and the shape matches the old rubber. The new bushing is flat though...

A smaller washer might look better. Hmmm

 

[Vinnie]

OK, I decided to replace the outer washer with one that looks better:

 

[tony-muscle]

OK, I decided to replace the outer washer with one that looks better:

Looks great Vinnie. I wouldn't be to worry about them being of smaller diameter if they were. I have not yet installed these from Energy, but the ones I have now looked of the same diameter.

 

[tony-muscle]

Also, make sure they are compressed a little. However, when I installed mine I tried to torque to spec, but it was so tight that it mushroomed and looked terrible.

 

[SteveO_71]

Since this conversation was going on, I checked my bushings in the front and they look like the cracked bushing in the picture.

Since I've never done this, is this the basic procedure?

To replace the bushings on the front shocks, is it just a matter of removing nut on top of the shock, then nuts holding the plate... remove and replace old bushings with new?

To do the same with rear shocks is there anything special with them? Remove nut and bushing thru opening in trunk, raise car, remove nut and bushing on the bottom... pull shock out, replace bushings and reinstall?

Will the shock expand once its pulled out? How hard is it to compress it to get it back in?

 

[Vinnie]

Since this conversation was going on, I checked my bushings in the front and they look like the cracked bushing in the picture.

Since I've never done this, is this the basic procedure?

To replace the bushings on the front shocks, is it just a matter of removing nut on top of the shock, then nuts holding the plate... remove and replace old bushings with new?

To do the same with rear shocks is there anything special with them? Remove nut and bushing thru opening in trunk, raise car, remove nut and bushing on the bottom... pull shock out, replace bushings and reinstall?

Will the shock expand once its pulled out? How hard is it to compress it to get it back in?

I only did the front bushings at the top of the shock tower (so 4 bushing alltogether). The procedure for this is indeed like you described. I don't know what kind of shocks I have installed (gas (adjust) or oil) but they didn't expand, I guess it's the same for rear shocks, you can easily push and pull the shock by hand.

 

[Don C]

Original style shocks do not expand, only gas pressurised do and come collapsed, held in by straps.