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Rear Shock Bolts

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Dave Richards

Dave Richards

Jedi Knight
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Finally got to replace the fuel pump last night. While I was in there, I thought I’d tighten the shock bolts, or at least see how loose they were. I had a tough time getting a wrench, or a socket, on the bolt head behind the shock.

What’s the best way to get at those and exactly what size are they? (The nut took an 18mm socket pretty tightly.)
 
I personally changed the bolts to grade 8 socket head bolts with "hardened" washers next to the soft aluminum shock bodies. External tooth star washers are used between the bolt heads & washers. I think a lot of the loosening comes from the bolts indenting into the soft aluminum shock bodies. Even a couple of thousandths of aluminum compression will reduce the bolt preload to zero. The hardenened washers reduce this indenting. There isn't much room for a large washer & you may need to reduce the outer diameter to fit in the available space. The socket head makes it easier to get a shortened Allen wrench on.

All of my shocks have steel sleeve inserts tightly pressed into oversize holes in the aluminum. The ID of the sleeves is a snug fit on the bolt shanks. The shocks came from Peter at World Wide with these inserts. I don't know if all shocks come with the sleeves or if it was done to salvage worn shock bodies. In any event, I think it helps the situation.

The shock mounts are under designed & need all of the help they can get.

With these bolts torqued to 35 pounds, I haven't had any loosen in three years. I think it is even more important to do the same with the front shocks.
D
 
Socket head bolts are also used on GM, or Ford, front calipers, as I recall.

I haven't tackled the front shocks yet, and it was your previous posts that led me to this point, so I'm anxious to get in there and address this. Do you recall getting the bolts out originally? Socket, open end?
 
Dave
That's a good suggestion. Socket heads/star/flat washers sound like the ticket in that tight corner. I recall the tedius task of cranking the shock bolt a tiny fraction of a turn, then repositioning the wrench for each subsequent minute crank. A person can grow old doing that.
 
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Dave
That's a good suggestion. Socket heads/star/flat washers sound like the ticket in that tight corner. I recall the tedius task of cranking the shock bolt a tiny fraction of a turn, then repositioning the wrench for each subsequent minute crank. A person can grow old doing that.

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That would make me very old then.
 
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I had a tough time getting a wrench, or a socket, on the bolt head behind the shock.
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I don't know Dave but I think the bolt head should be on the outside of the shock with a flat washer/split washer and nut on the inward side of the shocks.
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I had a tough time getting a wrench, or a socket, on the bolt head behind the shock.
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I don't know Dave but I think the bolt head should be on the outside of the shock with a flat washer/split washer and nut on the inward side of the shocks.
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I agree Johnny. Bolt heads on the outside or shock side. Nuts in the tight space behind the shock mount. Just reach down & hold the nut with an open end wrench. It will test your dexterity to get the nuts back in place & started. Had to use a thinwall socket on the original rear bolt heads.

I used a combination of 3/8" drive extensions & socket to remove the front shock bolts. Fortunately, there is more room around the bolts on the front shocks so larger diameter hardened washers can be used when you replace the bolts. Don't torque to more that 35 pounds.

BTW, if you jack under the outboard portion of the lower front control arms, you can remove the front shocks quite easily. Remove the upper fulcrum bolt, loosen the bolt holding the two shock arms together. Remove the shock arm to shock pivot clamping bolt at the shock, & slide the arm out a bit on the shaft. This relieves the clamping pressure on the upper fulcrum rubber bushings. Remove the four shock mounting bolts & the shock is loose. A good time to replace the upper rubber fulcrum bushings if needed. Maybe even a good time to replace the shocks with Peter's rebuilts?
D
 
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