Rear shock replacement
August 7th, 2009, 05:41 PM
#2
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Brazil Indiana
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you have to use a short wrench and position your fingers just right. it may also help to have a punching bag there to relieve frustration. if i remember right you have to feel around and clean off the dirt and road grime to get the wrench on.
August 7th, 2009, 06:31 PM
#4
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Louisiana
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Talk about frustration,yesterday I fought it for 3 hours, gave up, fixed a drink, then another and another...and ended up quite drunk. Today, I did not make another attempt and did everything else I could do to avoid having to deal with those damn shocks again.
Last edited by msco123; August 7th, 2009 at 06:33 PM.
August 7th, 2009, 06:40 PM
#5
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Location: Brazil Indiana
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things always go better after you take a brake and come back to them later. well almost always. good luck. if you cant get the wrench on it you may be able to use a pry bar and pry between the body and the head of the bolt and hold it that way. i can not remember if you can do that on a 73. i have seen that done before but don't remember what kind of car it was.
August 8th, 2009, 10:11 PM
#6
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Location: West Hartford, CT
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I realize I'm a little late to help but there is a specialty wrench for this task that used to be quite common(like these cars). Wrench is appx 7-8" long w/ angled 12 point 1/2" box end - appx 45-60 degrees offset. Goes right up over xmber w/ room to spare (can't fit a socket/ratchet up there) & leaves your hand in a comfy spot to hold the handle. Sort of like a REALLY simple distributor wrench w/ only one slight bend
I searched Strap On, Mac & Matco sights w/ no luck, probably discontinued. I have a Snap On & will check the part # if I can remember when I go out to the garage. Lisle, OTC, etc could be checked for availability. You could make one out of box wrench by heating & bending the end of a 1/2" box wrench to an appx 45 degree angle.
If you have a rear shock replacement coming up, these are a real aggravation saver.
I searched Strap On, Mac & Matco sights w/ no luck, probably discontinued. I have a Snap On & will check the part # if I can remember when I go out to the garage. Lisle, OTC, etc could be checked for availability. You could make one out of box wrench by heating & bending the end of a 1/2" box wrench to an appx 45 degree angle.
If you have a rear shock replacement coming up, these are a real aggravation saver.
August 9th, 2009, 04:59 AM
#7
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 105
I realize I'm a little late to help but there is a specialty wrench for this task that used to be quite common(like these cars). Wrench is appx 7-8" long w/ angled 12 point 1/2" box end - appx 45-60 degrees offset. Goes right up over xmber w/ room to spare (can't fit a socket/ratchet up there) & leaves your hand in a comfy spot to hold the handle. Sort of like a REALLY simple distributor wrench w/ only one slight bend
I searched Strap On, Mac & Matco sights w/ no luck, probably discontinued. I have a Snap On & will check the part # if I can remember when I go out to the garage. Lisle, OTC, etc could be checked for availability. You could make one out of box wrench by heating & bending the end of a 1/2" box wrench to an appx 45 degree angle.
If you have a rear shock replacement coming up, these are a real aggravation saver.
I searched Strap On, Mac & Matco sights w/ no luck, probably discontinued. I have a Snap On & will check the part # if I can remember when I go out to the garage. Lisle, OTC, etc could be checked for availability. You could make one out of box wrench by heating & bending the end of a 1/2" box wrench to an appx 45 degree angle.
If you have a rear shock replacement coming up, these are a real aggravation saver.
August 9th, 2009, 06:06 AM
#9
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Brazil Indiana
Posts: 11,503
I realize I'm a little late to help but there is a specialty wrench for this task that used to be quite common(like these cars). Wrench is appx 7-8" long w/ angled 12 point 1/2" box end - appx 45-60 degrees offset. Goes right up over xmber w/ room to spare (can't fit a socket/ratchet up there) & leaves your hand in a comfy spot to hold the handle. Sort of like a REALLY simple distributor wrench w/ only one slight bend
I searched Strap On, Mac & Matco sights w/ no luck, probably discontinued. I have a Snap On & will check the part # if I can remember when I go out to the garage. Lisle, OTC, etc could be checked for availability. You could make one out of box wrench by heating & bending the end of a 1/2" box wrench to an appx 45 degree angle.
If you have a rear shock replacement coming up, these are a real aggravation saver.
I searched Strap On, Mac & Matco sights w/ no luck, probably discontinued. I have a Snap On & will check the part # if I can remember when I go out to the garage. Lisle, OTC, etc could be checked for availability. You could make one out of box wrench by heating & bending the end of a 1/2" box wrench to an appx 45 degree angle.
If you have a rear shock replacement coming up, these are a real aggravation saver.
August 9th, 2009, 11:07 AM
#10
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 105
Well, I was changing the front shocks today and was going crazy trying to get the bolts out of the lower mount. One came out fine but the other just kept spinning. Finally, got out my trusty dremel and cut the ear off the shock bracket. Lo and behold, the bolt has a nut on the other end. I was thinking there was no way in hell to have backed up the nut without taking apart the A-arm and removing the coil spring. So I pulled out my Chilton's and they show a j-nut for this installation. I put some j-nuts in place and the shocks installed like a dream. I am now wondering if j-nuts were originally used on the back shocks
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