# Rear shock removal



## SSnakeAce (Sep 18, 2014)

Hey guys,

Decided to do a brake job on my '67, one thing led to another, and since I've had it up on jack stands for 2 weeks now I decided I'd go ahead and replace the shocks as well.

I currently have it on jack stands on the frame at the front, and the rear axle sitting on stands at the back. Sprayed the nuts at the upper mounting for the shocks with some penetrating oil to help knock the rust loose, but on the first one I've already got an issue that the bolt and nut and all are just spinning up there.

Tried getting a wrench up on the bolt head and it doesn't seem like I have clearance to get the wrench in there.

Will it help if I move the jack stands to the frame and let the rear axle 'hang' supported by a jack?

Thanks!


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

"Will it help if I move the jack stands to the frame and let the rear axle 'hang' supported by a jack?"

Yes.

Pull the bottom nut and bolt first a box wrench does fit in there but it is done by Braille.
Socket on a wobbly, extension and air ratchet to buzz them out.
Getting the new shocks back in is worse, I put tape on my fingers to get the washer and nut on the bolt.
Took me about an hour and a lot of cussing per side but it can be done.
If you have a second person to hold the shock and turn the ratchet it will go a lot easier.
I am getting ready to pull my rear end to take down to Ramjet in Sun Valley and I am so glad I don't have to mess with that top mount again.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Haviing the probper shock socket helps, too. There are two sizes, and one of them will fit your shock rod. Kind of an oval shaped socket. If that's stripped, you can grab the shaft with vise grips since your replacing them anyway. And yes, always easier to du with the axle hanging so that you have some tension on the upper shock nuts.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

geeteeohguy said:


> Haviing the probper shock socket helps, too. There are two sizes, and one of them will fit your shock rod. Kind of an oval shaped socket. If that's stripped, you can grab the shaft with vise grips since your replacing them anyway. And yes, always easier to du with the axle hanging so that you have some tension on the upper shock nuts.


Rear on the '67 are the two ears at the top so two bolts, two lock washers and two nuts with barely enough room to get your fingers between the body and the mount.
Additional tools needed are a mirror and a magnet to fish the damn washers and nuts out each time you miss the bolt.


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## SSnakeAce (Sep 18, 2014)

Thanks.

I'll give it another shot this weekend. Waiting on a new axleshaft right now so I can finish the brake job.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Sometimes a distributor timing wrench or a crowsfoot comes in handy on those upper nuts, where room is cramped.


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## SSnakeAce (Sep 18, 2014)

Just wanted to say, I was finally able to get those rear shocks out.

Broke one of the bolts, but luckily it was the easier of the two on that mount to replace so no big problem there.

Thanks for the help!


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## azmusclecar (Sep 26, 2007)

SSnakeAce said:


> Just wanted to say, I was finally able to get those rear shocks out.
> 
> Broke one of the bolts, but luckily it was the easier of the two on that mount to replace so no big problem there.
> 
> Thanks for the help!


Always feels good when the DIY is completed doesn't it? We tend to forget the problems once we get to the finished product. Good work,:thumbsup: I need to change mine out very soon.


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## bobagto (12 mo ago)

I joined to post what worked for me. I believe it makes the upper shock bolts a non-issue going forward. All maintenance now occurs from beneath the bolt.
(68 GTO convertible)
The bolts are the devil. Why the designers chose to sandwich the bolt heads between two sheets of metal instead of just having them protrude into the cabin or trunk is beyond me. On my car, my driver's side was worse than the passenger's side - because it had: vertical wall/lip of the sheet metal was higher, a line bolted along that ridge that restricted access, and some other protrusion right next to the bolt head preventing access. I could not get a normal box end or open ended wrench on. Used a pipe rigged with a wrench taped and the correct angle and tried spinning the bolt from below to engage - nothing. Tried to make a low-profile socket wrench by clamping a shallow socket in a pair of vice grips - nothing. If I owned a set of offset box wrenches, I think I could have gotten one to fit if I cut off the other end for clearance. FYI, my car had the bolts coming down from above with the nuts below - unlike the image in one of the body books (reversed - and I have no idea how anyone would ever try to hold a nut in place from above).

*- Getting original shocks out*: 1) Break nuts loose from below with extensions and wobble joint. Ensure the socket is well engaged because they strip easily (if stripped, you get one more attempt to crank on it by hammering your socket onto the nut if the stripping isn't over the full height). I did not use PB blaster because I wanted more friction for the next step. 2) Use a large pair of channellocks to grab the upper part of the shock. The twisting will put side load on the bolts, and friction between them and the surrounding sheet metal. 3) While twisting the shock (hard), attempt to loosen the nuts off. All 4 of my nuts came out this way. NOTE: Do NOT push out the bolt after getting the first nut off. You need both bolts hanging down in order to torque the shock. Also, this method will tear up your shock surface - which shouldn't be an issue since you're likely doing the removal to replace the shock. Another option that may work is to take a large flat head screwdriver and push on the side of the shock plate or bolt itself (if enough of a gap) to apply the side load. If the bolt is still spinning - get longer channellocks and grip/twist harder. The backup plan for me was to bust out a burr grinder and abrade the nuts off.
*- New bolt setup:* See attached image. 1) I bought the 5/16-18 bolts (I am 80% sure based on memory), grade 8, 1-inch long. Grade 8 nuts. 5/16 washers. NOTE: Some nuts are distorted (squished in one direction) to be oval-shaped, to apply drag load throughout application - this is exactly what you do NOT want. You want free-spinning nuts. Also, the 1-inch length is better because you can still fit it in the hole, but it gives you more length to work with from below. 2) I thread the nuts on a few threads. This is done because removing the nuts helps remove burrs after cutting and it helps give me something to hold onto. 3) Cut a slit a couple threads deep with a cutoff wheel (for a screwdriver). 4) Repeat on another bolt if you eye-balled it wrong and didn't center the cut - you don't want the tabs shearing off in the future. 5) Work the nut on and off a few times to ensure they easily start and no burrs remain.
*- Dropping in the bolts:* I fished mine through with line. Kite string was too thick so I used some fishing line. A big knot will get in the way, so you have to do something similar to a serving knot where you wrap the line in the valley of the threads. Even then - it's tight. I wrapped my line around a metal wire and fished it through the hole from below. I bent the end of the wire to help lead it. Dropping the bolts took several tries and a flexible magnet saved me several times. I also had to unbolt my custom exhaust to get my hand up there. I was able to drop in one bolt by hand. One by placing on the end of a magnet on a 90deg angle and just lowering it in place, and the last two required fishing line. I made it more difficult on myself because I also used a washer from above. The flange head on the bolt I used likely makes this less necessary.
*- Future use, loosening:* I have my shocks in and out in a couple minutes now. 1) break nut loose from below. 2) Push flathead screwdriver through open end of box end wrench. 3) Hold nut stationary from below while turning bolt with screwdriver. 4) As it gets looser, press a flathead screwdriver against the side of the exposed bolt (not forcefully as to protect the threads) so it won't accidentally be pushed up and out of the hole, and spin off the nut with your fingers or a socket.
*- Future use, tightening:* Same method as above, except: 1) Hold the shock up against the hanging nuts using your jack. This frees up a hand and prevents you from knocking one of the bolts up and out of the hole (also why you want longer bolts). 2) Use your free hand to push against the side of the bolt with a flathead screwdriver so the bolt won't spin (not forcefully so as to protect threads) - allowing you to start your nut. 3) After tightening with the screwdriver/box end, when the nut grabs at the end, you can lose the screwdriver and torque to spec with your socket wrench again.

Unrelated: I torqued the new bilstein shock and supplied nut using a torque of 80 ft lbs - as recommended somewhere online. A book I have lists 70 ft lbs. When seeking 80 ft lbs, I stripped the nut. It makes sense that this torque is too high when considering the relatively high thread pitch. Take care. When I cut this shock out to replace it - at least I have the satisfaction that I will have the upper mount taken apart in a minute.


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## NeiLeMans (Aug 27, 2021)

I also have just replaced ancient Gabriel Red Ryders rear shocks with Bilsteins. I would love to meet the designer son of the devil, who thought his design was good. Yes, it's a complete utter pain of a job, with exhaust, springs, fuel lines all in the way whilst you try to fandangle some weeny bolts out and then back in. Grrr. I too used 1 inch bolts from the top with washers but wonder if I ought to have lockwashers or flanged serrated nuts to mitigate vibration loosening?
What torque are folks using on the upper bolts? 

End result seems a vast improvement in the bounce test, but yet to road test, but expect good things, especially as the Gabriels were well shot.


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