I have a 72 GS, I want to replace my front springs however when I went to remove the shocks the shock body is too large to slide through the bottom of the control arm??ou: Has anyone had this problem??
Tim, No, I've never heard of that.:laugh: Seems to me that they had to go through to be there in the first place. Unless they ballooned somehow, they have to come out. There are clip nuts for the bottom mounts that may be getting in the way. Have you tried moving them?
Seems like it shouldn't be a problem to take the shock out with the spring. Just lower the bottom control arm slowly with a floor jack. I'm with Larry though....if it's in there, seems like it got there thru the bottom.
Seems like I remember some shocks that were a large bore tube with flat sides that required you to rotate the shock for it to drop out of the hole.
I have seen shocks that required the removal of the nut clips, (not sure this is the correct name) but the nut with the clip must be taken out and then the shock could be removed and on one set I put in I had to slightly grind the hole. Thanks Bill.
Here;s the deal, I have changed shocks and springs before. I removed the two bottom bolts and the top nut that hold the shock in. The shock is loose I can turn it but it is too fat to get through the hole. I have never seen a shock this fat. They must have put it in with the coil spring. The car is in storage ou: so I cannot take a picture but I am wondering if these shocks could be a special race shock etc.? I will probably bring the car to JW's this spring to have him mess with it!:eek2: Thanks
At some point, that shock had to go through the control arm, so unless they grew in girth, they have to come out the same way. Think about it.
I put new shocks on a chevelle 1967 in the 80s. I have to take of the coil springs, because the shocks vere to fat. Have to put coil springs and shocks in at same time. Goran
I've put in a lot of new coil springs and I have to say that anyone who would attempt to put in a spring and shock at the same time is out of their mind. I can't imagine even being able to pull this off. As for the shocks being too large, well, my mind is having trouble absorbing that one. As others have stated, if it went in there then it has to come out. I have had some that had to be finessed a bit to come out but they always did. How much larger would the hole have to be for the shock to come out? If you really can't get them out then perhaps take a die grinder and open up the hole until you can.
Thanks for the replies, if the snow ever melts here I will get my car out of storage and try it again. I will take pics. Thanks Tim
The shocks i use was special. Help the front to raice when i stepp on the gas. More weight to rear end. Goran :Comp: :3gears:
I have seen shocks with 20 years of oily and dusty road grime on them that were a pain to get out. Is there a chance it has some serious crud on it? Maybe soak it in degreaser and see if that gets some caked up stuff off.
It would if he cuts the shock into a bunch of pieces and then they slip out thru the coils of the spring. Would probably be messy (oil and whatnot) and a PIA but "could" be done. If the shock is as fat as it sounds, grinding the lower control arm for clearance might weaken the arm too much? I don't know, but personally I'd rather ruin a junk shock that was being replaced anyway, than a lower control arm that has possible safety repercussions.
I took the easy route...I dropped my car off at JW's and he replaced the springs and shocks....He could not get the shocks out through the holes either so he took the spring and shock out together!!:TU:
Tim's not smoking rope.. Someone put the spring and shock in at the same time on his car. Shock diam is about an inch or so bigger than the hole was. Damnest thing I ever saw.. I had to laugh. JW
