Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Morning all,

Next job is to replace rear and front shocks, just wanted some confirmation on the steps needed, as far as i can tell:-

Rear: (Done plenty on other cars before, but never fronts)

Jack up car - how far to maximum suspension travel or half way then adjust with a bottle jack on the lower arm to get movement ?
Plenty of plusgas on top nut and bottom bolt/nut/pin
Remove top nut first ?
Need to grip shocker with anything to stop it turning for top nut, pipe wrench etc ??
Remove bottom nut and tap bolt out - is it likey to stick need to tap/drift out with a suitable drift (hammer !!)
Assume shocker is now free to remove - just slides up and out
Replace as above but with plenty of copper ease.

Fronts:

Not looking forwards to this one - me thinks its a PIA to do at home ?

Jack up car - how far to maximum suspension travel or half way then adjust with a bottle jack on the lower arm to get movement ?
Plenty of plusgas on top nut and bottom bolt/nut/pin/everything else?
Remove top nut first ?
Undo 3 nuts holding top of suspension tower in place?
Remove bottom nut and tap bolt out - is it likley to stick need to tap/drift out with a suitable drift (hammer !!)
Assume shocker is now free to remove - just slides out - plesae tell me you do not need to remove the upper arm bolts at both sides!!!!!!!
Spring compressors onto tower and compress spring ??
Remove shocker
Replace as above but with plenty of copper ease.


Any advice welcome - ideas on time per side?

Most concerned about the fronts, willing to have a go at most things but limited in time and kit so may just put it into garage to do fronts if its complicated or likley to need more work than i think above.

Thanks in advance

Hi,

I had my PJ shocks replaced a week ago. I will not do the front ones on my own.

Here are a few pics from the front ones.

To get them out they had to remove the battery and overflow water bottle and the air cleaner box under the hood to release the suspension tower.

then they had to remove the bolts keeping the control arm in place to get the shock and coil out.

then they had the shock and spring in a clamp to remove the coils from the spring and then compress the new shock in to the spring. then they were two to re assemble the suspension tower in front, one lifting it into place over the control arm and one under the hood to fasten the bolts.

Need to do wheel alignment after fitting new shocks

then rear ones were fitted (no pics) but fully lifted (wheels of the ground) as it took 4hands to push the new shock up and over the lower arm. then one had to hold on for dear life as it slipped into place while the other was waiting with the bolt to push it in the hole to fit the shock to the lower arm.

took two and half hours to do front and rear.

Will i do this on my own..... no.

TTR wrote:....... so may just put it into garage to do fronts if its complicated or likley to need more work than i think above.

Thanks in advance

Let the garage do the front ones as you will anyway have to do wheel alignment ones the front ones are fitted.

Rear ones can be done at home, took the garage 30 to 45min.

Many thanks JohanV,

Really usefull information and the pictures give me a far better idea of what is required, i had anticipated having to remove the top control arm - and to be honest it now confirms that i will put it into the garage.

The rears are not a problem, i think i can manage on my own with the kit i have, having got a little more information.

The only issue is will it stop snowing in the UK at the weekend and will i be able to put enough plusgas on to remove the rusted on bolts due to salt/wet on the roads that we have to put up with over here. The pictures of your car, and others on this site, re the condition of the vehicle running gear is staggering compared to UK. Wish mine was so clean and rust free must be a damn site easier to work on. I did a write up on repalcing front and rear discs and pads which Simon B posted on my behalf on the DIY link - you can see for yourself the comparsion.

Many thanks once again really appreciate the pics and detail.


Regards

Lee

Get a quote from HiQ.

A colleague here had the shocks replaced on his Golf at HiQ for less than he could buy the shocks alone at Midas.

Maybe it works for Pajeros too ?

front and rear can be easily done at home except for the part of splitting the front shock from the coil. A proper spring compressor is needed.

be sure to loosen/remove all the bolts on the swing arms or control arms. It then gives ample movement to get springs in and out.

Finger tighten all the bolts/nuts and let the car rest on it's own weight with the wheels on. Then go and tighten all the nuts/bolts - the reason for this is to have zero tension on the uspension bushes when the car is at rest. If you tighten before the suspension bushes are under stress at rest and get way more stress when the suspension is working wearing/tearing them out pretty quickly.