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Gen 2 Rear Shock Replace

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:25 am
by dehacked
I decided to change my shocks this weekend. Bar the need for a spanner because of space issues, the entire job can be completed if you own a socket set.

As can be seen from the photos I replaced Gabriel Kubu's with Gabriel Kubu's. I claim they are the absolute best available :mrgreen: purely because the parts shop had nothing else in stock. :mrgreen:

The job took about as long as it takes to have a cold one.

What I did was to loosen both Top and Bottom nuts. Not all the way though. I put a brick under my jack to give me a little bit of extra height. Once the shock stared extending as I jacked the car up, I loosened the Top nut completely. Stop jacking as soon as the top of the shock almost disappears from view in the top mounting hole. When you take the bottom bolt out, you can maneuver the shock out of the top mounting hole. I installed the new shocks by lining the top up first, installing the bottom bolt and tightening slightly. I then very slowly lowered the car to make sure the top comes out of the mounting hole. With the car on the ground I properly tightened the bottom nut. Torque for the bottom nut should be around 240nm. I used as much force as I possibly could get out of myself laying underneath the car using the 2 bars in the picture which hopefully is the equivalent of spec.The top nut needs a bit of pressure on the rubbers to get the nut to grip the thread. Once it grips, just tighten as per picture.

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Everything that is needed plus the spanner I didn't have.
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Old Top Nut
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Oil covered Bottom Nut
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Jack Marker
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Jack Line
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New Top Nut

Re: Gen 2 Rear Shock Replace

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:00 pm
by Mcnoogle
Very nice,

I replaced my front shocks a while ago with Kubu's, (now that I see the pics of your Kubus, it looks like my old shocks were also Kubu's, my new Kubu's in front are a khaki colour, the old ones were yellow, anyway, I'm going off topic,
Looking at this, I still need to replace my back shocks (just for safetys sake) and now I recon its a job I can tackle on my own.

I'm also sitting without a torq wrench, but at least have everything else, including the brick.
Does the nr 24 have to be a spanner, or is a 24 socket also good, (otherwise I'll need to draw myself one like you did :mrgreen:

Cheers
Ned

Re: Gen 2 Rear Shock Replace

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 8:37 pm
by 4ePikanini
I replaced my brothers rear shocks with spanners only. No jacks required if you have a bit of power to compress and maneuver the shock (I'm over 6foot tall weighing 74kg and I managed ;) )

The kubu's that was in brother's gen2 was khaki coloured and waaaaaaaaay too hard causing unstability on gravel. First time I drove it, I thought I was in a tuna and couldn't keep up with his polo on the gravel that had "plat tekkies"

Re: Gen 2 Rear Shock Replace

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:27 am
by Cobvs
I am not able to view the images so can't see which nut you are referring to but 240Nm is quite some torque to apply on a shock absorber bolt. Is that the right torque? :?

Re: Gen 2 Rear Shock Replace

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:54 am
by dehacked
Cobvs wrote:I am not able to view the images so can't see which nut you are referring to but 240Nm is quite some torque to apply on a shock absorber bolt. Is that the right torque? :?
That would be for the bolt at the bottom of the shock and is as per service manual spec.
I couldn't get a decent grip on the nut with a socket hence the need for a spanner on one side.