Changing Rear Dampers
- Thread starter LordNelson
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2008
- Messages
- 24,836
- Reaction score
- 6,078
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Wibbleton
- Website
- www.tuffty.co.uk
Easy enough, damper is attached at the bottom by a bolt that fixes through the ARB droplink into the suspension arm which can be a little tricky to realign to get back in so use a jack to support/raise the suspension arm to the right place to prevent cross threading. Upper bolt (16mm IIRC) is behind arch liner, undo screws attching the liner to the rear bumper to gain access.
Make sure you support the passenger side suspension arm though once the damper is undone as excessive downward movement could break the plastic arm off the xenon leveller sensor.
<tuffty/>
Make sure you support the passenger side suspension arm though once the damper is undone as excessive downward movement could break the plastic arm off the xenon leveller sensor.
<tuffty/>
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 17,400
- Reaction score
- 1,104
- Points
- 113
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 17,400
- Reaction score
- 1,104
- Points
- 113
If Tuffty and I can manage it, anyone can...
According to the following, you are a "fully Qualified mechanic" so I would expect you to be able to cope with a damper change
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1345714.htm
LordNelson
Registered User
good stuff....think i am going to swap the dampers stock for stock.....cant be affording anything fancy now. especially the labour cost. so all i need now is a nice dry garage
Its easy mate, honest. you need one small torx bit to free the undershield to access the top bolt, and a socket set. Over and above the obvious jack and axle stands.
Do yourself a favour and wd40/plusgas the bottom bolts a few days before doing it they screw into the rear hub carrier into an open ended hole so crap/rust can build up on the end and get drawn down the thread.
Do yourself a favour and wd40/plusgas the bottom bolts a few days before doing it they screw into the rear hub carrier into an open ended hole so crap/rust can build up on the end and get drawn down the thread.
LordNelson
Registered User
Cheers mate, il keep that in mind. im guessing they have not been changed in the cars (almost) 10 year life so they are likely to be stuck. thinking about it, i had the drivers side one undone when i did the springs. should make things easier.
might as well do all four together and stiffen it back to how it was intended. i dont want to put shortened dampers on incase of fouling etc. il stay with tried and tested....il order the Billys when im rich
might as well do all four together and stiffen it back to how it was intended. i dont want to put shortened dampers on incase of fouling etc. il stay with tried and tested....il order the Billys when im rich
LordNelson
Registered User
will there be a good difference between new stock dampers and the 10 year old ones il be taking off? stiffness and ride wise?
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 17,400
- Reaction score
- 1,104
- Points
- 113
Nelson, I had my 9 year old rear ARB and wishbone bushes changed last month and it made my car feel brand new so new standard shocks should be cracking.
LordNelson
Registered User
nice one.....****** thing keeps emptying my pocket the more i think about changing stuff.....love it though, so bit at a time and im laughing. think il do the rear ARB bushes while im at it if its not too much of a sod.
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 17,400
- Reaction score
- 1,104
- Points
- 113
You just need to remember that things like suspension will be shagged on any car of this age and once they are changed you wont have to fork out for them again.
jimbobery
S3
- Joined
- May 6, 2008
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 16
Nelson, I'm stuggling to think of any easier job that involes jacking the car than changing the rear dampers, I've done this four times in the last couple of months due to warrenty issues with my new dampers. Having said that, really take your time locating the lower bolt, I didn't first time and started to cross thread the hole, luckily I had someone near by with the correct tapper, but I learnt my lesson and now undo the arb drop link and use a jack to lift the trailing arm until it's just right and the bolt goes in by hand.
