CountryGent Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Well as my excitement grows and I start to prep for my OME set up I have realised that I've never taken shocks or springs off - no sniggers please . I'm sure I can do the job but I have some questions. 1) As they are new I don't want to damage the tubes etc how do I stop the shock bodies from turning when I'm undoing the securing bolts 2) Is there a specific order for undoing the shocks and springs - e.g. drivers side front, passenger front etc or does it not matter? 3) The same for fitting the new shocks and springs or does it really not matter I had a search through various threads and couldn't find any thing so I'm hoping I'm not repeating, repeating, repeating... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocksteady Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Hi there, as for the shock removal. Use a strap of some sort, I ues an old safty belt with a bar of some sort. There is no order to removal and fitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Strap wrench or pipe pliers to remove the old dampers. no order of removal, doesn't matter which you do first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 2/3. There is not a specific order on which corner to start with. But for the rear, it will make it easier to take the shock off first to get the room to put the old spring out, and definitely to get the new one in unless you are using spring compressors. The front springs will need the shocks off to change them. Taking the shocks off, if they are no good any more, you can use a pipe wrench type thing to hold them on the back. IIRC, the OME shocks I put on a truck on my work experience, had some flat spots for a spanner on the pin end of the shock. I don't know if this is a common thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Hi there, as for the shock removal. Use a strap of some sort, I ues an old safty belt with a bar of some sort. There is no order to removal and fitting. Good idea for the safety belt. A mate has leant me a set spring compressors so that should make it nice and easy. Great that there's no order either way! Cheers Gavin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Strap wrench or pipe pliers to remove the old dampers. no order of removal, doesn't matter which you do first. Excellent for the old the old ones but how do I keep my nice shiney ones just that new and shiney? Great that there's no order..makes it simple for me! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 The back is probably the most simple to start with, get an idea of how the fronts are going to behave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 2/3. There is not a specific order on which corner to start with. But for the rear, it will make it easier to take the shock off first to get the room to put the old spring out, and definitely to get the new one in unless you are using spring compressors. The front springs will need the shocks off to change them. Taking the shocks off, if they are no good any more, you can use a pipe wrench type thing to hold them on the back. IIRC, the OME shocks I put on a truck on my work experience, had some flat spots for a spanner on the pin end of the shock. I don't know if this is a common thing. That is just the kind of 'how to' I need. Great. Cheers for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I last did it over 4 years ago!! but glad to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantd5 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Once upon a time I got very angry and sat a drill in the shocks.. Don't take that method. You might end up in an oil pool!! Find appropriate tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Go and buy a nut cracker. Machinge Mart do a double set, that's the ones I have. Cut the nuts as best possible with the nut cracker then you should be able to undo them with an OE spanner. Don't try to just undo the rear top shock nuts. You will most likely shear the screw thread off the crows foot mounting. Now the top fronts aree easy. Not so the bottom ones. I ground a piece out of my nut cracker to allow it to fit under the bottom shock screw thread, make sure you gring d the proper side of the nut cracker. Once the cracker has cut one side od the nut. Turn the nut 180 degrees and cut again. Now the nut should come off easily with an OE spanner. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 When you put the OME shocks on don't over-tighten them - you'll just bind up the bushes and stop them working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litch Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 "Good idea for the safety belt. A mate has leant me a set spring compressors so that should make it nice and easy. Great that there's no order either way!" Unless your shocks are SEVERAL inches longer than standard there is no need for spring compressors. Jack up & support the chassis, remove the wheel and using a jack lower the axle watching the brake-lines as you go. With the turret & shock removed the springs will just lift out. Done this a few times now and on average it takes about 1-hour a corner (fronts slightly more than the rear). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samd35 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 The last set of shocks that I did had a flat ground on the end of the thread so that you could use a spanner to hold them whilst tightening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 The OME's you should be able to hold with your hand to tighten them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Just a note of caution - be very very careful using spring compressors. They can go wrong very quickly. As said above, you should have no problem getting the springs out unless they are exceptionally long aftermarket ones. Don't make the mistake on the front of using a ratchet spanner to do up the new shocks - the pin will come down far enough to stop you getting the spanner back off again!! Changing front shocks is the most tedious job on a LR IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Haha I had forgotten that... tightened it up all nice... then I realised the spanner wasn't coming off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 If the front shock turrets haven't been off in a while the turret ring threads and nuts will be shent as well (assuming you go down the route of taking the turrets off) and they aren't metric nuts on mine ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 If the front shock turrets haven't been off in a while the turret ring threads and nuts will be shent as well (assuming you go down the route of taking the turrets off) and they aren't metric nuts on mine ... No they're 5/16" UNF For the front get some Discovery spring isolators. They should stop some of the front suspension noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Once upon a time I got very angry and sat a drill in the shocks.. Don't take that method. You might end up in an oil pool!! Find appropriate tools Yes I have work when angry and ended up with a pile of useless components and bloody knuckles . So now I only work when I am in a happy place and always try to have the right tools to hand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Go and buy a nut cracker. Machinge Mart do a double set, that's the ones I have. Cut the nuts as best possible with the nut cracker then you should be able to undo them with an OE spanner. Don't try to just undo the rear top shock nuts. You will most likely shear the screw thread off the crows foot mounting. Now the top fronts aree easy. Not so the bottom ones. I ground a piece out of my nut cracker to allow it to fit under the bottom shock screw thread, make sure you gring d the proper side of the nut cracker. Once the cracker has cut one side od the nut. Turn the nut 180 degrees and cut again. Now the nut should come off easily with an OE spanner. HTH Just so happens I have the nut splitters from MM and haven't used them in anger yet but will certainly give them ago as you say if I can't use the crows foot and shock nuts. Great idea thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 When you put the OME shocks on don't over-tighten them - you'll just bind up the bushes and stop them working. Thanks for that wouldn't have know and would have none the wiser why things weren't working as they are supposed to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 "Good idea for the safety belt. A mate has leant me a set spring compressors so that should make it nice and easy. Great that there's no order either way!" Unless your shocks are SEVERAL inches longer than standard there is no need for spring compressors. Jack up & support the chassis, remove the wheel and using a jack lower the axle watching the brake-lines as you go. With the turret & shock removed the springs will just lift out. Done this a few times now and on average it takes about 1-hour a corner (fronts slightly more than the rear). The old shocks and springs are standard. OME shocks and springs are pretty much standard - that is only 25mm lift. The witches hat is the probably the part that I'm not looking forward to removing only because the the mounts look sh*^^%d. I think that I'll just go at my speed rather than try and match a pro like you. Less likely to make silly mistakes that way . Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 The last set of shocks that I did had a flat ground on the end of the thread so that you could use a spanner to hold them whilst tightening! Yes the old have that so I'm hoping the OME one will have to as rhat will make it easier. I think that the flat bits at the end of the thread are called crows feet..learn some thing new every day that's my philosopy Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGent Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 The OME's you should be able to hold with your hand to tighten them up. Great news! I would want to put a pair stiltons over their lovely new and shiney yellow tubes! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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