ploglet

I am going to be installing new shocks on my 87' Carrera this wekeend and wanted to see if there were any tricks to it. Is there is a good path to follow for the removal of the old shocks?

James Achard

Are you doing all of them?? The rears can be done in about an hour. It's pretty straightforward, you'll see a big bolt that attaches the bottom to the trailing arm and the tops are removed from inside the engine compartment. The fronts are another ball game however, as you will need to have the car aligned after you have put them in. I have not done the fronts on my car so I can't be of assistance here. Good Luck and if you have any more questions you can e-mail me directly.

Regards, James Achard

87slant-nose-cabriolet

PLOGLET,
I JUST REPLACED THE FRONT ON MY 87 CARRERA
AND CAN,T SEE WHY YOU WOULD HAVE TO ALIGN THE CAR AFTER INSTALLATION. I REPLACED THE BOGE INSERTS WITH BILSTEIN AND THE ONLY
THING I HAD TO REMOVE WAS THE TOP NUT ON THE STRUT, THE TOP NUT ON THE SHOCK SHAFT, DEPRESS THE SHAFT ENOUGH TO REMOVE THE DUST
COVER AND ANGLE THE TOP OF THE INSERT WITH
IT DEPRESSED AND REMOVE THE OLD ONE. THE NEW ONE "IS" HARDER TO DEPRESS BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE.THEN REINSTALL THE DUST COVER
AFTER YOU HAVE REATTACHED THE NEW TOP STUT TUBE NUT AND TORQUED IT DOWN. THEN REINSTALL
THE DUST COVER AND REINSERT BACK INTO THE TOP MOUNT PUT A NEW LOCK WASHER ON IT THEN TIGHTEN THE TOP SHOCK NUT. HOW WOULD THIS CHANGE THE ALIGNMENT ANY? I HAVEN,T MOVED THE TOP OR BOTTOM MOUNT ANY!
IT TOOK ME ABOUT AN HOUR AND I WASN,T
REALLY IN A HURRY.EASLY ONE DAY JOB AND CLEANED THE FENDER WHEEL WITH SIMPLE GREEN
AND REPACKED THE BEARINGS, ALONG WITH CLEANING AND POLISHING THE FIKSE.s. ITS
FUN AND YOUR BANKER WILL LOVE YOU.


KEITH

Howard

Ditto on the re-alignment, no need as long as you don't tamper with the upper strut mounts. Be careful, when you lower the strut,a-arm and hub that you don't allow the brake line to support the weight. I placed a small hydraulic jack under the a-arm, removed the large nut which holds the strut to the mount and lowered the unit slowly, once it is free of the strut mount it will fall downward.You'll need apply pressure and compress the strut to swing it out and clear the fender well.

Good luck !

Bill Gregory

You may want to consider doing a partial engine drop (see article on tech.rennlist.com) to get better access to the rear upper shock nuts.

87slant-nose-cabriolet

bill,
i swear i can see the top rear shock nut with
the rear hood open, why would you want to drop the mtr.?
keith

Howard

Keith,
Maybe you can see the driver's side, that's the easy one, what about the passenger side?
On the '78-'83 you can still manage to get to both wihout a partial drop, but on the later models you may see it,but try and get a wrench on it......or pull the rubber spacer off... if you need to do a partial drop you may only need an inch or two.

good luck !

bds1

dropping the engine 1-2 inches gives you gobs more room to work, all you need to do is remove the eng-mnt bolts and drop a tiny bit......you will understand.

On my 80 I was able to get a air -rachet on teh top nuts and it was very quick. Replace new with manual wrench....no air.

Bruce

Millzeee

just did my rear shocks on my 85 carrera and there is no reason to drop the engine, all you need to do is remove the airfilter and there is plenty of room to get a scket on,

will be doing the fronts tonight so will keep you posted

i am also planning to change the flexible oil lines that go to the front oil cooler, however they are to tight to undo has anyone got any ideas on how to undo them

Geoffrey

I did the rear shocks on my 911 Turbo without moving anything. Yes, I did the turn nut, turn wrench over, turn nut, turn wrench over to get the left side off. The fronts are just as easy as the rear, just make sure you remove the sway bar and have both sides of the car up on jack stands.

Elephant Chuck

The hot ticket for the fronts is to leave the wheel and tire on the hub. That way the tire supports the weight, relieving the brake line.

Use your hydraulic jack to adjust height as you go.

Hold the big washer at the top with a monkey wrench while you loosen the retaining nut.

I can have the front shocks out and in a matter of minutes using that technique.

Rears can be done with or without lowering the engine. I find the later cars easier to do with a partial drop due to all the junk in the way.

Lowering the engine sounds intimidating if you've never done it, but it is very easy. Hydrualic jack under the sump, remove the two bolts in the rear engine mounts, and lower. 5 minute job counting the time it takes to get the jack out.

Just don't lower more that about 6 inches. Any more than that and you will stress hoses/cables/etc. Watch the hoses and cables as you slowly lower to be sure you don't stress anything.

gr8fl4porsche

..warning...

The large nut you see in the rear that looks like the top of the shock is NOT the nut. Its actually just a brace for the rear fender. The top of the rear shock mounts are located deep inside the engine compartment - up near the firewall.

The left rear is simple. The right rear has oil lines right in the way - at least it does on my 87. Get yourself a set of those boxed end wrenches that have a ratcheting action - they work great.

LoudC4

I know its a DIY job but I'm running out of time before a drive with my club on Sunday. I rang and got a quote of US$150 to replace the front and rear shocks (labor only - I already have the shocks and inserts). Is this price excessive for the job

I know its excessive for a DIY but I haven't any garage access at the moment nor a hydraulic jack nor the time, so my question stands.

Also how mny of you found that the height of your car actually went up some when the new shocks/inserts were in place?

Thanks
Mark <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

Millzeee

150 doesn't sound bad

as time is money and if you don't have the time then it sounds fair

took me about 3 hours

can't see why the ride height would increase, gas shocks to tend to lift a tiny bit but not enough to raise the ride height of the car