Today the time had come to replace the rear shocks. I reviewed various of the past RL post dealing with this subject. I decided to remove the pins to the front after removing the hubs and dust covers. I found that my pins where extremely tight inside the bushing (apperently they have not been appart in the past 15 years) I did try to get some movement out of them with a hammer and piece of brass at the end of the pin without any luck.
So I improvised using the pin nut, washer and a bunch of ring spanners to function as a puller. This worked great the more the pin came out the more spanner I fitted in between to take up the space.

I haven't seen this tip in any of my RL reviews for this so hereby the pictures

 

So are you using the spanners (hang on, I thought you guys called them "wrenches") to pry the pin by levering against the bushing?

With my pins I found the easiest way to break corrosion was just to rotate the pin after nut at one end was off. After rotating a few turns I could then tap it out a bit further. Would also spray some P-Blaster up holes on bottom of control arm.

I like your approach of removing pin to front though, as it means less work aligning the pin when new shock in place.

 

I would recommend that you remove the pins to the rear of the car.
To aid in pin removal spray some PB blaster into the bottom of the hub carrier ( there is an open hole here where the pin runs)
Once the pin is out it should be cleaned and then rolled on a flat surface to make sure its not bent.
Then use anti seize on the pin when it reinserted.
Use thick grease to hold the beveled washers in place on the hub carrier

 

Spanners = to many British friends Indeed levering against the inner metal sleeve of the bushing - I did try to rotate it first but to me it felt that the amount of force on the nut and pin thread could strip either one of them.

Going side ways in the direction I wanted it to come out it never felt like it would strip and had a more natural feel to it like you get with a regular pully and tight fit removal.

Ones the pin is out you have a choice in the direction to reinsert the pin into the assembly and by going from the front to back (the reverse of the removal) you'll have 2/3 of the travel, one sided tapered washers and pin through bushings alignment in place before you get to the shock.

The initial test drive results with the new shocks are awesome the car is sitting higher so a rear ride height and an alignment check are in order.

Best

Best

 

You have to remove a lot more stuff to take the pin out towards the front. Take the front nut off and slide out the rear.

 

You right when it comes to removing more stuff (let say 15 minutes/side) but without removing the more stuff it's hard to tap the pin out the last part of the travel. If your pin has been out before and has been coated (as Stan mentioned ) whereby you can turn and spin it out perhaps that may be a good way also.

In my case it was bone dry, very tight for most of it's travel, had not seen sun light in 15 years and at the same time I got an emergency brake check.

Best

 

Herman,
What shocks did you go with??
BTW, Tony has a great write up here:
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/rcoremoval.htm

 

Oh yeah, Installation
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/rcoinstall.htm

 

Chuck I went with the RUS 928 special $ on Boge's and 928 Motorsport shock snubbers.

The reason to go back with standard stock at this time is that I've acquired the tools and know how to do my own alignments (and what a difference that has made +++ the way she handles now) Than I broke down and installed new rear fender liners, made the call to change out the 2 radiator cooling fans plus a bunch of small other stuff all adding up to spending quite a bit of $.

Oh and not to forget have a "Provent" set up on the way!

So in order keep to cost down a bit and get my skill level up on the alignment I went with the standard shocks.

Perhaps we can do a short exchange test ride during the upcoming 3rd coast to see how our cars feel in comparison. Let me know

 

Agreed rotating works well and always rearward. Once you have play you can spray lube in as well as in the inbetween spots like the shock area. Hammer back and forth if needed. Your solution works as well, good thinking

 

Herman,
Sounds like a plan!

 

Herman I'm just curious how you tackled 2 of the problems I found with installing new shocks:

- undoing the top nut of the shock while stopping shaft rotating (to take off various parts to put on the new Boges, while spring still under compression of course). I managed it using vise grips on the section of shaft that protrudes beyond the top nut but it was awkward. I have worked on other cars where the shaft takes an allen key so it's easier to take the shocks apart. I never found a tool specific to the Boges (from memory think they have square hole at top of shaft, or maybe rectangular but round ends?). Impact wrench (spanner!) with deep socket would probably work.

- removing the old adjuster sleeves. I went with used ones from 928 Intl - it looked too easy to damage the original ones trying to remove them.

 

I did remove the spring and schock assembly from the car after which I held the top of the shaft withan adjustable and with the rachet wrench/spanner held counter to the adjustable there wasn't any problem to undo the top nut ones the strut spring compressor was applied.

With the shock out of the spring I held the shock upside down (shaft onto concrete) and used a brass shaft =/- 6 inch long x 1 1/2 in diam and tapped it with a hammer at 90 degrees intervals.

After been removed and prior to installation on the new schock I cleaned all the sleeve threads and lubed them with never seize so the adjustment ring was easy to turn by hand.

Now that I'm in the process of adjusting the ride height I have the benefit of an easy to turn adjuster

 

Thanks Herman. Good idea on the brass shaft but I suppose you have to find exactly the right diameter for this to work.

I did same with the used adjusters - cleaned threads thoroughly and used Optimoly TA to lube them and the contact area with lower spring perch. After that it turned very silkily, and it was easy to turn the 'c-wrench' to adjust for height (though I only had to turn it 1 revolution anyway).

 

Regarding which direction to pull out the big pin - I have done it both ways. To the front, you have to remove more brake stuff, but it has the advantage of only having to pull the pin partially out, just enough to drop the shock while the rest of the lower arms stays assembled. This makes it MUCH easier to get the pin back in than from the rear unless you are real lucky or have developed some skills. I can now get the suspension aligned and the pin back in pretty easily from the rear, but for many people the front approach is easier over all. True, this way does not allow you to roll the pin and check for straightness.