Is there a "trick" to removing the rear shocks on a 94 4rnr? Theyve been on for quite awhile and are refusing to budge (rusty). Tried PB blaster and wd40... Ive had enough for tonight and will be resuming tomorrow after work w/ the help of my mig welder... or grinder so the vice grips have a spot to grip... If anyone has any tips please share... THanks in advance--ROB

 

I just helped my roomate do his. One of the rears was so reluctant to come off and we used vice grips on the shaft. The nut wouldn't budge so we ended up shearing the shaft by spinning it with vice grips and a breaker bar. If you aren't planning on reusing the shock that is a route you could go.

 

cut it off if there not goin to be reused.

 

Both times I've done this: once to get my old original ones off and the second time to get some old ones off of slowheelins, I used a set of big channel lock pliers to hold the shock. Ruins the shock but it was the only way those old ones were coming off, plus we were replacing them anyways. I tried a strap wrench and some other methods but only the big channel locks worked.

 

I did mine not long ago and ended up spending like $40 on tools. The bottom bolts on the front broke a socket and needed a breaker bar. The rear is not to bad if you have big channel lock pliers like slosurfer said. If you can get a wrench on the little top nut, spin the body of the shock with the channel locks. After that its cake.

Also....PB Blaster is your best friend

 

 

i used a sawzall on mine. cut across the shock to get it off, then you can cut perpendicular to the bolt to get that off.

good luck

 

Torch 'em....

 

I found a big pipe wrench to be most helpful with my shock removal. Tried the channel locks and couldn't get enough bite to keep the shock body from spinning, pipe wrench worked like a charm.

 

4-4.5" grinder with a cut off wheel in it. Makes short work of the stuck nuts in th eback, and even the shaft in the front.

Takes like 30 seconds.

 

cut it off

 

x2 on the torch. heat em till they're hot, and as they're cooling down go at em with the wrench and they should come right off

 

Wow, I feel extremely luck. I just replaced mine on Sun, and did not have to do too much. The bolts & shocks were a bit rusty, but it wasn't too bad. I sprayed Pb blaster the night before and the morning of. I think it took me 25 mins solo. What are you having problems with? The bolts? or pulling the shock off the mount? Did you remove the spare to give you some more room under there?

 

Cut them off. I found on my 93 there was just enough room to get a SawZall in from the outside and cut through the shaft just below the nut. Stinks a bit going through the rubber bushing but it's a lot quicker and easier than trying to get a rusted nut off.

 

once you get them out, you can mod from lower 'eye' upper 'pin' to upper & lower 'eye' by making or buying a bracket. make them out of channel, drill 3 holes and mount them up!

lee

 

One other tip is to take a wire brush to the threads of the top of the shock to clean them up. Makes removing the nut easier.

 

Went to Harbor Freight and bought ($8) a pair of vice griips that are designed to grip oil filters... then the upper shock "cover" broke at the welds (where it s welded to the shock rod", rewelded it and was done in 15 min. Now my truck sits about 2" higher w/ my new shocks and OME rear springs time for pics to come in a buildup thread when I figure out how to do so.