Anyone have any tricks to tighten up the top mount of a rear shock? I can't seem to tighten the top nut. I end up just spinning the top part of the shock body and I can't get a second wrench in there to hold the top of the shaft. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks
Mike

 

use needle nose vice grips to hold it. or use an open end wrench, if theres a bolt.

 

Either there is a bolt you can hold in the shock itself, like an open end wrench will fit. Or they have hex heads on top of the shock you gotta hold.

 

That's what I've tried. I guess I'll just have to try to get good leverage somehow and give it another go. I thought maybe the was a special trick to it.

 

Get one of those rubber strap wrenches to hold the body of the shock from turning. Just be careful that you don't crush the shock with it.

 

I second that, I used one a few months ago to hold the shock body while I remove the upper bolt with an open end, was really easy and no damage to the shock body much smarter idea than using a vice grip or pipe wrenches.

 

true... these guys r smarter than me

 

Now that's a good idea! I like that. Now to get my hands on one. Thanks.

 

This thread turns out to be one for strap wrenches...

Rear shocks removal done with these wrenches...clean, some forearm effort, no damage done to old shocks. Didn't even need to use that much PB blaster like I would have initially. And this was my first time changing the rear shocks after 8yrs of stock shocks and 88k on the odometer. Not bad at all Even had time for a little test drive on the road bumps

As far as installation, however, I had to use other tools--3/8" breaker bar with crow's foot attachment on the top nut and a crescent wrench on the stud. Total torque would be 14 ft/lbs according to the FSM and that's low enough on the scale to be done by estimated feel without the use of a torque wrench.

Just a word of caution from what's been circulated in yotatech...if the shocks of choice were Tokico, highly recommend reading these posts:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/t...shocks-132634/
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/t...ed-off-108293/

 

if strap wrenches worked for you for removal, you are one of the few lucky ones... I tried for a solid hour before grabbing the sawzall.


odd bump of a 9 month old thread though...