How to change rear shocks and/or springs
 

This article is designed to explain how to tackle replacing the rear shock absorber and/or spring. This is a fairly easy job to do.
The first thing is making sure you have the tools for the job. You need to be able to raise and support the rear of the car one side at a time and at the same time you will need to be able to raise and lower the rear axle.


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Also you will need some good hefty sockets and spanners. On earlier cars you will need 17 and 19mm sockets and spanners - a good long breaker bar is also useful. Some later cars may need an 18mm as well. You will also need the parts you are replacing i.e. springs and/or shocks. You will also need to inspect the piece that locates the spring at the top - I have seen some corroded badly enough to need replacing. Also there are often issues with the plate locating the bottom of the spring:


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The stud that the nut fits onto is onto splines into the plate and this can come loose making removal difficult and will need repairing or replacing before refitting.

Park the car on firm level ground with the handbrake on. First chock the front wheel on the opposite side to the one being raised:


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Make sure the keys are removed so the steering is locked STRAIGHT:


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Now you need to raise and support the car so that it is held up and the axle can be raised or lowered. How we did this is shown in the first picture. On the assumption you only have one jack the approach would need to be to get the car on an axle stand on the jacking point (with wheel underneath) as described in my article on raising your car to work on it. The jack can then be freed to raise and lower the rear axle.

There are three points to unbolt being base of the spring:


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and top and bottom of the shock absorber:

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Firstly each will need cleaning thoroughly - a wire brush is used. It is quicker and easier with rotary one on an electric drill (cordless is safer as no risk of damaged cables making the car body live)


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Then a good soaking with penetrating oil:


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Do this for all three nuts. It is now time to start undoing them - the order is not very important. Start with the bottom of the shock with a good spanner either side


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- these can be very tight and an assistant can be useful to ensure the spanners stay on square pushing the one on the nut with your foot if necessary. Undo it until the nut is absolutely flush with the end of the bolt.

A hammer can be used to gently tap the bolt loose:


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The nut can then be removed and the bolt pulled out - make sure you don't loose the sleeve and note it's position:


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The top nut holding the shock can then be taken off enabling the shock to be pulled off the top and removed.

If you are just replacing the spring it is not necessary to undo the top nut and remove the shock. If only replacing the shock it is only a case of fitting the new shock on at the top and then fitting the bottom making sure the sleeve is in the right place. The shock can be pulled out to help alignment and the axle raised or lowered as needed. Note the bolt comes out towards the wheel with the nut facing you. I f the spring is to be removed the next job is to remove the nut holding the plate down.


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As it is undone it is liable to spin - a lever can be used to maintain the pressure so the nut will undo.


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If the stud starts to turn in the plate (this is why cleaning and lubricating the thread is important) it is either a case of a spot of weld to re-secure it assuming a welder is available. It can also be retained by using a pair of mole grips to secure it (some ingenuity may be required here).

The spring is then freed by lowering the axle - it may need levering off the top mount:

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The plate will need removing from the old spring and dropping into the new one. The new spring can then be fitted to the arm (make sure the plate fits into the spring correctly - it's shaped) and jacked up into position and the shock refitted as previously described. Do not reuse damaged nuts - if they are the washer head ones they can be replaced by a standard M12 nut and washer. Make sure all bolts are up very tight. Replace wheel and lower the car.
Repeat for the other side.

Mike

Very well done Mike!
You are up for an award.
Brian.:thumbs_up:

Thanks Mike. That's one that I (and many others) need for sure.
I parked next to a 240 Diesel the other day & saw just how low mine is!
Must get on and order some from GSF I reckon.
Ta muchly.

Another good one.

I'd appreciate a simple summary of the various kinds of rear spring available, with some coments on their applications.
I have seen;
"standard" - saloon and estate identical?
"estate"
"heavy duty" - estate or saloon ?

It seems to me with springs there are various factors, not readliy comparable:
ride height when lightly loaded
ride height when heavily loaded (ie the ability to cope with loads without grounding)
comfort or "springiness".

As an aside, I recently replaced the original rear springs on my 1964 Triumph 2000. They were clearly worn out, and the exhaust and rear of the car bottomed all too easily. I was advised by an expert what kind to get for a "standard" ride - ie not lowered, reasonable comfort, not competitive etc.
I was surprised to find that the extended length was 2 " shorter than my sagged ones, yet the car rode 1" higher normally, and still rode higher then formerly even when loaded.
Books often recommend comparing uncompressed length when assessing springs, but this experience suggests that it is much more complicated than that, because a shorter spring can actually have more resistance than a longer one.

Could you give us a run down on the theory of springs please Mike, and which to get for different circumstances?

[QUOTE=Mike_Brace;346281]This article is designed to explain how to tackle replacing the rear shock absorber and/or spring.

Apologies if this is an inane question (or if I've missed a key piece of info)... but if changing springs and shocks, would it make sense to change the suspension bushes as well at the same time...? Thanks, John.

[QUOTE=John Tancredi;347120]Only if you have the specialist Volvo tools, or the ability to make a tool for the job.
Mine need doing & I've been to 4 garages who have said 'NO' to this work. I am not confident enough to try even with the tools, especially now that proffesional mechanics are saying "no".
I have even contacted a 'mainstealer' over here (via their web-site) they quoted me for the bushes, but ignored my plea for an estimate to do the work - seems like they don't want to do it either.
I think I'll have to take the car in and ask them face to face!

The trailing arm bushes are not difficult to do and you don't need special tools, just some odds and ends like threaded rod and a collection of big washers and spacers, and an appreciation of the design.
I could describe the process I used, but I'll leave it to Mike as the expert.

Thanks Clifford, I've actually got a brill' 'how to' (Bushes) from Paul Clifton. Sadly for me, after a lot of thought I think its not something I'd attempt, rather be safe than 'carless' if you know what I mean.
Cheers.

I would love to read all methods of doing the rear TA bushings. I have not attempted this yet and am still trying to find a method that I could make work. The description I have seen of the home made tool uses items you can only find in the US which I can't seem to find online.

No wonder my mechanic started finding excuses and saying that my bushes are fine etc as soon as I raised the subject...! These people are a law unto themselves!