TwinTurbo.NET: Nissan 300ZX forum - Rear Shock Absorbers
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Subject Rear Shock Absorbers
     
Posted by JMartz on March 27, 2017 at 5:43 PM
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Message I noticed the accordions had disintegrated into "rings" resting on the bottom perch. Decided to replace them. After all, the car has 55,000 miles, and considering how expensive these cabin adjustable units are, I figured they deserved a rubber parts refreshment.

Little did I know what I was about to get into. The shocks are held to the unibody with nuts that happen to be behind the shock tower covers. To remove these, the entire hatch area plastics have to come out first. Then there is the need to deflect the suspension downward, so the old jack-and-lift method is not what needs to be done. A trip to the hardware store and I came home with an ax hickory handle that I modified to slide into the upper control arm. With the help of my wife, and loosening the torsion bar, I finally got the coil overs out.

I had purchased a chinese "spring compressor" if it could be called that. It is hydraulic and the $100 I paid for it was likely all shipping. Although I was able to use the tool, springs are helixes and the tool does not compensate for that, resulting in pushing the spring crooked, making reassembly near impossible.

Then after replacing parts and reassembling the shocks, I neglected to consider the flat that secures the motor bracket from rotating. Out came both shocks and another struggle with the spring compressor to re-orient those flats so the motors could be mounted.

I noticed that the 350Z has studs to mount the upper flange of the rear shocks. Nissan is modernizing. I am finally done after a weekend of bliss. The spring compressor is out for the trash.

     
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