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04:15:35 - 04/20/2024
Dakota Performance
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92whitedak
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2002
03:48:35
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 Subject: Shock Absorbers?
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Message:
Seem to be having a problem with my shocks. I recently, after noticing a "clunking" noise in my front end, decided to inspect the situation myself. I pushed down the front end, both corners, hearing the clunk clunk coming from the driver's side. I popped open the hood and, still bogging down the front end and letting it recoil, took a gander at the front suspension assembly (upper and lower control arms, spring, perch, shock). What I found amazed and "shocked" me. The top of the shock absorber, the small piece that pokes through the upper control arm and has a bolt, retainer, and grommer around it holding it in place was not being HELD in place by anything. The bolt and retainer has amazingly backed off the bolt about half an inch or so and I cannot see a grommet. I decided to start dissassembly immediately. Oddly enough, however, as i put the deep well 9/16 over the bolt and began to loosen, I noticed I was getting no where. The shaft of the shock absorber (the nice shiny rod) was actually spinning inside of the cylinder itself. I was rotating the entire piece. Now, I'm not sure because I can't look THAT far up into the spring in the front end, but I'm curious as to whether there is a backplate that is supposed to be on the underside of the upper control arm that holds it from spinning. Hell, just holds it. If there isn't, what in god's name does that bolt do if the shaft can just pass through the hole in the upper control arm at will? I tried a pair of vise grip around the shaft from the underside but it just spun aimlessly around the shaft. It then started to downpour and I've been inside, contemplating tomorrows's attack strategy. Question being, how do i get the shock off, even if just to simply replace it. Thanks.
-Fox Deacon
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DaveR
GenII
11/23/2002
23:10:57
| RE: Shock Absorbers?
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Message:
This may not be the answer you are looking for, but I had a similar problom when I changed to new shocks. Since the old ones were coming out anyway I cut the thread and seized nut off to allow the old shock to drop out. I don't know if replacement is a viable option for you though.
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NJQCDak
GenIII
11/24/2002
10:23:06
| RE: Shock Absorbers?
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Message:
92whitedak,
I just changed mine to KYB monomax. I had to use two open end wrenches. One to hold the shaft from rotating (on top) and the other to loosen the nut. I'm not sure you can cut the shaft. It should be harden, but knowing OEM stuff who knows. you could just crack the nut with a nut cracker. Good luck.
'01 QC Sport, 3.9L V6, 5spd, 2wd, Volant Intake,
SS Gibson exhaust, MSD Wires, Accel Super Coil, NAPA Cap, Flometrics Billet 48mm TB , JBA Silver Ceramic Headers, Autolites 3923s, R/T front swaybar & Quickor rear swaybar, KYB Monomax shocks
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dogliftsleg
Dodge Dakota
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11/24/2002
12:39:04
| RE: Shock Absorbers?
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do not flame cut the shaft near the shock body, the heat will build up in the shock and biol the oil in it and it could explode the body like steam boiler. OK to work on the end just long enough to remove the nut, but do-not heat soak it.
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DaveR
GenII
11/24/2002
13:34:41
| RE: Shock Absorbers?
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Message:
A cutoff wheel on an air grinder will do wonders with hardened steel. I Tried the 2 wrench method of grabing the nut and the flat but everything was nice and seized. That's when I had to get drastic
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Lynn
Dodge Dakota
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11/24/2002
14:33:23
| RE: Shock Absorbers?
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Put your socket on an extension and put it down over the nut. Pry back and forth and the rod will break below the nut.
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92whitedak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/24/2002
21:42:57
| RE: Shock Absorbers?
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Message:
Amazingly enough, I spent approximately four hours today doing everything everyone just listed. I had originally attempted holding the pinched end of the stud and then unbolting the nut. Didn't work. I then proceeded to dragging the acetaline torch out from the garage and trying to cut it. This was before reading dogliftsleg's post and before long i noticed a slight hissing sound. Luckily the top boot on the shock body was broken rather than the oil inside boiling and exploding. That didn't work. Eventually I just got crazy and took a grinder and some cutoffs to every part of the shock. I also noticed i couldn't get the bottom two bolts out either as they were stuck so i just went about cutting the bottom of the shock out, knocking away the small pieces that were being held and then removing the bolts in that fashion. Thank you very much for all of your insightful replies.
-Fox Deacon
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