Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

General => General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion => Topic started by: booksix on April 14, 2008, 02:00:43 PM

Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 14, 2008, 02:00:43 PM
be jealous.  Left rear tube broke right off - bushing still on the lower shock mount.  Rush hour AM traffic and suddenly my ass is bouncing and pulling the rear funny.  A few times I hit a dip in bad surface streets, thought my overly short spring was gonna fall out!  But I made it...
 
My gf is gonna being all my tools down.  This should be fun!
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: Chuck W on April 14, 2008, 02:03:38 PM
Well that sucks, but replacing the shock will be pretty simple.
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: daboss351 on April 14, 2008, 02:12:13 PM
rear shocks are easy, and quick. I wonder why it snaped? thats odd...
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 14, 2008, 04:33:24 PM
idk...  Cause it hates me!  LOL.  So I'm thinking I should be able to do this with the car on the ground...?
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: vinnietbird on April 14, 2008, 05:03:29 PM
That shouldn't take more than 10 minutes......if you take your time.
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 14, 2008, 05:40:29 PM
what do you guys think??  I've always had the car in the air when doing anything with the shocks...  Will anything keep me from doing it on the ground (including access room behind the 9" wide wheels)?
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: vinnietbird on April 14, 2008, 05:48:35 PM
You should be fine.Just remove the nut in the trunk,the one at the bottom,remove the old shock,and then slide the new shock in place,top first for installation,it doesn't matter what order you tighten the nuts,just make sure that your nuts are tight though (I added that for comic relief...LOL).
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: ZondaC12 on April 14, 2008, 06:33:23 PM
Yeah....well
 
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/822327651_1efebd248a.jpg)
 
 
 
and, as such, this is NO place for comic relief. NO ONE is allowed to have fun! No fun-having!!!!
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 14, 2008, 07:55:15 PM
lol...  'no fun having'  that's good...
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: daboss351 on April 14, 2008, 10:29:19 PM
Eh, on the ground might be hard, make sure u have a way to fully compress the new shock. Coat hangers twisted with two loops one at each end work well.
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 15, 2008, 02:55:59 PM
nah, brute force...  That's how I roll!!  LOL. It was pretty tough that way though, especially with the car being lowered!

Anyway, what's better than breaking a shock on the 'high speed' CA interstate drive to work??  Gong to work the next day and realizing BOTH were broke all along!  I knew she was bouncy!  LOL.  Probably need to stop using the thunderbird for offroading!  Jk. Anyway, thanks KYB!  :D
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: daboss351 on April 15, 2008, 06:43:03 PM
Didnt go though a whole thing checking if your rear end was still centered after something happened?
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 15, 2008, 07:22:55 PM
yeah, after I lost a wheel...  I suppose a drop like that could weaken things...  but either way, it's crazy!  Both shocks snapping off?!?  what are the chances?
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: Haystack on April 15, 2008, 09:53:20 PM
well at least you know they won't go out again... Until you throw off another wheel...
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 16, 2008, 11:35:55 AM
LOL  yeah, well, that won't be happening any time soon...
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: JeremyB on April 16, 2008, 12:05:35 PM
Quote from: booksix;214170
Both shocks snapping off?!?  what are the chances?
Statistical determination has shown the chances to be 100% in your case. ;)
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: daboss351 on April 16, 2008, 12:37:12 PM
well im my eyes, rear end hit the ground and shifted the ass end weakening the welds on the shocks, but didnt hurt the rear because of the soft rubber bushings and the flexible stock arms. Then you drove it around, and the stress caused one to snap and then the other went because the back end was pen 15ed.
Where did they snap?
Thats the only way I can justify why they could have snaped.
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 16, 2008, 02:03:23 PM
They broke off right at the bottom of the tube where the circular opening for the bushing is...
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: cougarXLS on April 16, 2008, 05:53:04 PM
booksix, I remember a time I was four hours from home, at university... I had my Cougar X
 
I had just left home with two new axle shafts, well, long story there (I wouldn't dream of hijacking your thread), so suffice it to say... the new shafts were popping the seals and bearings out of place. So I phone home, and the next day the old man arrived with all the tools, and there in the campus parking lot, we changed the axles shafts and bearings.
 
It was a most unusual experience to say the least... I've never worked on my car outside of the garage before that day.
 
Wow... it was, well... FUN :hick:
 
Especially when campus security showed up....
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on April 16, 2008, 07:53:44 PM
A shock ought to be a piece of cake... I once replaced a water pump and cam belt on a '85 Escort in a parking lot... Also repl the timing belt on a '86 Mustang and another time the TFI module in parking lots...

Who was it that repl a engine at the 2nd Cat Jam???
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: ZondaC12 on April 16, 2008, 08:19:24 PM
HA no freakin way!!! *runs and gets popcorn*
Title: I get to change a shock in the work parking lot tonight!
Post by: booksix on April 18, 2008, 11:15:50 AM
LOL, yeah, it was cake.  I guess the only other times I changed the shocks was in the midst of a day long project where the entire rear was torn apart so it all seemed like a lot of work.  I'm glad it was only that and not some of the other things mentioned!!  An entire motor away from home?!?  DANG!