Rear shocks and hidden surprises

[Fenixbloodstone]

Changing the rear shocks on my 98' Camaro.

I was told this is a very, very, very hard job to do; I have to say I was siked up for this hard change.... LOL…. I have done these before on much older cars fronts and backs, but it was not all that hard to do!

I said to myself, I really don't have the money to have someone else to do it. Also I love to work on my own car. So, I bought the shocks and started out on this so called "hard job" Well, when I got the car in the air and tires off. I saw another problem the stud and bushing that holds my sway bar in place was broken, oh yeah I found this odd piece of Foam in the driveway last week, come to find out it was the bump stop so with a few trips to the auto store. I got what I needed but they didn't have the bump stop. I guess when I hit one of our states wonders know as a “Pot Hole” I hit probability the largest one in our city. I felt something go in the rear end, large pop noise and started to hear this bump noise every time I pulled into the driveway I would hear this bottom out sound. So anyway to wrap up this post, The Shocks were not at all hard to do, But getting the right studs and Bump Stop has been a nightmare.

Now does anyone know how hard the front end is to do? Any info or sites that have walk thrus would be great.

[Virtue]

front end is cake 2 bolts on the bottom 4 on top

but driverside u have to unbolt the brake master and move it over a tad (2 bolts)

my sway bar end links had to be removed on my car but i have a 35mm front sway bar so u might not have to.

its cake

[SS4Matt]

The rears are easy, pull the carpet and foam back behind the rear seat and take the top nuts off with an impact. then just remove the lower mount on the axle.

Fronts are just as easy, like above. there's 2 bolts on the control arms that hold the bottom on. and then the 4 nut/bolts on the shock towers but the brake booster will need to be unbolted and pulled out of the way just a tad, and then some tugging on the control arm and they should pop right out

[s.reef]

Rears are easy fronts are a little more work but not too difficult

[GETGONE]

For the rears you don't even have to pull the carpet up. There's two notches scored into the carpet already. You just have to cut the insulation and pull up the tabs to get to the bolts. The front it's too hard but you'll want to take it to a shop to have your springs swapped over. I took mine to NAPA and it was $30 to get them changed over. I decided when I did my V6 to buy a spring compressor and do it myself. WHAT A PAIN!!! I would have been better off paying NAPA to do it again. I believe there's some instructions and pictures on install university's website.

[transampimp]

For the rears you don't even have to pull the carpet up. There's two notches scored into the carpet already. You just have to cut the insulation and pull up the tabs to get to the bolts. The front it's too hard but you'll want to take it to a shop to have your springs swapped over. I took mine to NAPA and it was $30 to get them changed over. I decided when I did my V6 to buy a spring compressor and do it myself. WHAT A PAIN!!! I would have been better off paying NAPA to do it again. I believe there's some instructions and pictures on install university's website.

Just be careful who they have swap them. I had a Shop in Caledonia bust a brand new KONI shock, and never paid to replace it. The hand spring compressors are a pain to use.

[Virtue]

yeah the autozone tool rental spring compressors FTL

[GETGONE]

I bought a Harbor Freight heavy duty shop grade compressor for like $35 and the hooks for the spring were too big and I couldn't get the bottom to seat properly so I could get the top plate on. I spent a few hours trying to get them both compressed in the right spot so I could get the top plate on and sit correctly in the bottom. Then to top it off, a couple weeks later, the right front shock blew out(Tokico) and I had to pull it apart and replace it!