Rear shocks on 4th gen

[A/V1]

I know the rear shocks look VERY cut & dry to replace on my 4th gen. I need to know though if anybody's done it without removing the wheels/tires? I have an arm in a sling right now and don't know if I can man-handle the tire back into place if I remove it. Looks like it would just be more convenient to have out of the way...

Any reason not to change the rear shock with the tires still on the vehicle?
:driving:

 

[Jed]

Unless you have a lift, you're probably going to want to remove the wheels/tires to change out the shocks. If for no other reason, it would be hard to get to the shocks with the wheel/tire in the way. At least on a lift you can get to it from underneath.

Seriously, your arm is in a sling and you're planning on swapping out the shocks when you can't even remove and install the wheels/tires? Just ask someone to give you a hand....

 

[Top Shelf Synthetics]

I just did mine last weekend. Didn't have to remove the wheels. Had the backend on jackstands. I don't think I would try it with your arm in a sling. The rear shocks are kind of a pain to get out because the inside fender well comes down so far and theres not much room to get tools in there. When trying to undo the nut on top, the shaft wants to turn. Had to get a pair of visegrips to keep the shaft from turing. You might be able to use the fender well to your advantage and wedge the visegrips against it while lossening the nut. My advise, I would wait till your arm is better or get a friend to help.

 

[Asmara]

I just did mine recently and couldn't get anything on the top of the shock to keep the shaft from turning. After a quick internet search I read a tip that said to drill a hole through the shock and use a screwdriver to hold it and keep it from spinning. Worked great. Highly recommended.

Although it doesn't matter that much, if you drill your hole in the upper section, you won't have to worry about the oil in the shock coming out in your work area. The metal there is thin but kept the shock from spinning when I did it.

 

[A/V1]

Unless you have a lift, you're probably going to want to remove the wheels/tires to change out the shocks. If for no other reason, it would be hard to get to the shocks with the wheel/tire in the way. At least on a lift you can get to it from underneath.

Seriously, your arm is in a sling and you're planning on swapping out the shocks when you can't even remove and install the wheels/tires? Just ask someone to give you a hand....

Yeah, it was just the boredom talking... LOL. I broke my scapula, tore my rotator cuff, and fractured my fibula in my left leg and am bored to tears not really being able to do much. And having the shocks & struts staring me in the face in the garage every time I get in the runner doesn't help either. I'll have to wait until I'm back to 100% to tackle this job. Hehe. Oh well.

I guess I can vacuum it or something...:ybrick:

 

[A/V1]

The rear shocks are kind of a pain to get out because the inside fender well comes down so far and theres not much room to get tools in there. When trying to undo the nut on top, the shaft wants to turn. Had to get a pair of visegrips to keep the shaft from turing. You might be able to use the fender well to your advantage and wedge the visegrips against it while lossening the nut.

I finally got around to my rear shocks, and used a locking chain wrench (basically a vise grip with a chain on the end) to grip the shock body to prevent it from turning. Worked great!

Now on to the struts!:gun6: