Rear Shock replacement

egclassic

egclassic

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Messages
558
Location
Cincinnati, OH, United States
So I would like to upgrade the shocks, front and rear.
I'm not really worried about the fronts, but have read horror stories about replacing the rears.
Anyone have any tips before I break the bolts off? I have already sprayed some kroil up in the area where the nuts are, but can't guarantee that I actually got any on the nuts.
Should I try hitting them with an impact wrench, or just use a ratchet?
The PO had a Rough Country lift, Coils and shocks, Installed about a year before I bought it last October, so at least they are not the originals. Hoping whoever installed the lift used anti-seize!
 
It sounds like you have done what you needed to do to prepare so far. I would hit them with a ratchet first to see if they break loose then use air. I actually just used air on mine, but we don't have any real weather issues in AZ so mine weren't rusty. Even using a ratchet isn't going to guaranty anything, but it may give you an idea of what to expect. .
 
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Kroil was the best choice, spray up there a couple more times over the next day or two. IIRC you can spray into the area above where the bolts thread into so it can work down from the top too. Don't rush the time the Kroil has to work. Don't use an impact wrench on the upper bolts, just use a ratchet wrench with a couple feet of extensions to reach the two bolts. The more salt on your local roads, the more TLC and Kroil time you want to give those bolts before unscrewing them. Busting one of those bolts is guaranteed to ruin your whole day.
 
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As mentioned above, I think you did everything properly. Give the Kroil some time to soak, and the bolts should come right off. Kroil really works wonders. I used to use PB Blaster having never heard of Kroil. Once I got turned onto Kroil, I'll never go back!
 
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Chris said:
As mentioned above, I think you did everything properly. Give the Kroil some time to soak, and the bolts should come right off. Kroil really works wonders. I used to use PB Blaster having never heard of Kroil. Once I got turned onto Kroil, I'll never go back!
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I have used Kroil for 20 years when removing pipe flanges and valves, the stuff is awesome, but you do have to give it time to work. And it smells good too!
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
Kroil was the best choice, spray up there a couple more times over the next day or two. IIRC you can spray into the area above where the bolts thread into so it can work down from the top too. Don't rush the time the Kroil has to work. Don't use an impact wrench on the upper bolts, just use a ratchet wrench with a couple feet of extensions to reach the two bolts. The more salt on your local roads, the more TLC and Kroil time you want to give those bolts before unscrewing them. Busting one of those bolts is guaranteed to ruin your whole day.
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Thanks, I will just try the ratchet first. I always thought hitting it with an impact would help jar it loose rather than twisting the head off. It is kind of a pain to get the kroil up in there, just have to spray and hope some lands on the threads!
I usually always back the bolt out a few threads, spin it back in and repeat until its out.
 
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egclassic said:
Thanks, I will just try the ratchet first. I always thought hitting it with an impact would help jar it loose rather than twisting the head off. It is kind of a pain to get the kroil up in there, just have to spray and hope some lands on the threads!
I usually always back the bolt out a few threads, spin it back in and repeat until its out.
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I did it yesterday with a ratchet style impact. I used it without air to break them loose and then once it broke loose I zipped them out.


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Good luck...mine were seized beyond repair or release. I tried kroil...left it for months, and hit it for a week before hand. I tried a torch and wax. No dice. All 4 broke. I wish you the best.
 
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KCsTJ said:
May I ask, when all 4 shock bolts break off, what is the fix, if there is one?
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There are a multitude of fixes. I cut the welds, removed the nuts, and am putting bar pin eliminators in.

You could drill and retap the nuts, which would be how I would fix a stock jeep.

Finally, you could try to break the nuts out and fish new bolts in. I don't think I could have broken the welds on my jeep that way, but there are a bunch of forum posts where guys have done that.
 
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Ranger_b0b said:
There are a multitude of fixes. I cut the welds, removed the nuts, and am putting bar pin eliminators in.

You could drill and retap the nuts, which would be how I would fix a stock jeep.

Finally, you could try to break the nuts out and fish new bolts in. I don't think I could have broken the welds on my jeep that way, but there are a bunch of forum posts where guys have done that.
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I tried, I removed the body mounts from the A pillar back and lifted it about 2" in the back, still did not give me enough room to really do anything but spray in extra penetrating oil from the top. Some guys have done it but I could not
 
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I cut two access holes in the tub above the mounts. It made getting the welded nuts easy to get off, and easy to get new bolts/nuts in. I had some galvanized metal that I used for patches, and just used some rubber (or epoxy, can't remember) adhesive to adhere the patches.
 
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egclassic said:
Thanks, I will just try the ratchet first. I always thought hitting it with an impact would help jar it loose rather than twisting the head off. It is kind of a pain to get the kroil up in there, just have to spray and hope some lands on the threads!
I usually always back the bolt out a few threads, spin it back in and repeat until its out.
Click to expand...
That would be my advice - generous amounts of Kroil in advance. Move the bolt a bit, spray more Kroil, reverse the bolt into the fresh Kroil, then repeat again, slowly inching the bolt out, spray, reverse, repeat.

And by inching, I mean micro-fractions of an inch at a time.

I have had to deal with a lot of rust on mine, and that's how I did it.
 
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