installing bilsteins... rear drivers stock shock seized

fallvitals · Post by **fallvitals** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:04 pm

Hey... nothing is ever easy....

Installing my Bilstein's today. Started with the rear. Passanger side shock came off easy, the drivers side.. not so much.

The bottom of the shock is seized to the bolt. I tried rocking it back and forth, the hammer, prying, PB Blaster, etc etc. Ending up cutting off the rubber boot at the bottom of the shock thinking I could remove the shock, leaving the shock's sleeve, then get it off with vice grips.

Before I cut all the rubber off the sleeve.

But cut all the rubber off of it.. and put vice grips to it, wouldnt budge. More PB blaster. Nothing.

Got out the propane torch. Hit it with it for about 2 minutes, then hit it with a hammer, nothing. got a chissel thinking I could budge it from the side oft eh leaf spring assembly thing. Nope.

Hit it with the propane torch for about4 minutes, repeated the same process. Nothing.

So,, what are my options?

Only thing I can think of is to get my dremel with a cut off wheel and try to cut that sleeve off in sections. without damaging the bolt.

Other option, is a sawsall, cut the bolt (or is it a stud?) out and replace it ith a new stud? But im not sure if I can do that, or if i would have to replace the whole leaf spring assembly thing.

By leaf spring assembly thing I mean part #3 in this diagram, and its showing that bolt as part of the assembly and not seperate.. so I am at a loss right now.

So, I have to go to work in a few hours with only one shock on the back... ill just have to take it easy I guess.....

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:03 pm

Don't cut the stud off! Can you get a pry bar in there and pop it off? There really isn't anything holding that sleeve on there except rust.

Steve

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:16 pm

Use two hammers one on either side and beat the sleeve to swell it. Work all the way around it to loosen the rust and swell the sleeve.
The second BFH backs up the stud and absorbs the energy. A little practice and you might graduate the black nail club

MeanMr.Mustard · Post by **MeanMr.Mustard** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:56 pm

id suggest tapping it with a air hammer/chisel if available, or th BFH and crowbar. dremel tool would work just time consuming and who knows how many blade changes.

blaz · Post by **blaz** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:10 pm

If you are good with a die grinder you could thin wall the sleeve. Then it should peel off with a chisel.

Good luck.

If it were easy everyone would do it!

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:07 pm

Hindsight is 20/20 but, this is exactly why you want to hose this stuff down daily for a week before before this type of work. I prefer deep creep but, most like PB Blaster. When you do get it off, use some anti seize when you reassemble it. Might make it nice for the next owner.

If, you don't have air tools then, Brule's suggestion sounds like the best one. Worst case scenario is to take it to a shop with a real torch and turn that sucker red.

fallvitals · Post by **fallvitals** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 1:09 am

Im really not sure if PB Blaster, deep creep, etc would really be a help here.. could be wrong. That stuff has helped me in very few situations personally. I actually unscrewed the nut on this bolt when doing the Boise kit, and the shock didnt slide off. I didn't think nothing about it since the top was still bolted, and figured that was what was keeping it from sliding off. Plus it was out of the way So I didn't care. If I only knew...

Yeah good suggestion on the anti seize, ill have to take the one bilstein I installed off and anti-seize it. I would hate to have to tear apart a bilstein shock like this one to get it off!

But I dont have any good air tools

I like the die grinder idea.. but don't have one... Can get a lot of sanding drums for my dremel though (I think I have two packages actually...)

I like your sugestion Brule, Im just worried about bending the stud like that? And joining the black nail club

Nope cant get a pry bar on it, its flush up against the leaf spring assembly thing. I tried using a chissel and hammer to create a gap between the two, and get some leverage to try and pry on it... didn't budge.

I agree it can only be rust. But it must be some super strong rust, lol. Pipe wrench didn't help none either. Plus those bolts or zinc plated or something (a gold color) to prevent rust, ironyyyy. lol.

I think ill try the dremel.. unless Brule assures me the hammer method wont bend the stud. I have some heavy duty abrasive cut off wheels, they are much larger then the small ones. It will make a fast job of getting the majority of the cutting done, but ill have to go with the smaller cut off wheels to get closer to the end of the sleeve. Plus the sleeve isn't too thick. Should take a lot of cutting, I hope...

Thanks for all the tips guys. Ill have to invest in some good air tools

I still can't beleive this shock is seized like this. Buddy of mine at work couldn't beleive it either.

Post by **HenryJ** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:51 am

fallvitals wrote:...Im just worried about bending the stud like that? ...unless Brule assures me the hammer method wont bend the stud.

That is what the back up hammer is for. The back up hammer needs to be as big or bigger. Hold it firmly to the opposite side the impact from the other hammer.
You probably never played with "Klackers". How about Newton's Cradle?

Newton's Cradle image

You be using the law of conservation of linear momentum.

PGH04ZR5 · Post by **PGH04ZR5** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:53 am

same thing happened with a shock on my 98 2wd. I endded up using a die grinder to cut a small slit in the sleeve this gave me a place to seat a chisel and hamer away until i got a gap behind the sleeve I could pry against.

there is no "good" way....

fallvitals · Post by **fallvitals** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 12:21 pm

Ah yes yes, Newton's cradle. I had a idea it might be something like that, but didnt want to chance bending the crap out of that stud! lol.

PGH, I thought I was the only guy this would ever happen to, glad im not the only guy with that kinda luck

Went to lowes and got a package of 5 Metal abrasive cut off disks ($11, had 3 in my box) and heavy duty cut off wheels (20 for $5) Spent $17 there

Got home, and started with Brule's idea, didn't get any where. Then got the dremel and made one cut, after a lot of chisseling and hammering, nothing. Made another cut. After alot of chisseling I got that cut out part to peel up like a banana. Then broke it off, so there was like 1/4 of the sleeve on there. I could get it to rotate some only when hammered, but still wouldn't come off.

Made a third cut, pelled that piece off, and finally got it off there. And FYI, I didn't break one cutt off wheel! So the trip to lowes wasnt even neccessary, lol.

And it was rusted bad. but still can't believe it was bad enough to do that!

Put the new bilstein on, JUST AS A MAJOR THUNDER STORM ROLLED IN. So im under the truck setting on the ground, water runing under the truck, high winds and rain blowing on me. I sanded the bolt, and anti-seized it real well. I was gonna take the other bilstein off and anti-seize it, but I was soaked, and decided to do it another day.

Maybe someday I will get the fronts on,

Thanks for the help guys.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 12:46 pm

Steve

24digger · Post by **24digger** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:40 pm

HenryJ wrote: You probably never played with "Klackers"

Now those bring back memories

rlrnr53 · Post by **rlrnr53** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:33 pm

I remember those things. I had Knots all over the back of my hand and wrists before I got the knack of them. If you didn't watch, you'd end up with more knots. Ouch. The newer version has the balls attached to two rods. Kind of takes all fun out of it.