Changing Shocks and Springs of GQ

[tankekwee1972]

Hi Guys,

Will be collecting some shocks and springs over the next weekend and intend to attempt changing it on the GQ over the next month or so.

Could anyone give me some tips on what to do? Please be as detail as you can as i am a novice.

Cheers,
Mike

[bazzle]

BE SAfe .. Use CAre ... hEavyv- no booze for operator

Obtain 2 high jackstands
1 trolley jack
1 bottle jac
2 wheel chocks
Ratchet spanner for front shocks (17 or19mm)
19mm ratchet and ring for rear.
Wheel brace or rattle gun
22mm spanners and long ext for rear radius arms (tight)
Plus..plus

FRONT

Crack front wheel nuts
Jack up front under diff
Place axle stands on chassis just in front of crossmember
Lower jack until stands just take weight
Remove front wheels
remove front shocks
undo top swaybar mount son chassis (14mm) if fitted, lower swaybar
Unplug front breather tube
Undo brake pipe junction bolt 12mm and lift away from bracket (a new rear hose works well here and is 60mm longer)
Lower trolley jack
Srings should lift out
(If fitting longer shocks and more than 50mm lift bump stop pads may be required on bottom seat to match kit.)
Replace new springs and top insulator.
If springs too long use bottle jack between radius arm and chassis to open space more. Ensure tang on top of spring fits into seat.
Remove bottle jack.
Jack up trolley jack to take weight.
Fit shocks
Replace brake line bolt.
Lower trolley jack to ensure brake line not taught.
Raise jack
Fit swaybar links
Fit wheels
Fit breather
Remove stands
Lower front to groung.


REAR

Chock front wheels
Crack wheel nuts
Jack up under diff
Place axle stands just in front of rear radiuas arm brackets on chassis
Lower onto stands
Remove wheels
Remove shocks
Remove sway bar mounts on end of bar
Ensure brake lines and breather dont get stretched
Lower trolley jack right down
Remove spring
replace spring and top insulator
Jack up under diff
Replace with new shocks
Refit swaybar links
Lower trolley jack again and ensure nothing binding and springs captured in seat.
Check sway bar links not stretched. Links can be cut and lengthened easily
Jack up again and fit wheels and swaybar mounts.
Lower vehicle .
RE CHECK ALL WHEEL NUTS.

Visually check everything youve done
Test drive around the block.
Listen for noises. Visually check everything youve done.

Fit adj front steering link if wheel off centre.

All the above if off the top of my head, use commonsense, I may of left something out.
Overall not too hard a job.
Did my fronts again last night, 1/2 hour.

Bazzle

[Daisy]

What bazzle said pretty much sums it all up.

He left out one important thing..

Booze...

No job or buildup is complete without a good drink to go with it. It brightens u up, motivates you, makes the job more enjoyable.

Good luck.

Wendle should add bazzles post to the GQ bible hey

TOM

[hottiemonster]

nice guide, i might print that

booze is good to.

bible sounds like a good idea, coz last time i checked, there was much in there, unlike the MQ one or whatever.

[Wendle]

bible sounds like a good idea, coz last time i checked, there was much in there, unlike the MQ one or whatever.

feel free to contribute. you spend plenty of time on here it seems.

[big bundy]

geez bazzle you can't of biven much better discription than that!!!

[Bartso]

Thats was pretty indepth now i think of it my way was a bit unsafe i gues i

was too eager to get my lift in

[hottiemonster]

bible sounds like a good idea, coz last time i checked, there was much in there, unlike the MQ one or whatever.

feel free to contribute. you spend plenty of time on here it seems.

not anymore, TAFE is back, not holidays anymore :(

sorry, i see you have added lots more info, it muss'nt say when u have edited your posts.

[bazzle]

???? Added no more info..

You need to read ALL the BIG words

Bazzle

[tankekwee1972]

Thanks Bazzle.... much appreciated.

[golly_01]

i put a 2" lift in my GQ a few months ago and noticed the rear was sitting lower then the front ( got spring second hand ) (been told there out of a deisel )so i put in 30mm spacers in the rear....the sway bar links were a bit hard to put back on .... how far do you think the link arms need to be lengthened ( never heard of doing this before)...

[ludacris]

No booze till job is done.Very dangerouse to make a mistake.keep the booze till after you have taken the new lift out for a spin.Much more rewarding.

[bazzle]

Lengthen links as much as req. ie. jack up chassis until wheels on full droop with links undone, then measure gap plus 20mm or so.

Bazzle

[Daisy]

No booze till job is done.Very dangerouse to make a mistake.keep the booze till after you have taken the new lift out for a spin.Much more rewarding.

You are right mate, Each to his own

TOM

[Dirty Dave]

Drink up to any conversion...generally the booze is far far far cheaper than whatever you have just bought to put onto the rig and makes things fit better too I found!

[Bartso]

I must admit during my engine conversion i sank alot of piss it helped to a certain degree

[joelt]

does this method also apply for changing from factory height to 3" springs and shocks?

[cooki_monsta]

it will work for everything as its just a guide to go by, how ever if you are doing a 3" lift make sure you add castor bushes 2

[joelt]

so in other words, spring compressor won't be necessary for 3"? i realise that castors/drop boxes will be required as will panhards etc but as for the actually fitting, nothing else is required?

[Swerve]

Don't forget the longer front spring goes on the drivers side. Changed my shocks on the weekend and the bottom front shocks mounts were seized so just grinded through the top lower bush.

Steve

[cooki_monsta]

joel you can change all your corners without needing spring compressors, just means you are going to have your car higher off the ground when you put your new spring in because once you undo your shock there is nothing holding the spring in place, just jack till it drops