Need help with a couple of things

[Rotoariesarecool]

first I'm having trouble installing my new vick hyrdasports shocks in the front. Because the rubber mount is thicker than the stock one I cannot get the stud of the shock to poke through the shock tower enough to get the nut on, I've tried jacking it up by the suspension but I dont have the engine in the car right now so the suspension barley compressed before it started lifting the whole car. I had two friends put all their weight on the front of the car and I still couldn't get it, any ideas?

Secondly I do not know how to take apart these rear sliding wedge calipers, does anyone have a good video or link for this?

[DieselSpider]

first I'm having trouble installing my new vick hyrdasports shocks in the front. Because the rubber mount is thicker than the stock one I cannot get the stud of the shock to poke through the shock tower enough to get the nut on, I've tried jacking it up by the suspension but I dont have the engine in the car right now so the suspension barley compressed before it started lifting the whole car. I had two friends put all their weight on the front of the car and I still couldn't get it, any ideas?

Secondly I do not know how to take apart these rear sliding wedge calipers, does anyone have a good video or link for this?

You pull the cotter/spring pins, slide the wedges out and then remove the caliper. Their not that complicated but do take a bit of finesse.

Be sure the clean up any rust on the wedges and give them a good coating of silicone caliper grease when you reassemble them.

[Odoyle]

1. Are the shocks still compressed by the band that comes with it when new?
2. The frame of the car needs to be on jack stands, and with at least the lower control arm installed, line up the shock with the bracket on the control arm and use a floor jack to compress the shock until you can shove a bolt through the bottom. Also make sure the other end of the shock is in fact coming through the upper tower and not hanging up inside.

From what I recall the body will try to lift off the jacks when the floor jack is compressing the shock IF the band is removed prior to installation. Good luck and always be safe.

[Rotoariesarecool]

use a floor jack to compress the shock until you can shove a bolt through the bottom.

My problem is they aren't extending long enough, I have them bolted down on the bottom and at full extension they do not poke through the shock tower enough to get the nut on, and the front shocks did not come with a band as they are still relatively small at full extension. It's not these new shocks fault though the old shocks are exactly the same size and have the same problem

[geospider]

When I did mine; Start with attaching the shock at the top. Then with spring in place, jack the lower A arm up until the bolt hole lines up. The spring compressor is the biggest PITA with this operation.,

geo

[dinghyguy]

i just did it the same way as geospider, but i had to put the top on loosely to get enough length so that when i jacked the a-arm i could put the bottom bolt in. after i got the bottom bolt in i went back and tightened the top nut on the shock. Having a short wrench helped a lot to get decent rotation.
and yes i agree that the spring compressor is a pain, particularly if you use the two on the outside designed for McPherson struts…..

cheers
dinghyguy