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Are the front shocks hard to change? I have an 83 model Brumby.
Does anyone have any step by step guides on the procedure?

Thanks

PM me your email address and i will send you a manual, really easy to change, basically jack car up, remove tyre, remove 2 nuts at the bottom of the strut and then 2 nuts at the top. Then carefully remove it. Off memory the all the nuts and bolts are 14mm except the wheel nuts which are 19mm. Have a merry Xmas

Thanks heaps, thats good to know Matt.
[email protected].

Merry Christmas

Email Sent.

might be appropriate to add a WARNING if one intends to separate the spring from the strut.

I was doing just that one day - dunno where my brain was coz I did not use anything to retain the energy in the spring. As luck would have it my head containing said brain was not in the way , nor where my fingers or feet in the way of the bottom half.

You need some knowledge, spring compressor clamps for starters

steptoe wrote:might be appropriate to add a WARNING if one intends to separate the spring from the strut.

I was doing just that one day - dunno where my brain was coz I did not use anything to retain the energy in the spring. As luck would have it my head containing said brain was not in the way , nor where my fingers or feet in the way of the bottom half.

You need some knowledge, spring compressor clamps for starters

Very very important warning in that one, Do not undo the big nut inside the rubber strut top (The one you need a socket for) without spring compressors or prepared for a violent reaction. plus you won't get it back in without a spring compressor either!
Lucky you sent out this warning first steptoe!

Thanks guys, i do have spring compressors.

Learnt not to muck about with springs under tension. Took down an old garage "tilt a door" once. Brain disengaged, got whacked with a four foot spring. Never did it again.

pain is a wonderful teacher

tex wrote:Very very important warning in that one, Do not undo the big nut inside the rubber strut top (The one you need a socket for) without spring compressors or prepared for a violent reaction. plus you won't get it back in without a spring compressor either!
Lucky you sent out this warning first steptoe!

does that happen if you take the shocks off or if you take the shocks off then take the shock apart?

there is a big nut in the middle at the top holding the top mount in place (AND THE ENERGY OF THE SPRING) undoing this without springs correctly compressed can and will cause serious injury (dental work, broken jaw, facial surgery, fingers) if the unit strut assy is removed from car and also likely if still in car.

This happens if you attempt to remove the spring and 'shock' from the strut assembly without correct tools and skill

I'm basing this on my experience with L series struts but I think it may apply for MY (Brumby) ones too.

You may find that the flexible brake fluid line passes through a tab on the side of the strut. The workshop manual will instruct you to disconnect the brake line from the brake caliper so you can thread it out, then back through the new strut.
An easy shortcut for this is to use a small hack-saw blade to make a tiny cut in this mounting tab, bend a flap up, which allows the brake line to come out without disconnecting it from the caliper. You do the same to the new strut when re-mounting the brake line.
This avoids the whole job of having to bleed the hydraulic brake system.

For anyone who doesn't have spring compressors, or can't find them at the time (which happens most times I go to do something specific), you can simply unbolt the shock nut via the engine bay before jacking the car up. Of course, most lift kits will make this rather difficult, and you need to wind the adjusters (on 4WD MY struts) down if you have them wound up. Refitting the shocks, you simply reverse the procedure and make sure the end of the shockie shaft goes through the hole without damaging the thread.

Another solution is to rope or wire the springs before setting them free. Best to do this at three points around each spring, and use good strong rope or fencing wire. Make sure to pull it down tight, otherwise getting the strut top back on can be a little tricky. Anything is better than not taking precautions at all, and remember, when it's about to let fly, don't be in it's way... (Oh, and roping the spring before jacking the car all the way up is a good idea, that way it'll be loose and you KNOW the rope is holding the spring back properly).

Thanks everyone.
Now i'm really scared, but it beats paying a mech. about $200. I will be super cautious.