Hey fellas got a question for you.

I need and adjustable shock thats cheap since my stock ones are pretty worn out. I was looking at getting KYB AGX adjustables for it.

#1 are thease good shocks and
#2 how hard are they to change

Third gens i thought came with modified macferson struts up front so i though they didnt need a spring compressor to change them, am i worng or right on this?

also how do you change the rear ones, and can i use my stock springs with the agx's

Thanks alot

 

i have no experiance with those shock/sturts.

why do you NEED adjustable ???

and yes you DO need a spring compressor you don't want to be anywhere near that when you unbold the strut, and 650lbs of spring pressure let go. it wouldn't be pretty.

 

Can't vouch anything for the KYB AGX's; just installed the KYB GR-2 struts and will install the Gas-A-Just rear shocks later today. (Haven't driven the car yet). I will say that to compress these brand new GR-2 struts was -easy-. I figured on a bit more stiffness. Then again I guess my new Suspension Techniques springs will add all the stiffness I want!

As to a spring compressor, I disagree about needing it, but if you want it for additional safety, so be it!! (That's why I bought mine, but then again, I was changing the springs.) You need a jack under the lower control arm, definately. Remove the rotor and caliper and dust shield (three 11mm bolts). Place the hydraulic jack so it catches the edge of the control arm, but don't get the balljoint with the jack. Or you could place the jack directly under the spring perch.

Raise the jack enough to lift the control arm up (I'm assuming the rest of the car is on jackstands ON THE FRAME) so you compress the spring a bit. Then you're good. Don't move the hydraulic jack at all. Lower strut-to-knuckle bolts are 24mm or 15/16" socket, make sure you have two sockets (one for the nut, one for the bolt). They're on with 180 ft/lbs of torque so make sure you have two breaker bars and a torque wrench.

Rear shocks are easy. Block the front wheels. Raise back of car with a hydraulic catching the "rear" lip of the axle's pumpkin. Put two jackstands under the frame rail "just in front of" the lower control arm. Lower the jack to set the car on the jackstands. Remove the tires. Remove the lower shock-to-axle nuts. Lower/raise the axle with the hydraulic jack until you find the "sweet spot" where the lower shock studs just push easily out of the axle. Climb into the car, fold down the rear seats, in the upper corner under the carpet are the upper shock bolts.

The procedure for both is covered in the Haynes 82-92 Camaro manual, $15 from a Pep Boys or similar.

 

Can you remove the front springs without seperating the ball joint if you have a spring compressor?

 

thanks tom appreciate the info,

Dewey i want adjustables because i want to improve over my stock suspension. Im slowly building the car up figured the suspension would be a good place to start. I need the car as a daily driver for one more year then i can park it and do everyhing i want to do to it.

 

i still don't see why you NEED adjustable, there are lots of very good stocks that are non adjustable, and are still far and away better than stock.

personaly i would rather spend my money on a really nice set bilstein non adjustables, then on KYB adjustables....

 

thats another reason why i decidied to do springs and struts together, i had the rotors and calipers off so i didnt have to remove the ball joints, a spring compressor would help alot getting the stock srings out. even when the had everything off and the handing down the spring still had some force behind so the compressor gave me that extra edge keeping it compressed. before i let down the a-arm with the jack.