buy a trolley jack (about £20) and axle stands.Work on a hard surface if the area is too soft, use some strong paving stones too.
1/ loosen wheel nuts slightly on the side you intend to repair
Find solid jacking points and put both sides of rear securely on axle stands using only secure solid points like the sub frame , dont ever jack up on body or cils they are soft and you could do damage to your car.
Cover rear brake disc with plastic then Use a proper penetrating oil on the nuts on the shock that you are removing . Use only a ring spanner or socket never an open end spanner as this can damage the nut. Get the spanner firmly on the nut and tap the other end of the spanner sharply with a hammer, just one or two sharp taps should loosen it , where as if you apply gradual pressure you could damage the nut or not manage to loosen it. You will need your trolly jack and some wooden blocks to protect surfaces perhaps, with the car jacked everything undoes and comes downwards easily, you may need to lift the stub end axle with your trolley jack slightly to tap the two bolts out with a soft ended mallet . When refitting a new shock you may need to fit just one end and then compress the subframe/stub axle upwards by using your trolly jack to lift the stub axle with the shock attached at one end only until you get it exactly in place and get the other bolt in . Take your time and work carefully and safely , always make sure that your axle stands are securely placed on solid ground or ontop of paving stones bedded on flat level ground . If you dont fancy doing it yourself, many places will fit new shocks for free if you buy the parts from them. There is also a large coil spring that sits in a holder that can be easily lifted out once you undo the shock , often this spring can become damaged and broken when people bump up and down kerbs etc so your shock could even be ok , you can get the springs and shocks cheap by searching a well known auction site
and they often arrive by the next day if you have quick on-line payment facilities, good luck and contact me if you need any more help
Cheers
Aaron :)
Aaron, September 2009
