Disco S1 front shocks removal (troubled)

People Hi,

I have decided to replace the worn out shock absorbers from my 1994 evented Camel Trophy Discovery 200Tdi (which has stood idle for 5 years from 1995up to 2000 and then used from 2001 up to now) The choice I had was between BILSTEIN and red adjustable KONI and I opted for the second one mainly because of the very bad experience I had with Bilstein shocks absorbers in the past (back in 1983 when I used them on the Lada Niva I used to drive back then)

I installed the rear ones yesterday and have run into serious trouble with the lower bolts on both shocks and the upper bush on one of them which was stuck solid with the upper shock absorber to chassis one (the triangular shaped one where the upper side of the shock absorber gets attached). Those two problems were solved by cutting the lower bolts through the bushes with a round high speed cutter and by removing the upper side of the shock from the bushing and then removing the chassis mount and persuading the metallic tube inside the bushing with a large hammer and repeated spraying of rust removing liquid (a very good WURTH one which really paid for its price)

And my problem now is what to do with the front shock absorbers. I have not started removing them since I considered asking you for any tips on how to do so if the lower bolts are as stubborn as the rear ones. The is no free space to use a round high speed cutter and my only choice, if I were to cut the lower bolt-like mounts of the shocks will be to use a manual steel cutting blade but then again the coil spring locating bolts interfere.

Using grips to tightly hold the shock so that it does not turn has not worked with the rear shocks and I expect it not to work with the front ones also. Using the U shaped lower part of the bolt-like lower mount of the shock has absolutely no results since the metal gets distorted long before the mounting bolt gives way. Heating up and cooling down suddenly the lower bolt is again out of the question with the front axle and brake hoses being so close.

I would be grateful if you could provide me with a tip or trick around this problematic situation.

Thanks in advance Pantelis

Reply to
Pantelis Giamarellos
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If you can't undo the lower bolt, use plenty of oil on it a couple of days before you start, then the other option would be to drill the nut off. You will need to be fairly accurate, and start with a very small drill and increase in size. You would need to drill side on, onto a flat of the nut and when you have reached the threads of the shocker stop. When you have increased to a suitable size drill split the nut with a chisel.

hope this helps

Gary

Pantelis Giamarellos wrote:

Reply to
Gary Harrison

Gary Hi,

Thanks for the tip. Very useful and I am sure I will make good use of it.

Take care and thanks again Pantelis

Reply to
Pantelis Giamarellos

People Hi,

Thanks to Gary Harrison's excellent tip I was able to remove extremely easily the front shock absorbers from my 1994 model year Discovery.

Actually I went a step further from Gary's tip to drill the seized nut up to the bolts thread and then cut/split it away with a chisel.

I decided to just cut the bolt threaded part of the shocker using three different sizes of drills.

Very good quality drill bits sized number 4, 6 and 10 were used. I first started with the number 4 drilling a hole at the upper part of the nut around 3 mm from where the lower metalic disk of the lowest rubber shock absorber bushing meets the securing nut which has seized. I drilled the nut all the way through the bolt and to the other side of the nut.

Then I used the number 6 drill to increase the diameter of the hole and finally used the number 10 drill bit which has actually cut its way through the bolt and since the nut was also drilled at its uppermost part the bolt and remaining lower part of the bolt just separated from the shock absorber's upper body.

The procedure was SO EASY that I decided not to mess with spanners and clamps for the other sides shock absorber and also for the upper (suspension turret) shock absorber securing nuts.

If you do not wish to keep the old shock absorbers I strongly recommend using this trouble and hassle free technique and save yourself from the stress and knackered fingers.

Another trick that was also used for the coil springs replacement since I also replaced those with yellow/yellow for LH side and white/white for the RH on my LHD Disco. The trick I used for their installation was to compress them using rachet style strap tensioners. Since the coils did not need any excessive compression to fit (I had lowered the front axle keeping the chassis on solid mounts) the rachet tensioned straps were able to compress the coils as much as needed despite using just one for one side of the coil. I think that a coil can be compressed equaly from both side (so as not to arc from one sided compression) if two such rachet tensioned straps are used.

hope this is of assistance to anyone who has had troubles with seized nuts and bolts or wishes to replace his coils springs.

Take care Pantelis

Reply to
Pantelis Giamarellos

On or around Fri, 15 Aug 2003 09:55:03 +0300, "Pantelis Giamarellos" enlightened us thusly:

neat trick especially for the top of the damper, where it goes through the turret, right PITA they can be...

did springs on the 110, and once you've removed the damper, raised the vehicle high enough and dropped the axle, didn't find it needed spring compressors at all.

mind you, I did have a 2T engine crane, which I hooked to the front bumper to get the vehicle high off the ground.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Austin Hi,

The coils springs of the rear axle are extremely easy to remove if you lift the chassis and lower the axle assembly, as you have already said.

But the front coils require a bit of compression. It can be done with a long and flat at the edges crowbar but compression works better and more safely.

If you need some photos of the procedure for cutting away / removing the bolt like and nuts from the shock absorber please let me know.

Take care Pantelis

Reply to
Pantelis Giamarellos

On or around Fri, 15 Aug 2003 12:35:27 +0300, "Pantelis Giamarellos" enlightened us thusly:

not tried it on the disco, but didn't need compressors on the 110 springs. drop the axle, they unseat and come off. ISTR the book mentioning compressors, dunno why though :-)

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Austin Hin

From my recent experience with the Discovery I think that if I had lifted the chassis a bit more and front springs would have come out and then gone it without any compression.

But in any way the rachet strap compression trick was handy and that is why I mentioned it.

Defender and Disco should be the same. After all any kind of differences is mainly located in the bodyshell area (speaking about Discovery series 1)

Take care Pantelis

Reply to
Pantelis Giamarellos

On or around Sat, 16 Aug 2003 07:17:27 +0300, "Pantelis Giamarellos" enlightened us thusly:

this is what I thought. Memories of fighting with a SII rear leaf spring, due to inadequate jack etc., and how easy it was for the types at the Rover place in Swansea (not there, now, I don't think) who had a chain hoist, attached same to back bumper and lifted the back end about 3 ft off the ground, 'till all the weight was off the axle.

similar results with some McPherson strut things - undo the top of the damper in situ and jack the body clear. Not all such have enough movement, mind. If you pull the strut off in one piece, you then need spring compressors to get it apart.

got a warning about a turret on me MOT, buggrit. Spose that'll need changing eventually.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

How easy your springs fit depends on the condition of the suspension bushes and the length of your brake pipes as they are the factors limiting axle movement.

Reply to
Muddy Paws

absolutely right.

and another factor must be the free length of the coil to be installed.

Take care Pantelis

differences

Reply to
Pantelis Giamarellos

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