Dude, I hadn't done anything on my own car till a year ago. I'm not saying that I'm good at it or anything, but I've broken stuff and found ways around it. Jeep has not gotten towed, ever. I don't have any tools other than a couple socket sets, some screw drivers, soldering iron, pliers, vice grips, BFH, and a pipe that I use as a breaker bar. I buy junk as I need it, and I don't have a problem with that because I know I'll use it again eventually.

Oh, and this is my DD. But I'm not even afraid to break stuff because I know it's not the end of the world if I do and there's always a way to fix it.

Again, I'll say this... if this **** was supposed to be easy, everybody would be doing it. There is a reason that mechanics have a job. Whether or not you USE a mechanic or do it yourself boils down to a few things--opportunity cost, whether or not you enjoy it, and whether or not you have the ability/dedication to learn and deal with the issues that come up.

 

an oxymoron is when two opposite words are in close proximity (jumbo shrimp, large fry, etc.). He's referencing your reluctance to work on your jeep when it's just a rusty winter rig.

 

He's a lawyer. He knows exactly what an oxymoron is.

 

Didn't seem like it

 

Changing out shocks is NOT considered advanced.

Also, you do know "lefty loose E , righty tight E ".

Just put on your man panties & get to work. You have the tools, now get the experience.

And for God's sake- stop posting these ridiculous threads. It is comic relief but you are not gaining any Jeep cred here. You are just intimidating new guys not to try to do simple repairs themselves.

 

I was referring to his inability to type
"He puts the moron and oxymoron."

 

Fair enough

 

Pickle fork to change shocks ? I don't even own a pickle fork/tie rod boot shredder ! Lol

 

Oh yes, I agree this stuff is very difficult. This is why people pay mechanics upwards of $500/hour when you factor in their undercutting book hours. In the biggest recession in over 80 years, a mechanic can charge $100 for 10-12 minutes of actual work. (4 minutes on the internet) Not even surgeons and corporate lawyers can pull this off anymore.

It's quite advanced. You need some serious tools for this job.

I've gotten a TON of PM's from other new guys thanking me for the honesty and reality of my threads. These threads are valuable guidance to other beginners who are lied to by posters who say it takes 4 minutes to change the shocks with nothing but your teeth. It's embarrassing at the level of infantile macho exaggerations that goes on in these Jeep forums. "Changed an O2 sensor with my feet while reading the newspaper" If you've got 20 years of experience and $5000 worth of tools, maybe. But, new guys don't need to hear this sort of mythology.

 

Damned speech to text screws my joke up again.
He puts the moron in oxymoron. There, fixed it.

 

Is this what you're talking about, the bottom bolt on the rear shock?

Just jam the wedge end of your lug wrench behind the shock using that bracket for pry leverage. Or the V end of a crow bar would be better if you have one. If that doesn't work I'd beat it off with a hammer.

 

Moot point, I stripped the upper bolts so it's going to a trained professional.

Not sure your lug wrench idea can work, b/c there's nowhere to get clearance without a lift.
Drum brakes and leaf spring blocking from one side, and the diff blocking from the right, even if you managed to get under there.
I think you'd need a lift,

Nice photo, is that a 2011 Jeep you're driving? I don't see the rust that makes might a total nightmare to work with....

 

LOL !!!!!

make sure you take it to the same guy that changed out your o2 sensor so he can stand beside himself....

maybe I shouldn't laugh as I have yet to replace my rear shocks in the xj, then again I have nearly zero surface rust on the suspension bolts/components.. .

 

you absolutely blow my mind.... !! granted I haven't done much to my xj thus far but its a super simple vehicle to work on,(worked on my mj with wooden pliers) everything is straight forward, and I for the life of me can't figure out why you think every nut and bolt is rocket science....

 

You may want relocation brackets like this for the upper bolts. I think it uses new holes for the bracket mount so it doesn't matter if the original shock mount holes are stripped out.




And just jack up your Jeep with your jack and get at that lower bolt.

Not my Jeep in the other pic, but mine is rust free as that one.