nj98jeep

Replacing rear shocks on 98 grand cherokee. Pulled the old ones off. New ones have a metal sleeve in the rubber bushings. On the top end stud of the vehicle, I can't tell if the sleeves of the old bushings had fused on or if the studs have that shoulder built in. Tried turning with heavy pliers and it looks like that shoulder is part of the stud.

Can anyone confirm this? If so, do I have to pop the sleeves out of the new shocks or did I get the wrong ones (for example the correct ones come without the sleeves in them). Just went with inexpensive monroes for now.

Thanks in advance

ET JEEP

Hey, welcome to the forum.

I just put some Monroe Reflex shocks on my Jeep. front and back. I did not experience any problem doing the install. On the rear top stud there is a washer type surface that stayed with the stud. On the old shock there is a washer over the rubber bushing under the nut. That has to be installed on the new shock. Fitting the shock to the stud was not problem.

Are you having a problem installing the shock on the stud?

nj98jeep

I can't put the shocks on because the metal sleeve inside the rubber bushing on the top of the shock is the same size as the stud (once past the threads). I was wondering if because the old shocks were so old, the original metal sleeve fused to the stud. I tried to spin this shoulder part with pliers and it didn't budge. Before I put a pipe wrench on it I wanted to make sure that this shoulder wasn't part of the stud itself. The stud kinda looks like this:

_________
|_________
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
_________|--------------

That fat end past the threads is what I'm questioning.

nj98jeep

wait the graphic I tried to do didn't post right. It got left justified. Basically, close to the frame, its fat for about an inch with the same diameter as the metal sleeve that is in the bushing of the new shocks. Then the threaded part is narrower. My question is, is that fat part just the metal sleeve from the old shocks frozen on the stud? If so I won't worry about putting a pipe wrench on it to break it free so the new shocks just slide on. If its part of the stud, then do I punch out the metal sleeve on the new shocks or go back and get a set without the metal sleeve in the top part?

nj98jeep

Found a picture of the mount:
http://pics.tr33ph0rt.com/pics/album...ock_mount1.JPG
So yes, the shoulder is part of the stud, so I need to press out the metal sleeves that are in the new shocks.

Glad I kept looking and didn't take a pipe wrench to them... seems that these things break quite easily.
Thanks for responding initially.

ET JEEP

I see what you mean now. I did not have to remove anything from my new shock. I just removed the old and put on the new. If you remove the metal bushing you will have rubber on that stud. I don't think that is right. I will look at my old shocks tomorrow. I just cannot recall the setup on my new shocks. I do remember installing the outside washer under the nut.

ET JEEP

Well, you got me curious now. I had to go to the shop and look at my old shocks. On mine the lower end has the metal bushing and the upper end has no metal bushing. Installed, the thick outer housing should go up and the thinner inner piston goes down. You may be installing them upside down. What model shocks are you using?

nj98jeep

Before I pressed out the sleeve, I double checked the part numbers. They were shocks for a 99 which uses a nut and bolt. The correct shocks had a bigger eye with a metal sleeve. The old shocks didn't have the sleeve.

Thanks for the response. The fact that you said yours just popped on is what caused me to double check the part numbers. You saved me from ruining a new pair of shocks for the wrong vehicle!

ET JEEP

Well, I am glad you found the problem before ruining the shocks. Something did not sound right to me and I had to check my old shocks.

Good that it worked out.