Cost of replacing rear shocks....not as simple as all the youtube videos show

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Originally Posted by 06T200

For safety I would support the car on stands before risking life and limb to a floor jack. But sure lifting via the beam is fine, never been a problem for me.

The new shocks will come with new rubber bushings as they do wear out, and normally fall apart on removal.

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I would think i would have to jack the car up first, before i can put the jacks in their places. Right? So wont jacking it up via the beam, and then putting the jacks under the beam, be the right place to put them? I'll try to look up online for the place to put jack stands for he car. Maybe it says it someplace. I finally got a reasonable price to have it done by a mech. That is mobile...he comes to my home and does the work here. He is ASE certified and all. To do the job he is pricing it at 2 hrs, for $150. So if I order the parts on RockAuto or PartsGeek, it comes to like $90 for the parts. So total $240 range. That is fine by me. But I would like to do it myself,to know how to do it. But is that a reasonable price? 2 hrs $150? to replace the shocks and the mounts/bushings?

ok i got to look up where this is, to jack it up right. Thanks.

$150, for 2 hours is $75 an hour. Paying a company who is insured, that is more than a fair price compared to $100+ that a lot of shops charge.


You could jack it up using the beam. Then support the car on jack stands using the pinch welds on the rocker (where you would put a emergency jack for spare). You would then use the floor jack to hold the beam to ease removal of the shocks. (would want the beam to hang, but not drop further when you take the shocks out).


this is really really really close to the aveo, you can do it this way if you can compress the shock by hand..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCj8lZbZ3pE

what is really really close on the car? The pinch welds? I know where those are. Using the beam with the floor jack,wouldnt it be held up by the floor jack,but its held up by the stands at teh same time? Do i lift the beam higher to get the new shock IN,or OUT? Is that what you mean? I ordered the parts ,now i wait for them,and find someone to borrow a floor jack from and stands. so,light it on the beam,put the stand at the pinch welds so the wheels are off the ground? Then lift it higher to get the shocks OFF? Or lower it with the floor jack to get them OFF or ON? I JUST found the 'jacking point' on the rear, online in a picture from a manual,but no info on how to repair it of course:) So i can lift it at the 'right place', if needed. Then put the stands in. But then do i raise it or lower it to install? Others have been very helpful, but YOU seem to be the only one that knows how to do this! Thank you.

Oh man, you're making this harder than it needs to be.
1) Break the lug nuts
2) Jack the car up and it's ok to use the beam
3) Support the car with a jack stand
4) Remove the tire
5) Remove the bottom bolt holding the shock
6) by letting out the jack to let the beam down There is a magic point where there is no tension on the bolt
7) Remove the top nuts and pull the shock
8) Put in a new shock, jack up the beam to help the bottom bolt
9) put the tire back on
10) remove the jack stand
11) Torque the wheel nuts
12) BAM! your done

I know this is a first time, get a car buddy and just do it. First times are always frightening but once you put the wrench in hand that's how you build experience. So go do it!

and replace the 'top mounting plate/bushing/kit'....on top of the shock, got to watch how it comes out, to replace it the right way.:)
Thanks, but not knowing where to jack this up, and where to put those jack stands has been whats giving me fits. Now that i found that info. online someplace, i am just waiting for the parts to arrive. And now starting to beg/borrow the jack stands, floor jack, and a STRONG 'X cross' lug nut wrench, to get off these lug nuts off, that Tires Plus gunned on and I cant get off. I snapped the jack handle from my cars tire kit, trying to get them off, they are on SO tight!

Dude, I know sometimes funds can be tight. Harbor Freight is your friend
Harbor Freight Tools

There are some things you need to buy and keep. I would get a set of 3/4 drive metric sockets and get a breaker bar
20" Breaker Bar Tool - 3/4 Drive

Here is final deposition on the thread.
http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/f85/f...18/#post197487

I have had my Rears replaced with Munroe shocks, the first time the selling dealer tightened the top centre nut too tight on one shock and lost the gas.
Next time I had a local chap (auto engineer) change one at my home, all better now! There was a notice issued by GM-H about top nut tension around 10 years back, he was involved in that program so removed both and matched the tension on both shocks.

A person that does not want to buy tooling and documentation to repair / maintain their car , should pay a mechanic .

If they do not want to pay a mechanic , than they should try walking .

If you want to know where to place the jack and the jack stands , try posting good photos of the underside of the car .

God bless
Wyr