Lost a bit of handling over the fall. Took this picture the other day. Assuming struts need replacement.

Is this a tough job?

 

Your shocks may be ok but the mounts are definitely toast.

 

As Baxter said you need upper shock mounts. Thats real worn, bet you ride height is below 14 inches front - you're gonna wear out the inside edges of your front tires - Fast!

Tough job? Depends if you have a compressor & how hard it is to pound upper A arm bolt out.
Good day figure 30 - 50 minutes per side.

Hint#1: rent 2 sets of spring compressors. You'll thank me when you get to that part.
Hint#2: put that bolt in a 3/4 inch drill. Polish the outside while spinning with drill. It'll pay off next time.

It is not a very complex job you can do it. Ask for instructions when you do.

John

 

Thanks guys, yes they both, (I have a 97 coupe as well), look a little low up front....gotta love youtube. +1 on the spring compressors. I did my old MGB GT 30+ years ago...and they were jewel like in comparison to these!!

It's in a nice warm building. I might as well tackle all 4 on both. I'm snowbound for a few months here and have a few friends who can bail me out if I lose my nerve.

Any suggestions for replacements? More into the GT aspect vs. boy racer....plus I have a 61 vette on bias ply wide whites with the footprint of a scooter if I want to rattle my fillings.

 

I just had to redo mine again. As an alternate to undoing the A-Arm, you can take the fender well liners out which is fairly simple and then unbolt the sway bar from each side. That will drop the assembly down a tad. It's still a bit of a Chinese puzzle to get the assembly out but if you push the lower part of the shock back and then tilt the upper part toward the back of the car, you can get them out.

I recommend just having a shop change the shock mounts. spring compressors are scarry.

As an aside, my Welsh mounts only lasted about 15,000 miles. See below. As I couldn't find any better options, I reluctantly ordered another set of supposedly 'new and improved ones' from those guys.

 

How are the shock mounts that Welsh is selling now "new and improved" compared to the ones they have been selling since mid-2016 that tend to fall apart after just a year or two? Quite a few of us here would be interested in hearing what Welsh has to say about this subject....

 

These are from 2017. The new ones don't look any different to me. I did send a note to them whining about them but I haven't heard anything. If anyone knows of anything better, I'd like to know about it. From what I've been able to find, there aren't a lot of good options.

 

yes there is, Wayne has a solution but you will need to supply the metal pieces so more time consuming. There is a very long post @ these mounts over the past year.
try searching for waynes mounts...

wj
wj

 

Well, I guess I'll keep the old ones somewhere but if these last the same 15,000 as the last ones, it will be about ten years before I need to replace them given how little I drive anywhere these days.

 

If shock mounts are bad, how much is the ride height increased w/ new replacements? I'm looking at an 06 w/ only 42k miles. Front end is low (14.50). Do these cars simply sag over the years even if not driven? Ride over moderately rough roads is choppy and there's the occasional clunk so it's more than just shock mounts. I'll do a visual on the shock mounts, use a good flashlight to check struts, bushings, etc. and push on the front fenders to see if I get the clunk. Seller wants top dollar so repair costs are important.

 

Yes indeed, the factory upper shock mounts decompose and crush as the years go by regardless of how much or how little the car was driven. If the vehicle you are considering still has its factory upper shock mounts, they are long overdue for replacement. The factory shocks may still be good, though....

 

Thanks. If the shock mounts are toast, any idea how much replacements would add to the ride height? It would nice to not have to do springs/shocks immediately. Clunk will be on the to do list. Ask is 21k for otherwise excellent low mileage 06 in a rare color. Definitely CA price but haven't had much luck doing long distance deals.

 

CA Jag,
I will attempt to give you the information you need to restore the ride height to an acceptable range in measurement.
The shock itself will not control very much, your bottom bushing would have to be rattling around in the socket of the shock to even effect ride height.
The springs of course can give some very low readings if worn, here is where some help can be had, not solve the issue, but get you back up to 15.25 or above. There are thin 1/8 inch spacers on the bottom of the spring where it sets on the base. If missing they are easy to find and range anywhere from $4 to $10 for the same thing. The most I have seen is 3 spacer, don't think I would go any further. I make a 1/4 inch rubber spacer that goes on top of the bell of the strut between the bell and the inner fender. It helps up to 3/8 inch, don't know why, but it's sold on many sites for upping the height on large trucks, so should hold up on our cars. The five in use are doing just fine.
The mounts themselves account for 5/8 inch, so that would get you back to 15 1/4 if they are as worn as the ones I get, all by themselves.
You can go with new springs $200 with shipping, lower shock bushings $50 on the low end or get new shocks from RockAuto for $240 and they include the bushings. New top shock mounts can run anything from $160 to $225. Deciding which ones will take you on a journey for sure.
Hope this helps and let me know if I can help with more information.