Re: Replacing rear shocks on 69 1750 Spider

[Paul Weimer <tn010151@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Brian,

You commented...

> this doesn't sound right to me - i can't imagine a shock with a diameter too big to go through that opening.

The Biltseins have flexible, not collapsible, boot around the shaft. 
Compared to the original shock, the Bilsteins are inverted.  That is,
the shaft is on top.  The diameter of this boot is too large to pass
through the opening.

> there is a special tool to lower the rear of the trailing arm away from the rear axle.  i noticed a follow-up post to this one in which you > had problems getting the bolts out (sounds like they're in the wrong way).

Haven't been able to find the special tool -- saw its illustration in
the Alfa manual.
The bolts can't be on backwards, the extended necked down section is
where the connecting link to the rear sway arm is bolted.

> last time i dropped trailing arms on a spider was a few months ago.  i hadn't yet figured out the proper usage of the special tool, and
> we ended up disconnecting the front of the trailing arm, which gave enough leverage to lower it by hand.  you might try putting a floor jack > underneath the front of the trailing arm and lowering that end.
> 
> the only problem is that you might not have the car up high enough to get all the pressure off the springs.

When you lowered the front of the trailing arm, do you happen to
remember how far down it had to be lowered before the springs were
unloaded?  Remember, I have the car up about two feet from the floor.

I need these comments.  They make think trough these processes before I
screw something, or myself, up.

Paul Weimer

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