FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

[vargasjc]

I just finished replacing the wheel hubs, sway bar, front shocks and springs in my 2000 camaro.

Got the sway bar off a SS camaro, eibach springs, KYB GR-2 shocks.

I am not going to replace the back springs and shocks. I have never done these and was looking for someone to hopefully make some suggestions on how to go about it.

I know I have to take the rear seats off and the rear interior panels to pull the carpet off to get to the shock absorber.

My question really is, do I have to hold the rear end from the middle (because I just have a crappy jack and dont know if it can get it that high up)? Or Can I just do one side at a time with my current jack to hold the spring from decompressing too fast and risk injury. Don't really want to buy a new/bigger jack.

I am using bilstein shocks and eibach springs. Any help would be appreciated. Also, should I swap the sway bar with the one from a camaro SS? I know some people say the SS front sway bar helps but you want to keep the smaller sway bar on the back.

Thanks again!

[techsan23]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

You wont have to pull the seats out, or the carpet. Once you pull the two rear plastic panels off you will see the nut holding the top of the shock. You will need to jack up the car using the frame so the suspension is unloaded rather than the axle. Ive never done it one side at a time, but would probably work. You may get different advice from others, but I would paint the SS sway bar and use it. Might as well put new end links and bushings on it too. The rear springs go in and out quite easily when jacked up.

[vargasjc]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

You wont have to pull the seats out, or the carpet. Once you pull the two rear plastic panels off you will see the nut holding the top of the shock. You will need to jack up the car using the frame so the suspension is unloaded rather than the axle. Ive never done it one side at a time, but would probably work. You may get different advice from others, but I would paint the SS sway bar and use it. Might as well put new end links and bushings on it too. The rear springs go in and out quite easily when jacked up.

The only thing holding the springs in place is the shock absorbers bolt?

[ssms5411]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

Springs will drop out once jacked up, then just have the top bolt on the shock off and pull the shock out.

[madforce10]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

also you might want to look closely at you carpet in the area of the top of the shock. mine was precut from the factory to be easy to access the bolt on top.like the others said just the car upon the frame and let the suspension hang unloaded i suggest letting the car sit on jackstands and taking the jack and letting it support the axle. unbolt the bottom first then the top. the shock will fall right out. one the shock is undone there will be nothing supporting the axle besides the jack. lower the jack and the springs will almost fall out.

[vargasjc]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

also you might want to look closely at you carpet in the area of the top of the shock. mine was precut from the factory to be easy to access the bolt on top.like the others said just the car upon the frame and let the suspension hang unloaded i suggest letting the car sit on jackstands and taking the jack and letting it support the axle. unbolt the bottom first then the top. the shock will fall right out. one the shock is undone there will be nothing supporting the axle besides the jack. lower the jack and the springs will almost fall out.

That is what I meant earlier, Idk if my jack is big/good enough to support the axle and raise it higher than the jack stands. Thats why I was going to try to do one side at a time so that hopefully I wouldn't need to have a jack that big. Maybe it will work though. I am staring on it tomorrow morning and just wanted to get some input before getting stared.

[vargasjc]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

I am going by these videos I found on youtube of someone changing springs/shocks on a 2000 camaro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpcTR1yHQCw

That is part one of like 15 parts he has in separate videos

I see that he chained the spring and removed the sway bar links...is it nesessary to remove the links? and chain the springs?

Thanks for your help!

[ssms5411]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

Its only the top bolt to change the springs and shocks.

[vargasjc]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

Its only the top bolt to change the springs and shocks.

The top bolt by the rear seat? You also have to take the bolt on the bottom of the shock to change it.

This is the video of him jacking it up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-UWnQwrdU

Jacking it down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6xrnkZq7hI

No chains needed?

[MegaHertz]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

No idea what he is using chains for.

Block the front wheels, jack up the back and support from the unibody with stands. Let the axle sag and once the shock bolts (yes top and bottom) are disconnected you can just take out the shock and spring. Axle should still be slightly supported from the sway bar though putting jack stands under the axle to not over flex it probably isn't a bad idea though it does need to sag enough to get the springs out. Top shock bolts on my car are accessible from a cutout in the carpet that is exposed when the rear seats are folded down.

[vargasjc]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

No idea what he is using chains for.

Block the front wheels, jack up the back and support from the unibody with stands. Let the axle sag and once the shock bolts (yes top and bottom) are disconnected you can just take out the shock and spring. Axle should still be slightly supported from the sway bar though putting jack stands under the axle to not over flex it probably isn't a bad idea though it does need to sag enough to get the springs out. Top shock bolts on my car are accessible from a cutout in the carpet that is exposed when the rear seats are folded down.

Thanks man! that really helped. My only question now is, do I need to take off the rear sway bar links or not?

[ssms5411]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

No need to take off sway bar links.

[MegaHertz]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

No need to take off sway bar links.

Agreed

[vargasjc]

Re: FINISHED UPGRADING FRONT SUSPENSION, NOW ONTO THE REAR - questions

Great thanks! I will be working on it tomorrow... Doesn't sound bad at all. Hopefully I can get it done in around 2 hours... Front took me like 5 but this sounds a lot easier.

Thanks again

[nascar24jd]

Great thanks! I will be working on it tomorrow... Doesn't sound bad at all. Hopefully I can get it done in around 2 hours... Front took me like 5 but this sounds a lot easier.

Thanks again

Exactly right. Follow the advice above. I did mine, about 2.5 hours.

My 93 had the carpet cut outs for the top of the shocks. Great idea GM.