Today I thought I was gong to change the passenger side upper control arm. The drivers side I did a couple of weeks ago. There just has to be a trick to getting at the nut, on the tower, to remove the long bolt holding the upper control arm! I know the overflow tank has to re moved out of the way but the rubber grommet on the bottom won't let go. Sprayed WD-40 hoping it will help. I pulled back the heat shield for access but can't even get my hand down to it. Locking for some advice on "how " to
"get-r-done!"
I also at the same time thought I would change the front shocks as well. I have received two different brands of shocks and both times they seem to be too long to fit. Is it me or are they indeed too long? Am I not understanding something?

 

Where did you get them? Are you certain they are the correct shocks?

 

Two different businesses, two different mfg and in both cases they were the same length. I double checked both and the part numbers were for a 2004-2008 Crossfire. I let the floor jack all the way down and still won't fit into the bottom lower control arm. Is it necessary to unbolt the sway bar? Even then if I can attach it just seems too long next to the one I took off. Will the new "Gas Shocks" compress that far? I'm not even sure the old shock is bad as I'm chasing noises in the passenger side hoping for miracles! LoL. Ball joints and steering tie rod linkage has also been changed.

 

They don't look right to me.

 

I checked the PDF Manual and all it says about the upper control arm is remove it. If I'm able to remove the nut "somehow" and extracting the long bolt how would I get the nut back on?

Tomorrow's plan is to find a long box end wrench and get on the nut. Of course use a ratchet on the other and unscrew the bolt from the nut trying to catch it from falling away. Once I get the radiator overflow tank loose I can extract the long bolt. Replacing I'll tape the nut to the wrench and fish around to thread it on.

I just don't know what to say about the shocks. Someone here has to have changed front shocks before and knows.

 

I just checked with Autozone and the KYB shocks I have are the same part numbers front and rear that they list for Crossfire.

 

I have only done rear so? I wonder if there is anything on U-tube?

 

Trust me I've looked on YouBoob several times and found nothing. Tomorrow I'll take my old shock to some parts stores and see how it matches up with Monroes if anyone stocks it. From "pictures" it looks shorter but they don't give any length facts on line that I can find. PN's. 39044 and 39045.

Maybe the KYB's that I have compress down with a floor jack but still seems weird to me. As I've already mentioned the shocks may not even be bad. I'm chasing noises and throwing money at it. Pushing on the front fender or bumps in roads does not produce bounce like you'd expect worn out ones to be. I don't even think the knuckle of the upper arm is bad cause when I stick tire iron under lifted tire it producers no clicking noise.

 

I know needswings carries the correct parts.

 

Did they come with a strap on them to keep them compressed?
When I did my front and rear shocks, I kept the shipping strap on them. I pushed the strap off of the top bolt and let it sit on the lower rubber bumper. Then I put the shock in place and bolted it to the lower control arm. Then I cut the shipping strap and guided the top bolt of the shock into the hole in the shock tower. The I put on the top rubber bumper, then the washer, then I had to jack up the lower control arm so that I would have enough threads to put on the nut.
This is all in the links that I sent before. Here are the links. Read the rear shocks first and you'll see how I did them all. I hope this helps.
LINK - Rear shock replacement
LINK - Front shock replacement

 

Yes the first ones did "AND" I cut the strap and it was then too long. Sent them back saying they would not fit! The KYB's did not have straps on them.

 

You would need a helper, but you could try compressing the shock, then wrapping a large heavy duty cable tie around the bottom and onto the first rubber bumper. Then do it the way I installed mine.
Be very careful if you do it this way. I've never used the KYB shocks, so I don't know how fast they rebound once the strap is cut.

 

I got this figured out. My lack of experience with shock absorbers was the problem all along! I just pushed the shock downward on the pavement and it slowly came back out. I'm sure they will install properly. Doing the same thing to the old shock told me they are worn out. "Life is like a messy tool box! You just never know what NUT you might pick up!" LoL

 

Yea! I finally got the front shocks on and the car now rides fantastic. No more noise from the front due to bad shocks. They were so bad that when you push in on the plunger it would take five or six minutes for them to come completely back out. Right side was a learning process and left side went much better. Below is the method i used to install the front shocks. This below procedure is for KYB shocks which are about 3" longer than OEM shocks but are the correct shocks!

Removal:
1. Put car on jack stands the higher the better. 2. Loosen and break loose upper control arm knuckle to last few threads but do not remove nut. 3. Put floor jack under lower control arm and jack up to remove "pressure" off the shock. 4. Remove the nuts from top of the shock. 5. Remove lower shock nut and bolt, remove shock.

Assembly: (Goes without saying to tighten all the nuts etc.)
1. Install shock in the shock tower with the nuts supplied. 2. Lower the floor jack until the shock will fit into the lower control arm shock bracket. 3. Reinstall the bolt and nut thru lower shock bushing. 4. Jack up lower control arm to tighten the top knuckle nut. Done
SIDE NOTE: Left the right side upper control arm alone cause the knuckle was fine.

Hope someone who reads this, and needing to install shocks on the front, will work for them as well as it did for me!