by "Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
Published 10/14/2017 at 17:25
by "Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
Published 10/14/2017 at 17:25
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STARS: 2
The 2005 Focus Wagon got a pair of new rear shocks installed this afternoon.
I think the shocks that came off were original.
It took a little longer than expected as the bolts were somewhat rusty. Nothing a little WD40 and socket wrench extension couldn’t fix.
And I also got lucky... it started to rain just as I finished up.
"I have another burner, try to guess it!" (ihaveanotherburner)
10/14/2017 at 17:34, STARS: 0
How do the Gabriel’s ride? I’ve heard they tend to be softer and more comfortable than stock.
Although I’m sure some of that is just that they’re replacing old shocks.
"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
10/14/2017 at 17:38, STARS: 0
how many miles on the car?
"Deal Killer - Powered by Focus" (dealkiller-ii)
10/14/2017 at 18:26, STARS: 0
How’d that go? That’s one of the many, many projects I have to do on my ‘06 Focus ZX-3. Rear shocks seem fairly easy, it’s the front struts that may be a bit of a challenge.
"MuchWagon" (muchwagon)
10/14/2017 at 18:54, STARS: 0
Same car! I did this last year with Monroes but I think they are a little short. You can see right past the splash guard. But the muchWagon stopped driving like a carnival ride.
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
10/14/2017 at 20:41, STARS: 0
I’ve only done a short drive to the local store so far. They feel firmer than the originals... but that’s mainly because the originals are shot.
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
10/14/2017 at 20:43, STARS: 1
273,000 km... which is a little under 170,000 miles
"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
10/14/2017 at 20:56, STARS: 0
Oh wow yeah they were probably shot a long time ago! The car must ride nice now :o)
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
10/14/2017 at 21:03, STARS: 1
The ZX-3 should be easier than the Focus wagon. The rear suspension is a little different on the wagon. The top mounting point on the wagon is accessed from a point high up underneath and requires a long ratchet extension and an elbow. On the sedan/hatch, the top mounting bolts are accessed from within the trunk after you remove some trim.
And I had to use some penetrating oil on the bolts which were a bit rusted.
And on the end of the shocks that mounts at the top had to be filed down a little bit as it was a very tight fit, not helped by the rust on the bracket.
I started at around 2pm.. was finished at around 5pm.
But that amount of time included reviewing a youtube video on how to do it , getting the back of the car on jack stands without the benefit of a hydraulic lift and I also helped my neighbour change one of her tail light bulbs on her Toyota Matrix... which was a bit difficult and harder to reach than expected.
And the front struts seem to be a bit more difficult, but not hugely so...
If I have to replace my front struts, I’ll probably do that myself as well.
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
10/14/2017 at 21:11, STARS: 0
The issue I was having was a lot of side to side shake/bounce on curves to the left that made it feel unstable at higher speeds.
And that was because of two things... by passenger side rear shock wasn’t doing much and the rear sway bar was only attached on one side (one of the end links was broken)
I replaced the end links recently... which helped noticeably.
New rear shocks are helping some more.
Gonna drive it for a bit and decide if it’s good/stable enough.
If it still feels unstable on curves at highway speeds, I think I’ll look at the front struts and maybe bushings as well.
I’m not looking to make this car drive like new (it’s only a beater I bought for $2000)... but I do want it to go, stop and turn ‘well enough’.
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
10/14/2017 at 21:21, STARS: 1
On the 10 min drive I did so far, there does seem to be a noticeable improvement. But it’s still riding on what I believe to be the original springs and original front struts/shocks.
The suspension isn’t sagging or leaning to one side and they don’t look cracked or broken... so I think the springs are fine. It’s mainly an issue with the suspension not controlling the rebound when hitting bumps or undulations.
I’m gonna drive it like this for a bit before deciding if anything else needs replacing.
I’m not looking to make this ride like new... I just want it to ride well enough so it feels stable.
"MuchWagon" (muchwagon)
10/15/2017 at 09:30, STARS: 0
Mine suffers from a massive amount of clunk/skrank/squeeg noise from the front end. I’ve been very, very slowly replacing the front suspension. But I really think it’s front end bushings that are tougher to get to than just putting in a new moog control arm or sway bar link.