Vehicle has 167K miles or so and the shocks need replacing.

The process for replacement seems straight forward, but several people (and the instructions) have mentioned a 'gotcha' with the rear shocks.

Where the bolt at the top may break off?

If this has happened to you how did you handle it?  What tools were needed?

Thanks!


UPDATE 1:
Ok thanks for everyone's support and suggestions!

Yesterday afternoon I replaced the rear shocks on my XJ with the help of my able son (indeed I could not have done it nearly as fast without his support).

First side went well all the bolts came out w/o breakage - though I needed a cheater bar on the nut that attached the bottom of the shock to the suspension.  The only problem with this side ended up being the nut for one of the upper bolts broke - possibly it was a replacement for the original (as the head of that bolt was a different size than the others).   I reinstalled the shock - but left the one bolt out (see later how I dealt with it)

First shock installed:


The other side had a unique problem.  After using the floor jack to turn the wrench on the lower shock nut; I removed the first upper bolt without a problem, and the idea was to just loosen the second then tilt the shock to remove it.  However the shock would not budge - even when using a crowbar. It turns out someone previously had spot welded the shock to the frame .

Out came the trusty dremel tool with the new style cutting wheel.  In a few minutes I was able to cut through the weld and remove the shock.  I bolted up the new shock (top first) One bolt went in well, the other I'm not so sure.  I'm going to check the bolts after a few hundred miles - if it seems loose I'll drill and replace it.

I used my socket wrenches and crecent/box combination wrenches on this.  As much as I would have loved an impact wrench the only place it would have been useable would have been the lower nut (where it was most needed).  The upper bolts would have been difficult to get in there to remove them and impossible to use it when reinstalling the bolts.  As you can see in the above photo these shocks has secondary springs which made getting close to the bolts even tougher.  The foward bolt was accessable via socket wrench, but the aft bolt ALWAYS required an open end wrench.

Once the upper was bolted on I'd have my son jack up the frame until the lower shock hole was lined up with it's bolt on the suspension.  Then tap it on and tighten the washer & nut on!

These new heavy duty shock/springs have lifted the rear of the vehicle to slightly above 'factory fresh' height.  Much firmer, though I still may add an extra leaf to the rear.

Once the second shock was in I cleaned up and used the wife's car to got a 3/8" x 1" Grade 8 bolt & nut from Lowes.

An open end wrench (that would fit the nut) was selected and a piece of duct tape placed across it's top:

Note the excess duct tape was removed before going under the vehicle.  You just need the duct tape to go across the top of the wrench to keep the nut in the wrench.

The top of the shocks are bolted to a steel support that is welded to the body.  In the 1997 XJs there is a rather large opening to the rear on both sides.  What you're going to do is slide the wrench into the opening - nut first. Then with some effort position it over the hole.  Now for this to work the previous nut need to be knocked out - I only had a partial nut it place (it broke when I removed the bolt) and by using a flatblade screwdriver and a hammer (my cold chisel wasn't long enough) I was able to remove the old nut sections that remained.

In this photo you can see the box end of the wrench protruding from the opening:


If you look inside yo can see the nut - no it's not against the support - yet.  but that is not required.  I just needs to be close enough to the hole for the bolt to catch it.


Hold the box end of the wrench in place and use another wrench to tighten the bolt head.  I was lucky in that it was the foward bolt that was accesible by socket wrench that needed replacement.

Once it's tight all you do is slide the combo wrench to the rear and you're done!  It was so easy even a Software Engineer can do it!

This is the bolt in place:


While I was under the vehicle Big Brown Santa came with the Bar Pin eliminator Kit for the front shocks.  Those will be replaced this weekend.  Anyone know how hard it is to remove the bar from the shock so the cross bolt can be used?

UPDATE 2:
Saturday I picked up my new shocks and went to work installing them, I also figured I'd rotate the tires at the same time as it was going to be easier installing the shocks with the front wheels removed.

First thing though was to add a washer to that rear bolt.  I removed the bolt and knocked the nut deeper into the well.  I took a second nut, and superglued it to a washer (just a drop - I'm just holding in place till the bolt grabs the washer).  I repeated the duct tape on the open end wrench trick and added a flat washer to the bolt.  Now there is a washer on both sides of the hole and everything is tight.

This time when I went to work on the shocks I had a Harbor Freight electric (corded) impact wrench - I even took in a spare lug nut to get the proper socked...

However when I went to remove the lug nuts I found the wrench was too big!  It turns out my spare lug nuts have a slightly larger exterior dimension than the factory models - even though they look the same.  Back to Harbor Freight for another socket..

Once back the impact wrench worked wonderfully.  A second or two of hammering then the lug spun free!

However the wrench was really too big/bulky to help in removing the bolts from the shocks.  The rear lower ones came off easy - the front ones were problematic - it seems the penetrating oil did not reach them as well.  However I used a vice grip to extend the length on a box wrench and that was all I needed to break the nut free - then remove it with a socket wrench.

The top nuts were just monotonous as there was limited room so it took many 1/4 turns of a box wrench.  Thankfully my son was eager to help so he worked on one of them for me.

The only problem came in when I was STUPID (with a capital S).  To try to be cute I jacked up the jeep in the middle of the frame and put a jack stand near the same frame.  However I needed the vehicle a bit higher and pushed the floor jack too much.  The Jeep came crashing down as I had removed the lug nuts from the rear tire prematurely.  Thankfully no apparent damage was done - other than to my nerves and ego - and a bit of bending on the jack stand.

The vehicle was jacked up in place (though it had slid sidways almost a food based on the where the chucks were located). The new rear wheel was installed and tightened down - and I finihsed installing the front shock.

The other side went better.  I jacked each axel - rotated the tires then -  reinstalled the rear one.  So the only part that remained jacked/ jack stand was the front axel & frame.  On the passenger side we had to remove the radiator overflow bottle to get to the upper part of the shock - but that super easy.

The XJ rides like a new vehicle now!

Thanks for the heads up, unfortunately when I tried to order I found they don't have a version for an XJ rear upper mount (but I ordered the one from the lower front)

I'm assuming those bolts are standard parts?  When picking up the shocks I can get them as well?

Then head to Home Depot for the proper tap.

Thanks!

I saw a note on one of the google searces where some one picked up a bolt, washers, and a new nut.

The idea was should there be a problem that he would drill - then knock off the welded on nut and use a standard one in it's place.

Does this sound valid?  I'm guessing I'd have to remove the tire to do it?

Ok I ordered my shocks today, there was no Kroil but they had the Jeep forum recommended PB2 Blaster penetrating oil.  I've oiled the bolts, and checked the rear mount.  It looks like front mount would work in the rear.

I've been squirting PB on it daily, but I plan onindtalling the rear shocks Tuesday ..

Update in first post..

How did you prevent the bolt head from spinning when you were installing the nut?  Did you put a wrench in there after pulling the bolt through?

http://store.jksmfg.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=BARPINELIM&Store_Code=JKS01&Category_Code=Shock

JKS makes front and rears.

I was wondering about that.  I had orginally planned on using a locking washer but I was so intent on finally finishing the project I had forgotten.

I plan on installing the front shocks saturday, I can climb under there and fix that bolt then.  It will be interesting to see if I can get the wrench on the nut.

Cool - thanks!

Boy you're going to make this tough!  But yeah that would be the right way - thanks.

 Nice - that will be quick!, many thanks!

Update 2 added to the end of the first post.

Other stuff done over the weekend besides the shocks.

1) Replaced the incandecent dome bulb with a LED pack (for a whiter/brighter light that won't burn out).

2) Added a 'Blackout Light' where one of the fog lamps is supposed to be installed.  I used a LED bar meant to be a driving lamp - it's just shaded and pointed to limit the light.

That would mean going out and buying another deep socked - I wasn't going to do that at that point.  And it would not have worked on the drivers side as the shock sits below the brake resivoir.  I couldn't get a standard socket/wrench in there - no way the impact will fit.



Again it would be tricky on the driver side - but I think after loosening the nut a bit I could have gotten that to work.  Great idea!