How difficult to replace shocks?

[Sophia]

Ok. Thanks to all you wonderful people I have my new front OEM shocks installed and am alive to tell you about it. Easy job for a newbie girl....no, but I have proven it doable. I am not as strong as you guys so a breaker bar was a must for me....$17 @ Harbor Freight. And a torgue wrench that goes to at least (100 lbs /foot) to get things tightened back up properly. $20 Harbor Freight. Other things I learned...On the ball joint, you need an Allen wrench in the center while using the ratcheting wrench to get it off. And to loosen the top nut on the shock there is a special tool you can buy to keep the center pin from turning while you loosen the nut, but I was able to use a ratcheting wrench with a pair of vice grips above it to hold the center pin and it worked just fine. I ran into trouble getting the shock out, even with a second hydraulic jack beneath. I found a savior by the name of Froggy on the internet changing out his F55 shocks on a c6 Corvette. His sollution was to remove the upper steering arm. 4 bolts removed it and the arm was out of the way. He warned some folks will have issues with this saying I will need a realignment but he said this should not be required. After my 2 hour struggle I figured a worst case realignment didn't sound too bad. I followed his directions and made sure I put back everything exactly as it was. After getting things all put back together the alignment feels perfect. Last issue I need to resolve is I am getting a suspension code reading. I hooked up all of the electronics securely so I am hoping it is just a reset of the computer that is needed. I have read I can reset the computer by removing the positive side of the battery, or removing both sides of the battery and draining the existing charge by tapping both sides together, only to be done on xlrs earlier than 2007. Or, pulling the ECU fuse while the accessories on the start button is turned to on and replacing a couple of times. Any suggestion of which one is best, or which one will kill me would be appreciated. Lol. Final note...if you haven't jacked up your car before...there is no clearance for the jack. I had my son's car ramps so I drove it up on those first. Then jacked it up and put jack stands under it. Worked like a charm.

 

[Gord]

Well done Sophia!

I can't provide any proven solutions for the code reading but I would believe little to no harm could come from disconnecting the battery for some time (over night perhaps). I do believe you have to do a window / top relearn procedure once reconnected, and that's all over the place here and maybe even in your owner's manual.

I have a nifty jack that I use to get things started - it came from over your way: Low Profile Billet Jack | Best Aluminum Scissor Jack for Lowered Compact Cars | Mechanical Screw Jack Lift

So tiny you could stow it anywhere in the car - really lovely too. Might be handy 'for that day' when perhaps you're out and about and for some curious reason need to raise the XLR enough to get under it with a real jack or such.

I'll guess you're all 'tooled up' to proceed with the rear shocks assuming you are doing them as well, anyway, good to hear all went without incident.

 

[rheavn]

I use two of these with the jacking pucks and it clears fine.

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.harborfreight.com/3-Ton-Low-Profile-Rapid-Pump-Floor-Jack-56617.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiMjI0MTkzNTYiLCJza3UiOiI1NjYxNyIsImlzIjoiOTcuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0AIjoiMTM1NzUifQ%3D%3D%0D%0A[/FONT]

 

[Gord]

Hi,
Wow, your XLR must be sitting up mighty high to be able to do that. Box-stock? Unadulterated?

Minimum height (in.) 3-1/8 in.
Product Weight 78 lb.

I could probably find something towards the rear of mine to be able to scrape in that jack -without- pucks, but absolutely no possible way in the front.

That said, I have no idea of the history of who may have monkeyed with what, in regards to ride-height of mine. It does look lovely though, with a fairly aggressive rake to it.

 

[Sophia]

No success at clearing code yet. Removed both battery cables over night. When I reconnected (power cable first) everything was still working...radio stations still set etc. There is a back up battery source somewhere in this thing. I pulled the ecm fuse from under the passenger's side floor and put back in place a couple of times while in accessory mode, but that did not work either. Still working on this.

 

[Fireduck69]

I got a Wi-Fi adapter that plugs in under the dash and connect my iPhone using Dash Commander app. You can read and clear codes with it along with reading many gauges.

 

[Fireduck69]

I got a Wi-Fi adapter that plugs in under the dash and connect my iPhone using Dash Commander app. You can read and clear codes with it along with reading many gauges.

Although a tech 2 comes in very handy for a lot of other things.

 

[Sophia]

Thanks for the tip. Just bought an adapter for 25 bucks and found Android software I can use. I also read that the code may clear itself after 24 starts since the connections are there. The car learns after numerous start ups. But they also said to not start the car 24 times or you will run down the battery. I bought your suggested tool. Thanks!

 

[xlrlist01]

Thanks for the tip. Just bought an adapter for 25 bucks and found Android software I can use. I also read that the code may clear itself after 24 starts since the connections are there. The car learns after numerous start ups. But they also said to not start the car 24 times or you will run down the battery. I bought your suggested tool. Thanks!

I don't think the code will clear after 24 starts. That system is to clear a history code from memory, ie a code that has been there and is now no longer present and hasn't been for 24 starts (the number of starts required might not be 24, just some number, usually a few dozen). After some number of starts history codes get deleted if they haven't set again. If the fault is current, it will set a code and keep it set. You are almost certainly going to need a Tech-II to resolve this. The majority of universal code readers are not capable of reading the more specialist codes in the XLR. Worth a try first, but don't be surprised if they can't help.

BTW, emissions related codes have to pass the test that set the code twice before they become history codes. This is why some codes seem hard to clear, the gas tank cap is well known. The exact circumstances under which the test is run can be rare, depending on your type of driving, meaning that even with a new (and 'fixed the problem gas cap' fitted), it can take over 1,000 miles for the warning to go out. Most people clear that code with a code reader, it is far quicker!

 

[catcottf]

Hi All,
Good afternoon. Just another day in Paradise. I changed all four of my shocks. Everything is a tight fit. Be careful when you release the wire tie holding the new shock in a compressed state. It is a ***** to get it retracted back so it will go in position. Recommend getting the top of each in place before releasing the compression strap. Have fun.