Shock replacement question 1974 cj-5

I have a question regarding my 1974 cj-5. To let you guys in on my lack of general automotive knowledge do shocks age with time vs miles? Basicaly I need to know if its time to change shocks on my Jeep even though the miles driven in 10 yrs has been about 1000 but they are as old (10yrs). I love my jeeps rough ride but it really rattles over bumps and small potholes. At 7mph feel like I ran over something much larger. The humps on concrete roadways have the car bouncing along with the rythym making me feel like my neck is rubber. There are no mods/lifts and the tires are inflated properly.
Also if I do need to replace them what tools are usually required for such jobs. I am very eager to learn to fix my own Jeep and have the patience for it (I think). At this point I own NO tools. I know I will need a jack and some supports and some wrenches but beyond those are you aware of any other special parts? As a bonus I included another interior pic. If you read my intro I am new to this forum and to jeeping but have spent many hours reading here and have found this to be a great community. Thank you all in advance. Jay

 

Before we could make a crucial decision like that, we would definately need more pictures !!!

Gotta run, but I will reply later with some tips ........

 

A socket set, a floor jack and a set of jack stands. Your local FLAPS will have the floor jack and jack stands in a set for about $30.00. A decent socket set will cost anywhere from $40 to $300 depending on what you what to spend. A can of PB Blaster for froze and rusted nuts and bolts.

If the shock is not dampening the bounces, chances are it is shot. Jump on the front bumper real hard and let it go and see how many times it bounces. When I removed mine, I could compress the shock with my arms and they would stay there.

There are many others here that are more tech savy on the issue. A good set of shocks makes a big difference. You do have choices here as in lift and ride. A good set of adjustable shocks help you dial in your ride.

Have fun and welcome to the site.

 

What you describe sounds like worn shocks. Yes shocks will wear out in time. Usually what happens with a shock is the seals go. Allowing the piston to freely move in and out. The amount of resistance required to force the piston in and out is how much dampening the shock will provide. When going over rough terrain shocks get hot from all the movement. This causes fade or a reduction in dampening. But if you get too stiff of a shock ride quality will suffer. That is where the adjustable shocks come in. Soft for on the road, stiff for on the trail. I found that when I ran adjustable shocks I liked them to the stiffer side on the road also.

If your shocks have the original mounts still you only have to remove two nuts per shock to take them out. The only reason you would need to have a jack and jack stands is if you want to remove the tire for access. Can be a lot easier with the tire out the way. It is as easy as removing the two nuts, sliding the shock off, slide new shock on and reinstall nuts.

Some shocks are gas charged. They are the ones that will force themselves back out. As I recall the gas was used to help prevent foaming of the fluid. It probably also helps some with corrosion resistance. I don't think the gas shocks are as popular as they once were. The latest BDS shocks I bought are not gas charged. So they stay wherever you put them.

 

I would say just jump on your bumper then launch off. The jeep should bounce maybe 2 or 3 times, each time getting noticably less travel. If its like a bobble head doll, you got a porblem. By the way, 74 is a great year for jeep, and it looks like you got a gem

 

Thank you guys that sounds just like the information I need to get me started. I will check with my Chilton to see if the mounts are original. It sounds like it might be best to leave the tire on if I can. I will also try the standing on the bumber trick and get back to you with the results. and of course some more pics.

 

Yep, sounds like a set of inexpensive shocks will help you out quite a bit with the continual up/down motion. I would also recommend the adjustable shocks, so that you have some degree of control over their stiffness. A very easy project, but I believe you will find it much easier with tire removed. Just make sure that you have your Jeep adequately supported with jack stands and a couple of wheels chocked.

Shoot, you are going to need the tools later for future projects, so go ahead and drop a few bucks for quality tools. You will pay for them in doing the projects yourself, instead of taking it to the mechanic. These babies are easy to work on and you've got plenty of resources to pull from. Chiltons is a good resource and a FSM (factory service manual) is a good investment...

 

:iagree:
Go ahead and remove the tire. It will make life a lot easier.

To harp on safety a little, (you are already on the right path) always use jackstands, never get under a car with just a jack, and make sure to chock your other wheels so it doesn't roll.

We're all glad to see someone get their hands dirty on their own jeep. Good for you. You can do this project!

Also, if you do end up with gas shocks they will have a strap to keep them from expanding. When you install, put the bottom on, then clip the strap and as the shock rises slip the top on. You only get one shot, but its easy - no sweat.

Also, I don't want you to tackle too much, . . .but with the wheels off its not a bad time to check your brakes.
Your Chilton manual will have step by step instructions.
If your brake shoes are worn down you will know. Then you can plan on fixing them (at your convenience) before they become an issue, and more expense to repair.
That said, tackle your shocks, then move up from there.
Good Luck!! Tell us how it goes.

 

Okay I just went out and did the stand on the bumber test.. Its going down about 2-3 inches then stopping. When I jump off its does'nt appear to go back up as much as it went down. When I lifted up from the bumper (under my own strength) it goes up about 3-4 inches and...... Stays in that position.
1) Should I bite the bullet and change all four at once ie.. would it be a safety issue to have new on the front and old on the back for a month or two? Also I think I will take the tires off for this job to inspect some other things like brake condition, thanks for the tip. If nothing else I dont want the side of the road to be the first time I take off a Jeep tire I have changed many of my civic tires and an occasional elderly lady tire.

 

If you can fit under the Jeep as it sits you don't even need to jack it up to change shocks. Just lay under it. Should be a 3/4" nut if I recall correctly. Buy a good set of Craftsman or similar sockets and have at it. Probably one of the best tool investments you can make is a quality 1/2" drive deep well socket set with a good long breaker bar. Most likely the nuts are gonna be tight and corroded so buy yourself a good can of penetrating spray while you're at it. WD-40 works okay but there are others like PB Blaster, etc that work too. Spray the bolts/nuts and let them soak for a day or so if they're really gunky.

 

Thank you guys for all your feedback. I am going to Kragen shortly to price some shocks/tools/jack/chocks/. Also let you know that I made a page of pictures and posted the url in the off topic forums.

 

Okay I bought a 155 count Craftsman socket/wrench set today. I browsed the floor jacks but there were lots of choices mostly weight/height so I decided not to buy one until I get the specs from the chilton manual on the recomendations. I think its going to take me a while to get all the proper tools. Should I get a torque wrench for remounting the wheel bolts.

 

technically . . . yes.
Do any of us use one for wheel bolts? I doubt it. (But I've had a wrench in my hand for the last 20 years, others here alot longer )
But, if you are unsure of how tight to make things, then maybe so, it would be a good exercise into how tight is tight. Certain things like lug bolts just need to be real tight. But they are still breakable, especially if you have a breaker bar (it will multiply your strength by a lot)
For this job, your nuts just need to be good and tight (no jokes please ).
But for other more sensitive jobs a torque wrench is a must, like spark plugs.
Chilton will always specify torque settings to be on the safe side.

For things like suspension parts, friggin tight works good.

An analog gauge style works just fine, and I would recommend it for you to just get a feel for torque.
If you want you can upgrade to the "dial" kind, they are very accurate and can be quite expensive.

Oh! And make sure if it doesn't come with one, get an adapter to fit the drive of your sockets

analog - Sears - $30

Dial - Sears - $65

 

Had an old shadetree mechanic neighbor who called friggin tight "lay-down tight." For him there were two degrees of torque, something was either lay-down tight or it wasn't. I remember him telling my dad that how much torque to put on exhaust manifold bolts, "Now them don't have to be lay-down tight..."

 

Alright I got me a 3 ton hydro jack and two jack stands. I also bought monroe-matic plus shocks. I think they are just basic shocks, they did'nt have the matching rears in stock. For light trail use and pavement I think they will be a good fit. We have way too much pavement around Ventura County and too many closed back roads (Thank you enviorn-mental crazies). If you have'nt seen all the pics I have posted on my website take a look. http://seawardvillage.com
Thank you guys again for the help when I get into this project I will take lots of pics.

Thats pretty funny about that "lay down tight" analogy. btw what is a breaker bar just a really long wrench?

 

Breaker bar is like a ratchet without the ratcheting part. It's a really long bar with an end that takes sockets just like a ratchet. Used for getting a lot of leverage on something and they're super strong since there's no ratcheting mechanism to break.

 

AGREED... i replaced mine with some standard gabriels from the APS... like $120 for all 4... i'lll do more once i get it up and running like i want it to be...

good on ya for doing it yourself... IMO theres nothing like seeing/feeling something that YOU have done that makes the whole thing better...

good luck and WELCOME!!! from GA

 

Breaker bar= a piece of pipe 18" to 24" long that I slip over the handle of my socket wrench. Cost= free.