How to replace the rear shock absorbers - Part 1/2

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  • OVERALL DIFFICULTY INDEX: 5/10
  • IF YOU HAVE NO TOOLS YOU SPEND $150 TO GET THEM FOR THIS JOB
  • IF YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE YOU SPEND 5 HOURS TO CARRY OUT THIS JOB
  • RISKS ASSOCIATED TO WORKING BENEATH A LIFTED VEHICLE. 
BEFORE YOU START
  • Please visit our specific page for lifting a car safely and securely. This intervention requires dismantling the rear spring and working underneath the vehicle.
  • Do not proceed with this intervention if you suffer from back, shoulder or neck problems or pain.
  • Always work on one side of the car at a time.
DISCLAIMER:
Our pictorials are of informative nature and do illustrate works carried out by ourselves at our own premises for our own use and satisfaction.
Readers who envisage to carry out similar works inspired by the below method shall do this at their own risks and liability.
NOTES:
  1. ​The below works occurred on a Peugeot 5008 7-seater MPV. Works on any other vehicle with a twist-beam (torsion beam) rear suspension are much similar or identical.
  2. This is an alternative and simplified method to the constructor's procedure as it doesn't require the removal of the exhaust muffler or the fixing of the shock absorber to the base plate at a particular angle (which is difficult to achieve) prior to refitting.
  3. Smaller vehicles will require less efforts to slacken then tighten the shock absorber bolts.
  4. In other cases, it will be possible to remove the shock absorbers without dismantling the springs.

Context of the shock absorber replacement

This vehicle suffered a rear shock absorber breakdown following the fall into a large pothole at a medium speed.
The shock absorber in this case is located behind the spring shown in the left picture.
The right picture shows the broken absorber with an obvious sign of failure resulting from the oil leaking out of its cylinder and making it look wet.
Since the vehicle has a 150,000 km mileage, both shock absorbers will be replaced.

Slackening and removing the shock absorber lower bolts

The lower shock absorber bolts are the easier to access.
You might have to remove the plastic cover that closes the torsion beam from underneath.
Detach the twist-beam cover and take it out.
One can see the oil on the left side of the cover (picture to the right) vs. a dry right side.
In this particular case of a 7-seater MPV, the lower shock absorber fixing nut is tightened to a significant torque of 20 mKg which requires the proper means to slacken it. Note how a 1.5" pipe of approx. 2m length was used here to prolong the ratchet handle in order to be able to loosen the nut.
After slackening the nut, you might have to block the bolt head to continue unscrewing the nut.
In this particular case, the lower shock absorber bolt can be accessed from within the alloy wheel.
The shock aborber is now free from its lower fixation although you should not be able to tilt it as shown in this picture where the upper bolt was also slackened (and that you don't need to do).

To note that the upper bolt cannot be taken out in this case as it hits the chassis before freeing the shock absorber.

This then necessitates the removal of the coil spring and the base plate fixed to the chassis and holding both coil spring and shock absorber.

This is obviously not necessary on vehicles where the upper shock absorber bolt can be taken out at this stage.

Taking out the car suspension rear coil spring

Pour a few drops of oil on your coil spring compressing tools and fix them to the spring as shown in the middle picture.
They should be as much as possible diametrically opposed.
Tighten each by some 20 to 30 ratchet handle movement.
Lift the car in a manner to raise the rear wheel by a little less then 10 cm and secure your vehicle on a safety jack.
You will notice that the coil spring is now loose and can be taken out by hand.
Buy your Peugeot 5008 shock absorbers from our partners' store: