Urgent help needed! :D
Turbo Mini Forums

Hello, I'm installing hi-Los but everytime I try to undo the shock absorber nut from underneath the fuel tank it jutbspins the entire top half of the shok. Any help/ideas to get it undone??

- Michael

The top of the shock "bolt" (i.e. the threaded part that is in the boot) has either a slot on in it to stop it turning usin g a screwdriver, or a small "peg" with 2 flat sides that you can grab with Mole grips.


If the nut's tight, grab the screwdriver handle with a pair of mole grips). Should stop it spinning as you undo the nut.

Edited by Pottsy on 27th Nov, 2009.

Or put the car on the ground and stand/crouch in the boot. That way the shocker is under load and locks itself.

It's a funny one. I always find taking them off a sinch, putting them on is the pain.

Above advice all good

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

Tried first method, but to hold the bolt still means I can't tun the nut without hitting the clamp as I do. So tried the other way with my brother sitting on the roof and menin the boot but and is about half an inch from coming off but still not happening. Any other way to get to the runner cone suspension to take it out without removing the top shock nut??

Sorry for the spelling, qwerty keyboard...

if its knakered run a screwdriver up the sleeve and get a mate to yank on it hard while you undo the nut

or clamp the top half with mawl grips - it will ruin the shocker though

i drilled a hole through the top half slightly off set so to miss the shaft and stuck a big fooking screwdriver in there. when i refitted i covered the hole with a wrap around of ducktape, a harsh bodge but it worked
mine was stock shitters so i didnt mind too much

Edited by Brett on 27th Nov, 2009.

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

If you have it "a bit loose" at the top, then there should be just enough movement to allow you to undo the nut at the bottom of the shock absorber and ease it off the back of the radius arm. From memory though, the shock might get a bit stuck against the inner wheel arch before it comes off the end of the stud.

If it does come off, watch out - the arm drops quite quickly so don't leave fingers too near anywhere that might trap them!

A rubbish idea - some strong gloves (protect your fingers) that are grippy on the top half of the shock, and hold tight as someone (i.e. your brother!) undoes the nut!

It's always the jobs that should be simple that hold you up eh?

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

If the clamp is getting in the way, is it any easier to hold the nut steady and turn the damper? Keep re-positioning the "clamp"?

Nut splitters....

your like 7ft tall!!
how do you manage that?

He folds in 3

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

5ft 17" actually.

I just sit with my arse in teh boot and my legs in the air. then contort my body so that I can get to the shocker

Finally got it off!! The top of the thread was heavily damaged and I started thinking "if I can't undo a single bolt, what chance have I got fitting a T2!!" But I shoved a screwdriver up the sleave and with alot of pushing it finally came out!!

Now i've just got the wonderful task ofnputting I backtogether!

thanks all or the help, this really is a great site - michael

Did we mention the price at any point for all this consultancy?

Invoice is in the post...

Seriously - glad it came off in the end, without losing any knuckles. Good luck getting it back together, at least you can try and dress the threads a little with the damper down.

Yeah thanks, I have cuts, bruises and grease all over my hands and face butnits all worth it when it's done :)

may leave the right hand rear til tommorrow though as I don't fancy doug one in the dark

Thanks all again!! :)

see the pikey methods are the best!

On 27th Nov, 2009 Mi-Kool said:
Finally got it off!! The top of the thread was heavily damaged and I started thinking "if I can't undo a single bolt, what chance have I got fitting a T2!!" But I shoved a screwdriver up the sleave and with alot of pushing it finally came out!!

Now i've just got the wonderful task ofnputting I backtogether!

thanks all or the help, this really is a great site - michael

Yeah i ended up doing a bit of a hybrid, with a long screwdriver up the sleeve and then wedged against the hub while i tried to hold onto the shock with a textured gardening glove on!!! Even then it was close

Its always the parts that youll think will be the easiest that takes the most it seems! :)

Edited by Mi-Kool on 27th Nov, 2009.

clearly only worked due to the gardening glove

Amazing how strong your grip becomes when you need it most.

Oh, hang on, am I on the right forum here...?

Yeah i did have a slight problem though, while doing up the shock nut i think ive not tightened right to the end.

This happened as i was rushing because i still had to refit the fuel tank (the rubber casing on the outside was a right bastid) and refit the boot. Will this cause a problem??

a few weeks late, but I had just replaced all of the shocks throughout the car.

I would suggest using penetrating spray on all the bolts before starting. One thing that made removing the top shock nut a significantly easier job was cleaning the threads with a wire brush beforehand. I had to use a wrench to hold the shock on the side that I did not use spray/wire brush. The side that I sprayed and cleaned the bolt came right off without the need to hold the shock.

In regards to tightening, it is my understanding that you are supposed to tighten the bolts down until the diameter of the ruber bushing matches the diameter of the metal washer. If the bolts are VERY loose, you may hear banging in your rear suspension when you go over bumps, you will eventually ruin the threads in the shock.

Edited by lenn on 16th Dec, 2009.