TheHeadFL

So a long while back I purchased a SLP Eibach/Bilstein spring/shock combo... I never got around to installing it and I was thinking of getting into it.

Now, the last time I replaced my front shocks (I did it myself), I remember getting the springs swapped and such being quite a chore. We ended up paying a shop to swap them for us.

This time, I'd like to have everything all set before I do the install. If possible, I think I'd like to get a new top shock mount and associated parts and then have those installed on the new shocks/springs before I even start tearing into my car.

I've been searching on here and I haven't quite figured out what parts I need... (or seen part numbers listed). I understand that most of these parts are now discontinued by GM, so where are people getting these sorts of parts now?

It sounds like I need:

Top Shock Mounts - This is a metal piece? I may just get some stock junkyard ones if this isn't really a 'wear item'.

'Dogbone' that goes in the mount - Rubber piece I guess? Haven't seen a p/n.

I've also read there are maybe one or two more rubber pieces? I am sure whatever rubber parts are on my car currently are dry rotted to death, so I may as well replace them.

Any advice on sources, part numbers?

Thanks!

pgerst

rock auto has non-GM under suspension, coil spring insulator and "strut" mount. GMPartsDirect usually has stuff for our cars; pretty sure the GM p/ns are 22146934 RH mount, 22146933 LH mount, 17989212 insulator. Btw, have seen several posts on poor quality/lifecycle of the non-GM products.

Injuneer

Stock parts... although the bottom insert is stuck on the bottom of the spring/shock seat, and can not be seen:

http://www.injuneer.com/images/photos/shk08.jpg

The upper seat is steel, coated with hard rubber, and the center where the shock shaft mounts appears to be floating in rubber only. As a result, in severe cases the center of the mount can tear loose and the top of the shock is no longer solidly mounted. This seems to happen primarily to people who don't use the upper and lower inserts.

The problem with having the springs/shocks/seats assembled before hand is that you may not get the upper mount correctly aligned to the lower mount, making it impossible to put the two bolts through the bottom of the shock and the two studs on the upper mount through the shock tower. It isn't a problem with something like the QA1 shocks, with a floating lower seat (and thin roller bearings available), but with a rigid bottom mount firmly fixed to the shock, you can't rotate the upper seat unless you compress the spring to take the load off it.

http://www.injuneer.com/images/photos/shk01.jpg

TheHeadFL

Well thats probably ok. I seem to recall the last time we had to do the same thing. I have a spring compressor, I just remember that it was a royal pain to do the whole swap last time, thats why I ended up paying a shop to do one of the assemblies for me after we did the first one. Just removing the tension to twist it should be ok.

Would it be worth the money to buy new OEM top mounts? They're a little expensive ($115 ea. at GMPartsDirect) and I can probably get a set of junkyard takeoffs for very little... If there is a lot of rubber material on it though, it may be worth getting stock replacements to have fresh rubber.