Replacing shock absorbers on 156

[warsch]

Hi all

I'm about to replace all 4 shock absorbers on my 156. They're all stuffed. Bump stops are missing on the rear and front ones aren't good, so I am getting a set of them too.

Now, there are top mounts. How do I know if they should be replaced too? Can I know that before taking the shocks out so I could order them ahead?

There are also some rubber things that keep springs in place. How likely are they to be worn?

Will I need any special tools to do that? I think I read somewhere that I would need some special spanner or socket.

I am thinking of asking some shop to disassemble-assemble the struts for me so I don't hurt myself while using spring compressors.

[psproule]

The spring saddle rubbers will defiantly be stuffed so buy new ones as will the bump stops. The top mounts will likely be OK. Unless you have a press get a shop to do the struts. I have done them at home with compresseors but the coils are so close together its not easy. How recently were the front upper and lower control arms and sway bar drop links done?

[warsch]

Will do upper control arms and drop links at the same time. Lower arms are fine now.

I looked up online and it seems like there are two rubber spring saddles in front - upper and lower, and one lower in the back. Now I have troubles sourcing them. Nothing on ebay at all, nothing on ebspares.co.uk, nothing on shop4parts.co.uk

Every shop has got top mounts for front and rear but not these thin rubber thingies.

[Domenic]

why dont' you try suppliers in Australia as they may have them?

[warsch]

I'd like to. I just don't seem to know them. I checked Arese spares and sparesbox.com.au . Where else do I look?

[Citroënbender]

I had a good, recent experience with "Shop4Parts" and so rate them decently.

Pieces required can be determined by ePer, I'm not sure the front top mounts always need replacement but it's easier while you're in there. Having experienced frustration with the KYB front top mounts when installing the special Bilstein butt sleeve, I'd go genuine next time. For the actual shocks, my inclination would be B6 front, Koni yellow rear. Be sure to have a suitable socket and hex bit (Bilsteins) for tightening, and definitely no impact gun use on the Konis.

[warsch]

Shop4part don't have those things unfortunately. They have upper mounts, but not those thin things. I've got part numbers for all of them and even for aftermarket substitutions but haven't found them online so far.

Thanks for suggestion about shocks but I will be buying ST sport suspension, that's some entry level stuff from KW. I personally think B6 and Koni's are too expensive for what they are.

[Citroënbender]

I'm guessing you know your way around German enough to deal with these guys if required. Freight is the crux, you need to buy a few bits of modest value to make it worthwhile.

http://www.teile-profis.de/

There's also a few Latvian parts brokers and liquidators, not sure if JC Euro Parts (Czech) do FCA stuff also. As you might tell, I love a bargain; I create a parts list for a job in Excel and "workshop" the delivered costs of items to shave prices right down. When I know my regular supply baseline price I can prowl Fleabay for further savings.

Interestingly, a tyre retailer in Sydney realised what I was doing and invited me to share my best prices for tyres with him; he's quietly matched it ever since.

NB: My Bilstein shocks weren't too dear, I had to harrass Demon Tweeks a bit to get the order shifting but then it was here six days after dispatch.

[johnl]

Thanks for suggestion about shocks but I will be buying ST sport suspension, that's some entry level stuff from KW. I personally think B6 and Koni's are too expensive for what they are.

If you're looking for 'coilovers' then apparently AP are also made by KW, and from what I've read on-line seem to be regarded as better than many other cheap 'coilovers'.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AP-Suspension-Kit-fits-Alfa-147-937-SP15-001-shocks-springs-40-30mm/162719657113?hash=item25e2d8ec99:g:eUkAAOSw-olZ7be9

Note the FREE postage from this German supplier...

Regards,
John.

[warsch]

Thanks John. I'm not looking for coilovers but for a set of shocks and springs. I had AP in mind too, and I even found them about a hundred cheaper delivered. I'm still a bit torn between AP, Vogtland, and ST. All the reviews are about the same, they're quite close price wise.

[johnl]

I mentioned the AP product because I also associate ST and KW with 'coilovers', and not so much with un-springed dampers, and got the impression that is was a coilover style product you were interested in.

I don't know anything much about stand alone dampers (or 'coilovers') from any of the companies mentioned in this thread, save Bilstein and Koni. I've had a good experience with Koni Sports in a non Alfa application, and a little disappointed with the B6 Bilsteins on the front of my Alfa. This isn't a quality issue, I just think the choice of rebound damping rate isn't quite right (a bit too soft, even with stock springs).

Regards,
John.

[warsch]

I had Koni sports on my SEAT Ibiza. I liked them but I'd like to try something else out of curiosity and to save on costs. Also, this car being part time track car will likely benefit from lowered springs. AP, Vogtland, ST - all come with - 40 mm spring and still cost less than a set of Koni sport, in fact almost half the price.

Now I decided to replace the whole struts, that means I will buy all top mounts, bump stops and gators, shocks and springs (obviously) and rubber spring saddles which I'm still looking for. Seems like calling Alfa shops and services is the only options left as couldn't find them online.

Question regarding the tools still stand, as I do recall someone on the internet saying that you'd need some special spanner.

[warsch]

So I did a bit of a research online.



The parts circled might require replacement and aren't available locally. Or at least I couldn't find them anywhere in Australia. Now the question is, how likely is that I would need to replace them?

I don't want to buy them just in case, cause all together it comes out fairly pricey given I have to pay for postage. On the other hand, I don't want to start changing shocks and then face that I have to replace the part that is two weeks away.

So, how likely I would need to replace:
1. Lower strut pinch bolt? The one that holds the bottom of the front shock in the fork. p/n 1 481 9134
2. Upper wishbone bolts? p/n 8 242 7709
3. Rubber spring saddles? p/nos 6 062 4994, 4 674 6068 front and 6 061 3567 rear

I also checked that AP and ST (Weitec in some markets) do in fact belong to KW. With AP being the cheapest and entry level, ST in the middle and KW the top one. The price also clearly reflects that.

[Citroënbender]

With no salt or grit on the roads here, you have no need to replace those bolts/nuts.

The lower spring seat covers do age sometimes but often they just need a good scrub. Top rubbers that slip over the coil can tear or punch through. But sometimes again they will scrub up.

Are you aware that the specified rear strut tops for factory lowered/sports suspension are considerably dearer? They're a beefier design, no change to camber or caster from what I can find.

Special tools, for the rear struts you need an extra thin walled deep socket with external flats to hold/turn while you use another tool to hold the strut rod down the socket's centre.

Similar for the front, but wall thickness is less of an issue.

[warsch]

Thanks, that's good to know about the bolts and rubber covers.

I didn't know about the different rear top strut mounts. I just had a quick look and it seems like they're thicker and they indeed came on GTAs and sport packs. My car seems to have sport pack, but I'm not too sure.

I believe these are the part numbers:
Standard top strut mount 6 061 3572
GTA/sport pack top strut mount 6 066 3773

Aftermarket substitutions for the two above are the same though.