OK I spent 90 minutes trying to replace the right rear passenger shock, but I finally managed to get it finished. Now I've been messing around with the lower bolt on the driver side, and I'm completely out of ideas, and I need to leave for work in about 2 hours. I've sprayed it with penetrant twice now, compressed the shock and secured with bailing wire (so there isn't any extra pressure on the bolt), tried hammering the bolt out (and I'm afraid if I hammer much more the bolt won't take the nut, which is already getting difficult to start back on), and I don't know what to do next. I can't put it back together with on new shock and 3 old ones, seems silly.

I read all the threads I could find through search about the rear shocks, as well as the internet in general, and I'm out of ideas now. I read that the rear shocks were easy. Not on my 99 Blazer! I'm in the process of replacing all four shocks for an out of state trip this weekend, and I'm really off to a bad start. I can't afford to take it into a shop, that's why I've tried to install them myself. The cheapest place I could find was about $300 to install them.

Thank you!

 

To avoid damage on threads, try replacing the nut on the bolt just a few threads and hit it (nut with bolt) with the hammer; eventually the nut will prevent the bolt from moving but it would be loose enough to continuniung out without the nut.

 

i just replaced my shocks this afternoon. it may be too late, but i jacked the entire rear end up on jackstands. this fully extended the shock and removed the pressure. i had not problem with the bolts. i also removed the spare tire (4dr) making it much eaiser to get under the truck. hope this helps if you were not able to get it this morning.

 

Thanks for replying. I wound up driving it with only one new shock. I tried putting the nut back on and hammering on that, and yes, the nut is damaged and cannot be tighting beyond its own smashed end. The bolt must be completely bonded to the shock in the rubber grommet, because while hammering for all I was worth, I merely bent the outside edge of the bracket on the chassis about a third of an inch. I'm guessing I'll wind up taking a hacksaw or something and cutting the shock off in that thin spot between the hole and the compression chamber, and the cutting through the bolt and getting a replacement from the salavge yard.

I took out the spare tire before starting and I did try doing each difficult step with the truck up or down. I found it easiest to put in the one back shock with it on the ground, cutting the plastic banding and catching the shock as it expanded the inch to meet the mounting hole. Yeah, lol, after I finally got the first shock in I figured the other side should be a breeze now that I know exactly what to do, and lo-and-behold, I spend about 3 hours between that rusted bolt and the internet and back constantly, and phone calls to local garages. I'm borrowing one of my father's cars for this weekend and he's going to take care of this problem on Sunday for me, since he's got an impressive assortment of tools in his own garage.

Thanks again