My Sway-A-Way shock rebuild

[bowyer2002]

First off, I have to say that Lee at raceshock.com was great about getting me all the parts I needed and VERY helpful with my questions!

I bought used Sway A Way coil overs off e-bay.
This is the only way I could justify C/O on my Tacoma.
Even with the cost of the C/O and a rebuild kit from lee@raceshock.com I was still going to save myself about $500-600! Plus I would know the shocks intimately since I would be totally rebuilding them.

I used the link from bajataco for initial instruction and to see how complicated this project may be. The very good write up and photos are here Tacoma - Sway-A-Way RaceRunner Rebuild .
However, my used C/O shocks were corroded, heim joints ruined, dirty and needed a lot of TLC!

I will try not to repeat the bajataco instructions but rather add to them with what problems I ran into and how I solved them.

I had problems getting the 'cap' off the shock body - it was corroded to the shock body. I had to get a hammer and chisel to persuade it loose and slide it up the shock shaft.
I had the luxury of clamping the aluminum top into the vice since I was replacing it with a new one, same with the adjusting collars - so I hammered on them to remove the valve body.

 

[bowyer2002]

Once I got the valve out of the body I could see the corrosion that was making it stick. BTW have rags around - there is still oil to contend with.

I also ended up cuttin off the endcaps - in that I did a relief cut with my angle grinder in a couple of spots to free up the cap. (Be SURE to not damage the threads here!) I also applied liberal amounts of oxy/acyetelene heat to help loosen things up. One shock top came off by hand but the other needed a little pipewrench leverage, with a leather belt piece to not damage the threads.

 

[bowyer2002]

After getting them apart I could start the rebuild. I replaced all the o-rings, cleaned up, red loc-tited the new ends on, etc.

I then installed the seperator valve, keeps the nitrogen and oil seperated, about 9" below the top of the shock tube. This would allow 3+ in of nitrogen to be charged after it was assembled.

BTW- if you put it in upside down (dont ask how I know) you can easily remove the seperator using a compressor - a little at a time or you will be making a cannon!

I pressed the new heim joints into the new ends and then installed a keeper clip like I have never seen before. You unwind it like a slinky then feed it into the groove - easy to install but looks like it will NEVER come out - hopefully I never will find out.

 

[bowyer2002]

After filling the tubes with oil, installing the new o-ringed valves, cap and bolts I was ready to put the springs on.
I greased the shock body to help with the preloading I would have to do as well as greasing where the spring rides on the adjusting collar - less friction is better!.

I also used anti-sieze compound on all the mounting bolts and the nuts on the top of the shock shaft - I double nutted it so that less threads would be exposed to the elements, for the next rebuild.

 

[bowyer2002]

I had to crank up the adjusting collar 4" to get the lift I needed and to support my ARB and 8000lb Warn with steel cable.

To crank up the adjusting collar I ened up making a spanner type wench from some scrap metal with and 1/4" steel rod that fits into the adjusting collar's holes. I will refine this design and post pictures later on it.

One thing to be careful of is that while you are turning the adjusting collar you could UNSCREW the shock body from the top!

Yeah, I know YELLOW springs - but they're easier to see for the work I did! I POR'd them first then painted over them, I know eventually they'll be black.

Thanks for looking!

 

[FlatlandTRD]

Yeah, I know YELLOW springs - but they're easier to see for the work I did! I POR'd them first then painted over them, I know eventually they'll be black.

Nice, now I understand where another thread was coming from when someone wrote "Tacoma owners are a different breed"

Between the yellow coils, maple syrup and fortified tile grout on the work bench, I give this thread three pairs

Now, had you included some JW Blue Label in one of the pics, we'd up it to four. Congrats on the find, and nice write-up.

 

[bowyer2002]

You are too funny Flatland!
The maple syrup bottle has my cutting oil for my drill press in it.
The tile grout I cannot defend!
I do EVERYTHING at my work bench - maybe we should post up our work areas?
I have the luxury, wouldn't know it from these pictures though, of a 24'X42' barn to call my shop. It keeps me from taking over the garage with my projects where wants to park.

 

[Mars]

Awesome thread and writeup. Thanks for posting it up.

 

[bowyer2002]

The grout is for the bed & floorboards of my truck.
While everyone else is using bedliner, i will tile mine for a truly unique look and easy cleaning!

 

[apalmer1]

good writeup, i had a hard time getting the spirolock clips and heim joints out of my tacoma's coilovers when i rebuilt them as my misalignment spacers were seized to the heim itself

its nice to see that im not the only one who had to get creative to adjust the spanners, i use the chuck end of a big old trashed drill bit to adjust mine haha

 

[SPDSHFT]

Great write up, and good choice in shocks! Now all you need is a used pair of uniball UCA's and you will be set!

 

[apalmer1]

I will be selling my uniball UCA's here shortly once i get the FJ80 axle in my hands.

 

[bowyer2002]

apalmer, - keep me in mind when you get that SAS - I may be interested in the UCA's - who makes them?

 

[apalmer1]

Im actually starting to part out the front end right now to help fund the purchase of the axle, the uniball UCA's are for sale in the classifieds on here, along with many other things.

For the control arms im looking to get 200+shipping, they are chromoly tubular uniball UCA's from allpro, i think the price is fair considering i paid $400 less than a year ago, and they come with spare crossbolts and bushings : )

 

[bowyer2002]

link for the UCA's & pictures?