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Refurbishing bumper shocks?

1K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  carsdlt 
#1 ·
Another quick Q.....I see one of the rear bumper shocks on my '83 is compressed quite a bit, looks like something nudged the car at some point. Everything else looks fine structurally, just wondering if there's any way to push that shock back out to its original length or will I have to get a new one....?
 
#2 ·
Probably not...there is a material insde that compresses when the shock collapses. You might try collapsing the other one in a press to get them both to match. I did that on my '82 & the bumper looks alot better moved in closer to the body. Good luck.
 
#3 ·
Actually I managed to pop the collapsed shock back out by bracing one hand on the frame and yanking back the bumper with the other hand (needed to do this to get clearance to the mounting bolts). I'm sure it won't be nearly as sturdy as it was originally, plus it looks like it's still not 100% aligned (perhaps the shock sustained some bending damage in the collision, it appeared to be compressed to the max, or at least close to it) so I'm gonna go ahead and replace it. This also gives me a chance to clean up the bumper and re-paint/dye it.

While we're on the subject (sorta), is there any graceful way to get the rubber spoiler pieces off without destroying them? Mine need to be treated/painted/dyed with something.
 
#4 ·
... mine came the same way..84 spider..i took of the offending bumper, removed the said shock..and gently tapped on it with a hammer...the gental shocks i put in it with the hammer let it return to org. size.
 
#5 ·
Hmmm, well this has got me thinking.....I assumed it was compressed because it had lost its "springiness" in the collision, but now I'm thinking it might just be that the side load exerted upon it by the bumper going in at an angle (the other shock wasn't compressed, so the bumper was crooked which probably tweaked the shock a bit) was making the shock bind and hold its position. Once I get it off I might do some testing on it and see if it really still retains its shock-absorbing properties....maybe save myself some $$$.

Are these things gas-filled or is there some kind of "crushable" substance inside like aluminum?
 
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