OH dear, what can the matter be- Furbie has dropped oil on the driveway. Turns out it's clean oil, and on inspection it' from rear passenger side shock. So perhaps it's time to replace the rear shocks. I've got a Q IN TO ADMIN on naming &  shaming, as I've got a quote or three with differing prices. Two sites show products I know, but at higher prices than th third, where I don't recognise the brand names.

But in meantime- rear shocks on mine ( car as in my profile) -how dos th shck connect to lower arm and body. I've seen many variations ,but which is correct?To me it's a single bolt top and bottom. HELP?

Top is a pair of bolts to remove the mounting hidden by the arch liner, bottom is a single bolt, you can do them one at a time so that the spring stays in place.

It's a really easy job. 

https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/chassis/rear_suspension_drive_shaft/repairing_the_rear_axle_with_drum_brakes/removing_and_installing_shock_absorber/

 

Parts shown here: https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/2004-225/5/511-511010/

 

As you'll see at the bottom of the page of the first link, it's recommended to replace the two bolts that hold the topmount to the body, and the nut/bolt that fix the bottom of the shock to the rear beam.

I doubt many people do, unless there is obvious damage or severe corrosion.  Part numbers are all in the second link if you do want to do it 'by the book'.

 

As Sep and Wino say, probably the easiest suspension job to do on a Fabia, couple of hours to do the job at a leisurely pace on the driveway, give you a good opportunity to clean out behind the rear wheel arch liners as well.

 

Only simple tools required, T20 Torx Bit for the arch liners, 16mm sockets and 18mm sockets/spanners for the Damper bolts/nuts. Plus some WD40 and a cup of tea.

T25, I think, for the arch liner screws?

 

Another thing to maybe think about is putting a new pair of bump-stops on while you have the stuff in bits.  The OE ones tend to fall apart, so unless yours have been done in the last few years, they're probably close to end of life.

Thanks guys. Just had a look in Haynes and surprisingly it's well documented. I just glanced at the bottom and ASSUMED it was ass per all the other vehicles I'd worked on with a single fixing top & bottom. today I felt up to getting under and  saw how it's fixed on . Question is ( and I know the book answer -change both ) it's only the passenger side one that's leaking, but at 105k and after a spring breaking pothole, should I change both .

 

Somewhat surprisingly, the real book answer (from the relevant erWin document) is 'can be replaced separately'.

 

Same wording as here: https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/chassis/rear_suspension_drive_shaft/repairing_the_rear_axle_with_drum_brakes/summary_of_components_of_shock_absorber/

Edited 26 March, 20197 yr by Wino

...but I would replace both since they cost peanuts and you don't have any hard labour cost.

Another one for always replacing dampers in axle sets.

Personally ,if i was as fit as I was when I used to play with previous batch of cars ( including in days of old replacing a hydrolastic unit on a Maxi and pumping it up afterwards , I''d change both. Especially as I've been surprised by finding that's it as easy as Haynes says it is . ( from blokes on here). but I'm reliant on son in law to help me out and every hour he spends helping me stops him making a few bob on his sideline in motorbike repairs & sales. And he won't take any payment. I could ask the little garage I use for MOT,but again ,if i don't ask SIL first, he'd be insulted .sepulchrave cost of items is minimal since I've now found out that future Grandson in law ( future hubby of favourite grand daughter ,and dad of my Great grand daughter) works in the car parts market and gets even better discounts than we mortals get.

Again, I suspect that the damage to front side ( McPherson top strut mount and spring) ,contributed to the failure of the rearshock. I'd noticed oil on the road where I park, but it was intermittent and I put it down to old vans parking outside. Problem is that some months on , I doubt if I'd be able to claim for retrospective damage,since car passed MOT on rear suspension .

 

22 hours ago, VWD said:

Again, I suspect that the damage to front side ( McPherson top strut mount and spring) ,contributed to the failure of the rearshock. 

 

 

 

 

I very much doubt that. It's just coincidence.

TMB - I'd noticed slight traces of oil on the road where I park soon after I had the front done. Nothing definite, as it cold have been random parkers. But with the quantity of lumps and dumps close to the pavement, it's likely that quality of road maintenance has caused this. Add this to the number of folks who seem to think that it's OK to force a car coming from opposite direction to move over, almost to mount pavement so that they don't have to stop .

To all folks who posted. Many thanks, and mods might like to close this  post. I got my replacement from ECP , BUT Haynes and online Brisky posts were far more help than the ECP LEAFLET ( Ecp MIGHT LIKE TO look again at the leaflet).

For those looking for advice on replacing a shock.

Problems were lack of Skoda interest in sourcing replacement bolts ( main dealer only parts at main dealer prices for commonly available at motor factor parts).

I'd have liked to replace the bottom shock bolt, as the thread ends were coated with dirt of 105K miles. What did surprise me was that none of the bolts incorporated a lock washer or in th case of the lower nut assembly , a nylock nut.

But then, at first tyre change, I found that Skoda had fitted low speed tyres to a car which could run over the speed rating of the OEM tyres.

I find it very convenient to look up part numbers of bolts I might want to replace on 7zap and then stick that number into the ebay search box. In this case https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=n0517304&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=n90517304&_sacat=0

Admittedly a fiver seems a little steep for one nut and one bolt, but the convenience of it just turning up through your letterbox makes it value for money, in my opinion.

 

What did the ECP leaflet say that was so unhelpfu?

I'm really not keen on them. Their parts lookup by Reg number is shocking, and some of their bargain priced stuff is just junk. Yesterday I found that a 'bargain' main cat pipe ('React'' brand) I'd bought and fitted just 20 months ago was now in this condition :

 

 

ECP own-brand and off-brand stuff is absolutely craptastic, stick to the few quality items they sell and you'll be ok.

They should be admired for the thought they put into generating Germanic names to some of the stuff?

 

Actually now it seems they just rollout innocent sounding names for the "special" priced bits.

Edited 30 March, 20197 yr by rum4mo

4 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

They should be admired for the thought they put into generating Germanic names to some of the stuff?

 

Haha, yes, Eicher, oh boy that stuff is seriously bad, the pads are like digestive biscuits and the discs are cast recycled steel, really, really poor performance in the wet until the excess water cooks off.

19 hours ago, VWD said:

 What did surprise me was that none of the bolts incorporated a lock washer or in th case of the lower nut assembly , a nylock nut.

 

 

That's odd because the bottom bolts should definitely have a Nyloc nut.

Genuine ones aren't.  I think they're that slightly squished type like you get for exhaust manifolds.

Edited 30 March, 20197 yr by Wino

As said- not in my case. I'd suspect that a lot of locktite or it's Czech equivalent was used. I noticed that the old one slackened off after a few miles, even though it torqued up OK, so I replaced it with a new bolt and spring washer. Something else to check ( or Czech up on). Again, Skoda & VAG making it difficult for owners to get parts. TPS are now trade only. Most motor factors ( round here) don't stock anything like that sort of bolt. And as for my local stealer - they don't want to sell parts- they want the work ( at overinflated prices, with an appointment sometime next month) all for themselves. I managed to get one ( Saturday afternoon) from a tyre & exhaust place. I'm happy with what I got, as the manager is not only a mechanic, but also a rally & car nut .

Wino- for all the help the leaflet was, it might have been written in some Chinese dialect, or for the education of some brainless spanner monkey. It made Haynes manual look like a total "how to do it" down to what spanner to use. I'd suspect the pictures are for H& S purposes, rather than any idea of helping the user. 

I started off ( acquiring vehicle knowledge )  when I ended my apprenticeship as a GPO Telephone Engineer. Next skill to learn was how to service your van ( YEP-Lee- in days of old we had to change oil & filter , grease steering & other bits ) . Mechanic in charge was a great help. Show any interest in vehicles or want help -he would spend hours helping out. Breakdown out of hours and you might as well be in own car.

Edited 30 March, 20197 yr by VWD

1 hour ago, Wino said:

Genuine ones aren't.  I think they're that slightly squished type like you get for exhaust manifolds.

 

Yeah, I said Nyloc but I just meant a locking nut of whatever type they use.

 

As I said- Nein locking nut of any type.

 

 

Quote

sepulcrave said

ECP own-brand and off-brand stuff is absolutely craptastic, stick to the few quality items they sell and you'll be ok

Not just that- some of the claims for products  are more Mars ( out of this world) . Looking ahead to a rear brake shoe & brake fluid change , I spotted what was quoted as a one man brake bleeding kit with receiver bottle" at a cheap price.  I'd have thought that being a "one man" kit, it would incorporate a valve to allow one man to connect pipe to bleed nipple and open nipple with no fear of air getting into system. No so. So that's another bit of useless crap , EURO are going to have back. I'd be better off with my own idea- find a coupling that connects to a tyre valve. ( Old can of tyre gunk is favourite). Fit tyre valve to tube. Fit to bleed nipple ,slacken off. Get back in car and pump till there's pressure. Tighten bleed, go to next one . Repeat for the rest. In days of old, some firms sold a bleed nipple replacement kit that did just that. Under normal circumstances ( nipple screwed in), calliper/ drum behaved as normal. To bleed, the nipple was slackened off to allow for bleeding, when the nipple became a one way valve., letting you pump out air+ fluid, but not allowing air back in .

I've been using a Gunson Eezibleed for years and find it works great. Relatively cheap too.

I'm looking at that route after the cheap & nasty Euro kit.

^