Removing External Canister Shocks

[N Fotouhi]

Our GT3 has AST double adjustable shocks with external canister. They need to be removed for rebuild. It looks like the canister line to shocks have the quick disconnect.

I have never removed these types of shocks and frankly wonder about the nitrogen filled canister disconnect and reconnect.

Is this something I can do myself? I will be using jack stands since I do not have a lift. What is the procedure for removal and install?

I assume the canisters have to be recharged with nitrogen after installation. Since I do not have the correct equipment for adding nitrogen, can I install and load the car on the trailer without nitrogen in the canister to get to the shop?

[Paddy]

Hi Nader,

Yes, you can pull the quick disconnect and will keep the N2 in the canister, then remove the shock housing pack them up and ship them. AST should recharge the N2 when they come back from service, verify the shock pressure with them.

I have a full N2 shock setup you're more than welcome to use to test the pressures when they come home. You'll want the car off the ground when you check the N2 pressure. I'd be more than happy to help.

Cheers,
Paddy

[N Fotouhi]

Hi Nader,

Yes, you can pull the quick disconnect and will keep the N2 in the canister, then remove the shock housing pack them up and ship them. AST should recharge the N2 when they come back from service, verify the shock pressure with them.

I have a full N2 shock setup you're more than welcome to use to test the pressures when they come home. You'll want the car off the ground when you check the N2 pressure. I'd be more than happy to help.

Cheers,
Paddy

Hey Patrick,
Sorry that I have not had time to log in and say thanks for the advice and offer to help. You know I am in NJ!!
Anyway, checking the N2 and realignment will be done by the shop. All I want to do (if I get motivated enough to lay on cold garage floor in the winter) is to remove and install. Then get the car to the shop.

[N Fotouhi]

I finally started this job and now I have hit a snag. I started on the driver side and once I discharged the gas from the canister, I disconnected the dry break and removed the canister. I thought that was the hard part, but it turned out fine.
For the shock, I have disconnected everything and loosened the collar which started to move down the shock body. Although I am not sure it travels enough to clear the shock, but that is not my current issue.
The problem is that I think I have to remove the brake line, but I do not want to lose brake fluid and get air in the system.
i took some pictures to show how it looks. The arrow on the first one shows the collar, and the second one shows the braided line to hard line of the caliper at the top. I think that I should remove the braded line from the attached to hard line of the caliper. How do I cap the braded line and the hard line after I remove it?
Any suggestions or ideas?

[BillC]

The easiest way, based on what I've done in the past, would be to unbolt the little bracket holding your brake line from the hub. That little bracket is at the point where the flexible hose connects to the hard line going into the caliper. Then, unbolt the caliper from the hub and hang it out of the way. This way, you don't need to open the brake system.

Do NOT let the caliper hang from the brake hose -- that's a sure way to damage the hose.

A caliper hanger looks like these (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71sBCBghekL._AC_SL1500_.jpg). If you don't have one of these handy, you can use a wire clothes hanger bent to shape, but you need to be careful since most clothes hangers aren't very strong.

[N Fotouhi]

Thanks for the idea Bill. After I posted, I lit a cigar and took a look around, and thought about that as a possibility. I also noticed that I have to unbolt a lot more crap than I anticipated. it looks like the control arm (wish bone thingie) and the tie rod has to come off. I am thinking I should have just taken it to the shop. All of it are after market, so I hope I do not need any special tools.
I hope the rears are not as involved.

[HoodPin]

Not 100% sure if this is helpful, but if you're talking about gaining more drop clearance to lower the strut, relative to the A-arm, sometimes just disconnecting the anti-roll bar will allow the A-arm to drop even further and give you the necessary clearance up top.

[good hands]

Dawe.

[N Fotouhi]

Dawe.

FUD. Where the hell were you with your advice 2 month ago.
I have already f’d up by started the disassembly backwards. 🥲

[N Fotouhi]

Not 100% sure if this is helpful, but if you're talking about gaining more drop clearance to lower the strut, relative to the A-arm, sometimes just disconnecting the anti-roll bar will allow the A-arm to drop even further and give you the necessary clearance up top.

As usual I read the manual afterwards 😤. I definitely have to remove the “fork thingy” and the tie ride.
I suppose I need to remove the collar from the struts to remove the spring. It is so much easier when someone else does it. :oops: