Hi! Can anyone confirm for me the easiest way to replace the shocks on my rear bumper. Am I correct in thinking that in order to get to them, I simply have to remove the 4 bolts from the ends of the two old shocks where they are fixed to the inner metal bumper bar, and pull the entire bumper assemby back and away from / off the bodywork? Surely, logically, if the bumper was freetravelling when the car was new in order for the shocks to compact and then expand outwards again after a minor shunt, there can only be these 4 bolts (and the two side panel guides) that hold the whole bumper in place?
I am assuming also that the rear small bolt stub on each shock is fixed through a hole in each of the small side floor wells?
Please forgive my tech ignorance if I am wide of the mark!!
Many thanks in anticipation.

 

assuming this is the original style 940 and not the post-facelift one we never saw in the US, looks like you take the plastic cover off first, then there's 4 bolts through the metal bumper to remove the bumper from the shock, and it looks like the shock itself is mounted to the frame with 2 bolts each that install from the sides of the shock and go into a threaded 'nut plate'. parts diagram doesn't show where this nut plate bolts to, but I assume the rear subframe, and not the sheet metal skin of the car.

the post face lift cars (only sold here as 960, V90) don't look like they have shock mounts at all. instead there's a foam absorber piece between the plastic skin and the metal bumper.

I've never heard of anyone replacing those bumper 'shocks'. was this car in an accident that bent the bumper in or something?

 

Many thanks for your reply. It suffered a minor shunt at the n/s rear. The bumper impact absorbers originally allowed the bumper on this age of car to move forwards in the event of a slight impact, and then automatically push it back out again into place. However, on a car 20+ years old, they have lost the ability to re-expand and now need replacing... I have replacements, but what I am trying to determine before tackling the job is how little I will have to disassemble. Allowing for this free in / out movement, I am trying to establish logically (having no real mechanical knowlege) whether the whole back bumper assembly is only held to the car by the 2 impact absorber brackets, and the two (n/s and o/s) bumper side support guide plates and runners towards each rear wheel arch. If this is the case, it would negate the need to disassemble the outer plastic bumper coverings and trim from the metal "under" bumper... the whole assembly would in theory slide back and off the car once the 4 absorber bolts were released?

 

I'm pretty sure the plastic cover has to come off to remove the metal bumper or the bolts will just spin if you try and remove the nuts from the back side. the cover is held on by some bolts on the sides wings, and clips everywhere else. then you can unbolt the metal bumper, then you can unbolt the mounts from the frame.

 

Where did you buy the bumper shocks? How much did they cost? The guy before me also backed the car into something due to which the drivers side sticks out and the passenger's side just gone in.

Also, did you just have to take those 4 bolts off or is there something else that needs to be pulled off, as in - does the bumper cover have separate bolts that need to be removed first?

 

240 bumpers are somewhat different than 940.

going from the memory of having removed a 240 front bumper about 6-7 years ago, I think there's 2 clips on the side of the cover that are bolted through the fenders, then the rest of the plastic cover is attached to the inner metal bumper via clips. then the metal bumper under the plastic is bolted to the shocks with 4 bolts each. then the shocks are bolted to the subframe but I dunno exactly how without digging out parts diagrams, or crawling under my daughter's car which is never home any more (she's 18, hah!), so I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader.

oh, this applies to post-facelift 240's, like our 1987. the very early 'flat hood' 240's didn't have plastic covers, I don't think?

 

Hi. I bought the impact absorbers 2nd hand on a certain world-wide auction site. Price is relevant to the auction or buy it now price.
I have been examining the rear of the car now (estate model) the weather has got a bit warmer (!) and I see that the side bumper support bracket bolts are easily accessible from the inside of each floor well (either side of the larger spare wheel well) once the mini floor panel is removed. The rear nut holding the end of each absorber is also easily accessible from here too so once I get a couple of hours, I'll have a go at getting them replaced.

 

Just a quicky to thank all those who offered advice. Job now done - took me 4 hours today mainly cos of rain and having the car standing on the ground. In the end the lower valance had to come off in order to gain access to the bumper / shock fixing bolts. I had tried to remove the towhook to gain bolt access but even with the fixing bolts out, it was not going to budge - dunno if its also fixed in some other way(?!) Not easy removing the valance but just have to be patient getting to the tiny fixing bolts! Dodge the dirt too!! Replaced both shocks and replaced all. In the end I took the whole bumper assembly off in one piece. The side fixings which I wasn't sure of were actually quite easy to fit back into place as the bumper once offered back up to the car has a certain flexibility to enable proper alignment of the fixing bracket.
Now all that's left is the darn speedo which works about every 6 months for about 10 seconds even though the milometer does try to work most of the rest of the time. Oh... and the rear washer's packed up!! Think it's going to be the pump...ho hum......
P.s - a tip... I fixed my loose tailgate trim with velcro and its held it in place now for a couple of years!!