120k miles...i think it's time to replace the shocks. is this something i should undertake doing myself or better left to the pros?

any tips/tricks or links to instructions would be helpful

also, any suggestions on what kind of new shocks to buy?

thanks very much!

 

For a performance upgrade I had put Koni sport (yellow) on my '02 and they were a big improvement over the stock. Bilstein are also highly recommended and usually less $$ than Koni.

Replace the top mounts while you are at it. They are know to wear and make noise over bumps.

You will need jack stands to lift the entire front. Otherwise, the sway bar will fight you.
Get a decent spring compressor. You might be able to borrow one from AutoZone.
You should also get an impact gun (electric works well) to get the nut off the strut shafts.
Penetrating oil to soak the rusted bolts ahead of time.

When you use the impact gun to remove the top nut from the shaft, you may need channel-lock pliers to hold the shaft from spinning.

I'll post more if I think of something else.
Stan

 

thanks. i'm gonna give it a shot this weekend. the spring compressor thing makes me a little nervous...hopefully i don't take my head off.

 

Could start with the rears first to get the hang of it. They have much less force than the fronts.
Stan

 

thanks...i think i will start with the rear ones.

i was watching an instructional video about replacing these on a '99 s60. it looked like they left the springs in place and just dropped the shocks out through the bottom of the spring. is that the way it's done or does the entire unit need to come out (spring and all), be reassembled with the new shock, and then reinstalled?

thanks again for your help...i haven't done shocks before. sorry if these are stupid questions...