Is there any trick in installing new nivomat shocks? Do they bolt in like monroes on any other car? where the heck is the top bolt?

Help !

The newer model Nivomats have the boot on the bottom, instead of the top, or visa versa...a possible source of confusion.

I don't know what kind of 700 series you've got, but check the maintenance FAQ. I put a bunch of stuff in there about converting the nivomats over to conventional shocks etc. There are also some tidbits on how to remove the shock. It's pretty straightforward... one large bolt at the top accessed through the aforementioned rubber plug, and two smaller bolts coming up through the bottom of the trailing arm (on the 780, anyways, not sure about others). I found that with the car up on a lift and the wheels free to hang, the spring extends the trailing arm (and consequently the shock) to the shocks free-standing position within a half an inch. It just takes a bit of oomph to push it up & then rotate 90 degrees so it drops through the trailing arm. I did have one that required a bit more persuasion, I just put a transmission stand w/ a short, fat length of pipe directly under the bottom of the shock, then lowered the whole car just a bit (maybe an inch) to compress the shock. I then rotated the tranny stand 90 degrees and raised the car back up to allow the shock to expand back down through the arm.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out!

-Jon '91 Coupe 149K "Gustaf"

On my 7xx cars the top bolt for rear shocks is in the wheel well behind a rubber plug at about 12 o'clock. Takes a 17mm socket as I recall....

The nivomats are gas loaded and will work themselves longer if worked. Getting the old ones out is often not a problem because they're collapsed (or why replace them...duh, I had to replace mine because they weren't collapsed but wouldn't damp oscillations anymore!) but putting in new ones can be a bear.

Just get a couple/three nylon cable ties, hook them together, and collapse the new nivomat and use the nylon tie assembly to hold it collapsed while you put it in the car. Get the top hole aligned, put the bolt in finger tight and then cut the cable tie and allow the shock to extend into the lower mount. I've used a tapered punch to align the hole in the shock with the hole in the lower suspension arm.

The top bolt is behind the rear tire in the wheel well under the front most plug. No tricks to replacing them either.