My rear left shock finally died on me while driving ( i was doing like 15mph) It was a loud bang and I noticed the left rear tire had suddendly dropped. I'm looking to replace y rear shocks, but I'm not sure if the spring needs to be replaced as well (the tire is not rubbing on the car, its still driveable). My maxima has close to 185,000 miles so I'm looking for a not so expensive set of shocks and hopefully I don't have to replace the springs. Any help would be really appreciated, as I have never replaced shocks ever, but I'm confident I can do it. How difficult is it to replace them? Any special tools? Is there a how to?

 

It's not difficult at all. You just need to take your time. The only special tool you really need, and you really do need it, is a spring compressor. There should be a how to in the stickies. If not, go get a Chilton manual ($20) and all the info you need is in there.

 

it really difficult to replace a shock on a car that doesnt have shocks...WE HAVE STRUTS...ok rant over....its east....for the rears u wont need a compressor but i recommend doing all 4....buy Tokico HPs (Blues) do all 4...but u will need a compressor for the fronts....just do one corner at a time so u can see how it all goes together...and ur spring is fine u wont need new ones...springs generally dont wear out there are plenty of suspension threads...and i think a how-to in the stickys

 

you must use a spring compressor!!!

 

Let's see now... you heard a BANG, and your wheel dropped. Where did it drop to? Off the car? To the ground? NO. The car body dropped!!! Dampers (shocks) don't hold the body up SPRINGS do. Sounds like your sping broke.

 

Unless the spring perch on the STRUT broke....or a top mount broke...who knows the metal where the top mount mounts too could have rotted thru.....

ps...i didnt see that car dropped in my original post

 

if you don't know what you are doing pay to have it done. You can get hurt if you don't have the right tools. And it is a pain

 

Yes, the car dropped. so the struts are what hold the car up and not the springs. So Bassman607 -you really think the spring broke? I will keep you guys posted as soon as I fix it, maybe this weekend.

 

I think something def. wrong with the springs because right now i'm driving with blown shock but the only thing that happens that my rear wheel bounses really hard when i hit the bump and i hear light banging but when it blew i didn't hear any loud sounds.
waiting for KYB on order

 

Thanks for all the info.

 

why don't I need a compressor for the rear struts?

 

I recently bought eibach springs for my 95 max. I have been advised that now i need to purchase performance struts too. I was just going to replace the spring and use monroe sensa trac struts only. So will need to buy tokico to go along with them

 

rears arnt under as much load as the fronts....of the 4 suspension i have done in maximas i have never used compressors on the rears...the fronts is a must

 

we have shocks in the rear....

 

no we dont.....if we had shocks the spring would not mount on the strut....there are coilover struts and shock...a shock would not touch the spring at all....a strut has a pearch for the spring...the rear isnt a macphearson strut but its a strut...a shock mounts independantly from the spring...the spring may be around the shock but doesnt mount to it like out rear springs actually mount the the STRUT

 

The rears are technically coilover shocks. Struts bear side loads and hold the wheels upright like the fronts, acting partly like a suspension arm. The suspension in the rear of a 4th gen is essentially a trailing arm suspension with a panhard rod, just like in most full-sized American cars from the 60's. The only difference in most cases is that our shock is coaxial with the spring and the spring perch is on the shock instead of on the suspension arms.