The Arch Bishop
Active member
I take no responsibility for any injury or damage caused by the following of this guide. It has been written by an amateur home mechanic and may contain omissions and mistakes. I recommend that you have a copy of the Ford Fiesta 1995-2002 Haynes manual for reference as the layout and procedures are very similar to those used on the Puma.
This guide covers changing the front shock-absorbers, springs, top mounts and bearings. The springs that I used in this guide are Eibach 30mm drop springs which were a dealer-fit option and are very close to the original Ford items. The shock-absorbers are KYB gas struts. The top mounts and bearings are also KYB and are sold as ‘mounting kits’ to complement their shocks.
Once the car is on axle stands with the wheels off, this task comprises of only four fastenings. I had an easy time of it as these parts had been removed within the last two years. However, if the parts have been on the car for a long time, the nuts and bolts can be very hard to remove. A decent breaker bar and a quality socket set are essential to help reduce the possibility of rounding off the nuts. Ford fastenings are not the best quality…
One note is that the top nut on mine was very easy to remove hence the choice of an open-ended spanner in the pictures. The ideal choice for removing the nut is a swan-necked ring spanner. Check the size of the nut before you buy anything as I’ve heard of a few different sizes being used.
The size of the Allen key used for the shocks also can differ between Ford and after-market parts.
Removing the struts
Begin in the engine bay. Remove the plastic top mount covers which are held in place by four clips around their circumference.
With these off, insert a 6mm Allen key in the top of the strut. Then use an 18mm spanner to loosen off the top nut while holding the Allen key to stop the push-rod spinning with the nut.
The theory is that it is easier to loosen the nut before you jack the car up as the weight of the car takes some of the strain off the nut.
Now loosen off the wheel nuts a few turns each.
Now jack up the front of the car on side using the jacking point. When the car is high enough, place an axle stand under the chassis and lower the jack until the car rests on the stand. Repeat on the other side.
Remove the wheel nuts and the front wheels.
Using a 17mm socket, remove the anti-roll bar link from the shock.
Using a 15mm socket, remove the brake hose bracket from the shock.
Using a 19mm socket, a decent breaker bar and an extension, remove the pinch bolt from the hub carrier where it clamps the bottom of the shock-absorber.
Get underneath the car and locate the gap in the clamp and, using a large flat-edged screwdriver, lever the clamp apart.
I then sprayed some lubricant around the top of the clamp and went for a cuppa…
Now for the hard bit! There are two methods that I used to remove the shock from the hub carrier.
First way is to use a wooden drift and a soft mallet to hammer around the top of the clamp.
Second way is to slacken the top nut in the engine bay right off, hold the brake disc down firmly and use the mallet to whack the bottom of the spring base upwards.
Some decent swearing was also useful but it may take a mixture of the two methods interspersed with liberal dousing in spray-lube and spreading the clamp with a screwdriver to finally release it. Persevere and it WILL come off!
Now you can remove the top nut entirely, remove the top weight and vibration mount and wiggle the strut assembly out of the wheel arch.
This guide covers changing the front shock-absorbers, springs, top mounts and bearings. The springs that I used in this guide are Eibach 30mm drop springs which were a dealer-fit option and are very close to the original Ford items. The shock-absorbers are KYB gas struts. The top mounts and bearings are also KYB and are sold as ‘mounting kits’ to complement their shocks.
Once the car is on axle stands with the wheels off, this task comprises of only four fastenings. I had an easy time of it as these parts had been removed within the last two years. However, if the parts have been on the car for a long time, the nuts and bolts can be very hard to remove. A decent breaker bar and a quality socket set are essential to help reduce the possibility of rounding off the nuts. Ford fastenings are not the best quality…
One note is that the top nut on mine was very easy to remove hence the choice of an open-ended spanner in the pictures. The ideal choice for removing the nut is a swan-necked ring spanner. Check the size of the nut before you buy anything as I’ve heard of a few different sizes being used.
The size of the Allen key used for the shocks also can differ between Ford and after-market parts.
Removing the struts
Begin in the engine bay. Remove the plastic top mount covers which are held in place by four clips around their circumference.
With these off, insert a 6mm Allen key in the top of the strut. Then use an 18mm spanner to loosen off the top nut while holding the Allen key to stop the push-rod spinning with the nut.
The theory is that it is easier to loosen the nut before you jack the car up as the weight of the car takes some of the strain off the nut.
Now loosen off the wheel nuts a few turns each.
Now jack up the front of the car on side using the jacking point. When the car is high enough, place an axle stand under the chassis and lower the jack until the car rests on the stand. Repeat on the other side.
Remove the wheel nuts and the front wheels.
Using a 17mm socket, remove the anti-roll bar link from the shock.
Using a 15mm socket, remove the brake hose bracket from the shock.
Using a 19mm socket, a decent breaker bar and an extension, remove the pinch bolt from the hub carrier where it clamps the bottom of the shock-absorber.
Get underneath the car and locate the gap in the clamp and, using a large flat-edged screwdriver, lever the clamp apart.
I then sprayed some lubricant around the top of the clamp and went for a cuppa…
Now for the hard bit! There are two methods that I used to remove the shock from the hub carrier.
First way is to use a wooden drift and a soft mallet to hammer around the top of the clamp.
Second way is to slacken the top nut in the engine bay right off, hold the brake disc down firmly and use the mallet to whack the bottom of the spring base upwards.
Some decent swearing was also useful but it may take a mixture of the two methods interspersed with liberal dousing in spray-lube and spreading the clamp with a screwdriver to finally release it. Persevere and it WILL come off!
Now you can remove the top nut entirely, remove the top weight and vibration mount and wiggle the strut assembly out of the wheel arch.