INSTALLING KYB GAS-A-JUST SHOCKS ON A 97 TRANS AM

I got the KYB Gas-a-Just model of shocks for my Trans Am because I don't have the car lowered and I had heard good reviews. I just needed to replace my rear shocks.

My father-in-law helped me identify that I needed new shocks. He pushed down on the trunk really hard and let it go, and we watched how much car 'bounced' up and down. With a good set of shocks, the car would rebound upward once and that's it. The day my father-in-law showed me, the car bounced up and down several times before coming to a stop. So I got the KYB's and got his help installing them.

The trickiest part was simply finding the top mount for the rear shocks. On the 97 Trans Am, you have to get inside the hatch and lift up the upholstery at the top of the rear seat (including the foam) to access it.

Top mount of rear shock

The bottom mount is easy to see. Once you've located the mounts, it's a simple screw-on procedure. I had always thought that maybe there was pressure on the shocks and that it would require great care to remove them or install them. But that's not the case at all, as they're full extended when installed and don't exhibit pressure unless compressed. We literally just screwed these in and that was it.

Tightening bottom of new rear shock

Both new KYB shocks are in.

It helped to have my father-in-law with me, but wasn't absolutely necessary. With his help, it really turned out to be a piece of cake to install these. It took 30 minutes, and that's mainly because he was taking the time to teach me about it. I'll probably be able to do it in 20 minutes next time.