Need some help with a rear shock issue on a 2007 Cherokee

Hello all,

Im a new member here so if im doing any of this improperly please forgive and or correct me. Thanks

Anyway Im on here because I've run into a frustrating situation with my 2007 Cherokee. I bought it last January and knew that it would need new shocks. Over the past few years ive been transitioning from being a "bring it to my mechanic" guy to a "I can do this thing myself" guy. I looked up the process for replacing the shocks and it looks fairly simple and straight forward. Watched a video on youtube and watched as the guy made this look like a walk in the park.

The problem im running into is ive gone through about 4 sets of shocks now and none of them fit the housing brackets on the body. Ive got larger than stock tires on it but I cant see anything that would indicate its been lifted. But even If its been lifted, the mounting brackets don't look like they've been modified, they are part of the frame and welded to the frame respectively. I don't get it. Ive gotten aftermarket shocks that were what the vehicle called for and no go. I tried referencing the only numbers I could find on the current shocks (they look like ranchos) but nothing crosses over. I even went as far as to give Jeep my vin number and got a set of shocks from the dealership and they don't fit. in each case the bushings on the head are too wide to fit into the bracket.

If anyones had any similar problems or if anyone could give me some advice, maybe something I haven't thought of yet, id be greatly appreciative. Thanks in advance

 

Welcome @Nixman ! Perhaps the brackets have been torqued down in the past squeezing the bracket. Have you tried to open the brackets up a bit? Post a pic of the bracket and shocks that don't fit.

 

Is the attachment a good picture of the tight space?
Both rear are tight? - I am thinking like aggrex PO pinched the space closed. Will the metal portion of shock fit if the bushing was not there? Thinking BFH and wedge....

Or so mismatched it is surely a wrong shock?

And welcome to forum....

 

Mostly having trouble with the upper mounting. This is the best picture I could get of it without taking off the tire

 

Good pic! Before spreading them mounts inspect that shiny metal near the nut. Did someone make a repair there or is that just the pic angle?

 

If women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy.

Not only does the bracket look bend up the hole looks wallered (technical term) out.
Welcome to Jeeps.net

 

Now that I'm on a PC that shock mount hole looks wallered out and the bracket is bent / tweaked. The shock mounting bolts may have been loose for a while resulting in the damage to the hole and bracket. Try a large adjustable wrench to "open her up" a bit then flatten out the flanges. The repair for the wallered out hole could range from simple to slightly complex but repairable.

 

Welding a correctly size washer on the outside in the correct position is a common fix for a wallered out track bar hole on XJ/TJ/ZJs so I am sure it would work just as well here.

 

That's the right way to do it...to fix it permanently!

 

Yep I agree. Get a prybar up there and a block of wood to pry against and spread that out enough to slip your shock in. The previous person who installed new shocks over tightened the bolt bending the bracket in. For almost every bolt on your jeep there is a specific torque specification to tighten the bolt to. Many don't follow them, but i do religiously on most bolts on my jeep. Follow the link below for a good inexpensive prybar set.