Replacement shock project

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Jerry Abson 3

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Gentlemen, and ladies.



Decied on Bilstien 4600 shocks to replace my stock after 130K. Saw the two projects on replacing them. And it APPEARS pretty simple. I have learned 'appears' and 'actual' are worlds apart.



so my question to you, someone who has limited mechanical skills (I've installed throttle body, Zab's cold air and MAF) will this be something that really anyone should be able to do given a whole afternoon in which to do it?



thanks in advance for the suggestions!
 
Yes! I changed the rear's on my 2003 in less than an hour, and that included removing the spare tire for a bit of extra clearance. Not hard at all.
 
Fronts are real easy. Just remove wheels and put on stands. Rears were another story. Definitely remove spare and figure out how you can sit under the truck. Stands are imperative. There is a gas fume collector box that is easy to loosen and move and you're gonna want ratcheting end wrenches NOT sockets for the top nuts on the back shocks.



I didn't have any when I changed mine and just used open end wrenches and it took MUCH longer.



Over all not too difficult with stands and the right tools. Made all the diffence in the world in the ride of my truck. I put Sensa Tracs on.



Good Luck
 
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I did all four in two hours.



Agree - the fronts are pretty easy. I didn't use stands for the rear bacause I didn't remove the wheels. You definitely want to remove the spare and move the evap. canister (don't have to disconnect; it'll move enough by removing the bolts).
 
I agree with "The Big Dog" to get a ratcheting wrench for the rear upper. I would also suggest spraying all fasteners with a good penetrating oil for a day or two. Also cleaning/brushing any exposed threads before trying to unscrew the nuts can reduce frustration. I highly recommend the SensaTrac shocks with the built in springs for the rear.



I also found that putting on new rear Ford sway bar bushings made a significant difference in handling.
 
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Double ditto. 13mm swivel head ratchet FTW. (Thanks Eddie S)
 
Those Gearwrenches are fantastic! I bought several one at a time for projects last winter, and just within the last 2 weeks bought a set of the swivels, and a set that doesn't swivel on sale. I got mine at Menard's, but Sears has had them on sale too. I paid about $3 a wrench for a set of 7 of the swivel type. Even if you buy just the 13mm at full price, it's worth it for this project.
 
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I replaced my original rear shocks this summer with Monroe air shocks. I don't remember if the originals took a 10mm wrench up top and the air shocks used a 13mm, or the other way around. Either way the originals and the air shocks used different sized nuts.
 
I do the rears without removing the spare. No big deal. Using ratchet wrenches.



Loving the Rancho XL9000s. There are a lot of things you can skimp on. But don't ever skimp on shocks.
 
Here you go! :banana:
 
I got these a few years back:



<a href="http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-16-Piece-Reversible-Combination-Ratcheting/dp/B000HBDWSY/ref=sr_1_13?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1418405048&sr=1-13" target="_blank">16-Piece Reversible Combination Ratcheting Wrench Set, Metric</a>



<a href="http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-target9230-Metric-Ratcheting-Adater/dp/B0002NYCZE/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1418405190&sr=1-2&keywords=GearWrench+adapter" target="_blank"> Three Piece Metric Ratcheting Wrench Drive Adapter Set</a>



Misspelled 'target' as 'taget'.



Work well.
 
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Those say "professional grade" and grab the flats as well as corners. I recently bought a 20 pc set - 10 SAE and 10 metric - of the regular grade at Menards for $50 on sale. That's about half price I think.
 
Didn't need an extra set, but ordered a 5 piece metric flex set using $10 "Shop Your Way Rewards" surprise points. Final price $10.46 including tax. :banana:
 
Hell with the wrenches, rusty boltheads and nuts you can't see nor hardly get onto.



I too remove the spare for some wiggle room and set up a box fan to move some air in case of lingering gas fumes near the area of the shocks. Then, I unbolt the bottom of the shock so I can move it around on a slight angle. I cut the shock off at the neck just below the mounting ear with a 1/16 inch Metal cut-off disc on my 4 1/2# grinder. Then use a heavier disc to grind the bolt head down to the ear. Ear drops down, bolts pop upover mount and I'm ready to install both new shocks within 10 minutes time. No Problem! Trying to take them off with wrenches has putboils on my ass over the many years and I finally found the ultimate surefire solution.
 

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