I finally got around to installing the shocks I had order. Here is a simple write up.
I started with the rears thinking they would be easier, but that really turned out to not be true. So jack up the truck and put jack-stands under the frame so that you can remove the tires release the load on the suspension. Once you get to that point you will need a crescent wrench and a 13/16 socket w/ a ratchet wrench to remove the bolts. Go ahead and remove the the lower bolt by using the wrenches injunction. Don't worry about the shock it shouldn't shoot out, it's not like a spring. :smileup: After that you will need a buddy with skinny hands and arms to reach the blind nut that it at the top of the shock mount. To make it easy on your arms you may also want to remove several of the screws that hold the wheel well liner in place so that you can get the socket in place and to remove the bolt. Once the bolt is removed I would use some white grease to put on the bushings and the sleeves that run in the bushings just to make sure nothing squeaks. Just a personal preference. After that bolt everything back up do the same for the other side, mount the tires and the rear is done. :woohoo:
Move on the the front, do the same thing jack it up and place jack-stand on the frame, remove tires. After all that is done you will need to use two crescent wrenches to remove the top nut off of the shock, one to hold the piston in place to keep it from spinning and the other the remove the nut. Once that is done you will need I think it was either a 13mm or 14mm one of those too to remove the two bolts from the bottom of the shock. After that slide the shock out and spray the new shock with white grease and bolt the bottom up. NOW, if you have a leveling kit on your truck you will run in to this problem as I did, you will not be able to get the nut to come close to the threads without a load on the suspension. SO, mount the tires back and a slowly lower the truck back down towards where it puts a load on the suspension and compress the spring so that you can tighten the nut on top of the shock. Once you get to that point make sure the the bushings is lined up in the whole correctly. After that take the two wrenches and tighten down the nut. Mount the tires and remove the jack and you are done!
As for quality, these shocks make the truck feel like it is riding on glass. No more feeling every little crack or slowing down to a snail's pace to make it over speed bumps, dips and humps. I would recommend these to anyone.
I'm trying my best to keep the pictures in order. Also there are these little thin lock rings on some of the lugs that hold the wheel on and make it very hard to pull it off, do your self a favor as I did and take them off. One on of the pictures look at the front oem shock and see how the bushings are ordered you will need to repeat this with the new bushings.
Enjoy! :head3:
I started with the rears thinking they would be easier, but that really turned out to not be true. So jack up the truck and put jack-stands under the frame so that you can remove the tires release the load on the suspension. Once you get to that point you will need a crescent wrench and a 13/16 socket w/ a ratchet wrench to remove the bolts. Go ahead and remove the the lower bolt by using the wrenches injunction. Don't worry about the shock it shouldn't shoot out, it's not like a spring. :smileup: After that you will need a buddy with skinny hands and arms to reach the blind nut that it at the top of the shock mount. To make it easy on your arms you may also want to remove several of the screws that hold the wheel well liner in place so that you can get the socket in place and to remove the bolt. Once the bolt is removed I would use some white grease to put on the bushings and the sleeves that run in the bushings just to make sure nothing squeaks. Just a personal preference. After that bolt everything back up do the same for the other side, mount the tires and the rear is done. :woohoo:
Move on the the front, do the same thing jack it up and place jack-stand on the frame, remove tires. After all that is done you will need to use two crescent wrenches to remove the top nut off of the shock, one to hold the piston in place to keep it from spinning and the other the remove the nut. Once that is done you will need I think it was either a 13mm or 14mm one of those too to remove the two bolts from the bottom of the shock. After that slide the shock out and spray the new shock with white grease and bolt the bottom up. NOW, if you have a leveling kit on your truck you will run in to this problem as I did, you will not be able to get the nut to come close to the threads without a load on the suspension. SO, mount the tires back and a slowly lower the truck back down towards where it puts a load on the suspension and compress the spring so that you can tighten the nut on top of the shock. Once you get to that point make sure the the bushings is lined up in the whole correctly. After that take the two wrenches and tighten down the nut. Mount the tires and remove the jack and you are done!
As for quality, these shocks make the truck feel like it is riding on glass. No more feeling every little crack or slowing down to a snail's pace to make it over speed bumps, dips and humps. I would recommend these to anyone.
I'm trying my best to keep the pictures in order. Also there are these little thin lock rings on some of the lugs that hold the wheel on and make it very hard to pull it off, do your self a favor as I did and take them off. One on of the pictures look at the front oem shock and see how the bushings are ordered you will need to repeat this with the new bushings.
Enjoy! :head3: