The rear Ranchos have been installed....and ohhhh what a difference. The 39,000 mile stockers where completely shot. On the old ones, compression force was immense, and re-bound control was non-existant. In fact, after compressed, they shot back up like a spring. The Ranchos were the exact opposite, not to mention it has double the beef. It really helped to point out how bad the fronts are too.
Now onto the fronts. I have good tools, including spring compressors. But I did see in the manual that you need a special wrench to loosen the nut that holds the shock (strut) assembly together...once the assembly has been removed. Any advice? and I did see someone posted their own removal instructions somewhere? But I can't seem to find those. Thanks for the help. Can't wait to post the results.
No special tools needed. I did mine a few weeks ago. Once the strut assembly has been removed from the truck, loosen the nut on the top of the shock shaft a few turns (don't take it all the way off until the spring has been compressed). The nut can be loosened by holding the shaft with a 3/8" (IIRC) box wrench and turning the nut using the appropriate sized box wrench. After I installed the spring compressor I removed the nut the rest of the way using an impact wrench. However, there is no way to hold the shaft when using an impact wrench, so the shock shaft may spin. If this happens you will need to remove the nut by using a box wrench. It's time consuming, but it can be done.
As far as people who need measurements, I still have my almost new (6,000 miles) stock shocks sitting in my garage, so just let me know what measurements you need.
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'06 Club Cab AWD 4.7 H.O. - 16.693@81.27
'06 Pontiac GTO automatic - 12.858@108.87 (Stock except a canned Diablosport 93 octane tune and reprogrammed Transmission Control Module)
Last edited by RealityCheck; 08-06-2008 at 11:55 AM.
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No special tools needed. I did mine a few weeks ago. Once the strut assembly has been removed from the truck, loosen the nut on the top of the shock shaft a few turns (don't take it all the way off until the spring has been compressed). The nut can be loosened by holding the shaft with a 3/8" (IIRC) box wrench and turning the nut using the appropriate sized box wrench. After I installed the spring compressor I removed the nut the rest of the way using an impact wrench. However, there is no way to hold the shaft when using an impact wrench, so the shock shaft may spin. If this happens you will need to remove the nut by using a box wrench. It's time consuming, but it can be done.
As far as people who need measurements, I still have my almost new (6,000 miles) stock shocks sitting in my garage, so just let me know what measurements you need.
what spring compressor did you use? I used one that looks like this http://www.mbz.org/articles/misc/com...ompressor2.jpg
2 per strut, but no way did I get near close enough to compress them. I dont want to take them to a shop and pay. The Dak is my only ride, and I work 3 hrs out of town, home on weekends.
Anyone installed the Ranchos on on an '07? At 27,000 miles the front of my truck is starting to get a little floaty over some bumps. Common sense says they'll work for any 3rd gen, but it's worth asking when the part is specified for 2005 and 2006 models.
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'07 ST 2WD
3.7 / 6 Speed
Flowmaster 40
I was able to get my dealership to put 08 front shocks, springs, sway bar and sway bar end links on my 07 4x4 SLT QC HO. I wanted just shocks, but it is a matched set. I didn't get a mic on the old sway bar, but I heard the springs are about 10% stiffer. I had to pay labor, they provided parts. Made some improvement, still has that bounce on some dips. Gets worse with a load in the back, I believe. Just wondering, anybody here haul heavy stuff in the back of yours, or heavy trailer? We all know it's got the stiff heavy frame. I'm just wondering how that goes...I got a much stiffer frame that you don't hear the plastic flex in like my 06 Silverado 4x4 ext cab did, but still wanting the good ride. When I say good ride, I'm not all worried if it is stiffer feeling than the Silverado, just want to eliminate the damn bouncing all over...I've driven 48,000 pound trucks with less bounce! If it matters any, I have the original 265/70/16 Good Year Wrangler RTSs
Last edited by it's all dodge; 02-02-2009 at 10:01 PM.
Reason: spelling
I hauled my 700lb quad in my box all last summer and found the front end bounces more than I like it to, its really bad right now and I'm sick of dodge not having any new ones in stock, looking at ordering ranchos for replacments, I just hope this won't get in the way of any warranty issues, (not that dodge could supply the parts under warranty if they wanted to, sick of this $h!t)
anyone wonder about doing res. coilovers? (kings, fox etc) i was thinking about breaking out the welder and doing some fab on my 06 2wd. ive opted out of bagging it cause the ride sucks with all that power and weight, and they dont have a lift kit yet. so i was contemplating on maybe a link in the rear and just a simple tube shock tower in front with the balljoint flip. not really going for lift but mainly ride and off road ablility what yall think?
