Sorry dude...wish I was there to help...

You should be able to drive it there...may make alot of noise from bending the metal "boot"...no hard braking, accelerating, or cornering and I don't forsee a problem...not sure if they'll install customer supplied parts...we do at my shop, but we charge $90 an hr labor instead of $75...they shouldn't charge more than 2 hrs total front and rear fyi...

EDIT: For shocks we sell and install, we charge $60 per pair labor, so it's a little less than an hr. each axle, just clarifying. Unless it's a late 90's, early 00's Lincoln Continental...*** those rear shocks, you think you have it bad :P.

 

Im 17, and just starting work like this... do you think air tools like an impact gun would be a good investment? Thanks the Midas isnt very far... hopefully they wont rip me off... i left the spare removed so maybe that will save me some cash

 

Another thing to try on the front. Shouldn't take long to try.

Put the boxed end of the wrench on the nut. With the wrench on the nut, grab the top with a pair of vise grips to hold the shaft from turning. Or if you have wasted the lower boot, put the vise grips there. When the wrench gets to the top where the vise grips are, move the vise grips under the wrench.

By now the WD40 or whatever should be soaked in good on the rear shocks. A breaker bar or hooking two combination wrenches together should break them loose.

 

Yes If your planning mod's get yourself a good set of airtools and impacts, multimeter, wrenches,etc etc etc. They will eventually pay for themselves against the 75.00-90.00 hr labor rates out there

 

Okay. Thanks for all the help. I decided to just take it to Midas. So far haven't noticed any difference but I have only driven about 5 miles on the Bilstein's. I have another issue. THey told me that at max wheel turn the tires are rubbing against the lower shock mount on the control arm and cutting a groove into the tires. Looked when I got home and they are. Any one know why? The tires are Toyo At's P245 75R16. The tires are from the previous owner and I dont know why they are passenger tires and not LT's. Thanks for all of the help

 

my advise would be take that money and go out and buy an impact gun. that how i got mine off. oh and a little thing called WD-40 works wonders[&:]

 

tani has a great point..... if you havent taken it to midas yet go ahead and use that midas $ to get the impact gun so you can do it yourself.

im glad you posted this, now i know what to expect when i do my shocks.

 

weird how 265's are rubbing on your truck.. invest in a 2 wheel drive leveling kit.. should help with that when you get the money

 

Thanks for the tip on the gun but if you look ^ i already took it to midas. I am somewhat considering a leveling kit. i just want the front to be level with the back end wat would do that 1 inch 1 1/2 inch or 2? I read something that said you need new lower control arms if you do that. Thanks everyone

 

you dont have lower control arms.. 1 1/2" to 2" coil spacer will do you just fine ... especialy since you have no trackbar or anything for a front axle

i bet the best way to find out on your truck on what size spacer would be best (since its only 2WD) is just measure the gap between the rear fender and tire and the front fender and tire (top of the tire that is) and try to match that difference with the spacer.. or a little less.. like obviously if its 4" gap then id just go with the 2" but it its only a 2" difference then a 1 1/2 " would be fine!