Hey All,

Details of my truck available in signature.

I purchased 2x RS5757 front struts and 2x RS5315 rear shocks last week. The shocks arrived before the weekend so with the help of a friend and about 75 minutes work we swapped the rear shocks in the garage. Jack stands, wheels off, vice grips and 18mm ratchet with a steel pipe for leverage, lower the spare for access, finish with torque wrench. Pretty easy and straight forward.

I will be receiving the front struts today but I just have a few questions to ask about doing the fronts.

• Should I be replacing the coil springs when I do the front struts? Do I need to? I feel like I should be, I just wanted to ask.
• I might as well replace some of the worn components as well (ball-joints, tie rod ends, bushings?) but to be honest I am not really sure which parts I need to replace. About 6 months ago I had the dealership replace both stabilizer links (kit), what other parts should I look at replacing?
• Is now a good time to install a leveling kit? Is there a method for measuring a vehicle's rake? Are there any disadvantages to installing a leveling kit? I've read that it would put added stress on other suspension components, but may since I am replacing those particular components I won't have the same issue?
• MOOG seems to stand out above the rest in terms of quality aftermarket parts. Is this the brand that I should stick with, or would relatively any company's components work? Where are people buying MOOG (or similar) parts in CANADA?

Is there anything else that I should be looking for when I start to take this apart? When I do the work I won't be in a rush and I would rather go through a fuller maintenance refresher while I doing the front bouncies.

I have taken pictures of the front wheel hub and surrounding suspension/steering components. Here is a link to the album on my dropbox. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2654kmmm6...ipZ0Xhiba?dl=0

I appreciate any and all time spent helping me. Thank you.

 

Normally, springs are not replaced with struts, unless there is something to indicate that they are bad. (broken spring, one side sags, both sag, etc.)

It looks like some of your parts have already been replaced - they have grease fittings on them. I wouldn't touch those unless they have signs of wear. Twice a year, squeeze them full of grease and carry on.

To replace the struts, I think that you have to pull apart a lot of the front end, so replace parts you have to pull apart anyhow (unless they are already grease-able and in good condition).

Hope this helps.

 

I am really interested in how you like the Ranchos. I am about or order some Monroe Reflex struts for the front of my QC 4x4.
I didn't plan on replacing the springs, but do plan on replacing the strut mount while I have everything apart.

 

The Ranchos kick ***, I still say it's the best money that I've spent on this truck. If you want a softer ride, then the Monroes are the choice.

 

Are Ranchos better than Monroes? Or, is it application-specific?

 

Like the Rancho front struts. But did not like the rear shocks because they weren't gas charged. Caused it to sag with a load in the bed. Currently looking at the pro-comp set up at 4wheel parts.

 

Shocks, in and of themselves, do not support the weight of the truck. (unless you get coil-overs) They simply control movement. Putting weight in the back of the truck WILL cause it to sit lower, regardless of what shocks you put on there.

 

Ranchos will give more of a still ride, Monroes will ride softer.

All depends on your preference, both are good.

 

Okay I have the struts but still have not gotten around to doing any work yet. Thanks for pointing out the greasable parts. If the recommendation is to grease them twice a year, am I in trouble for having owned the truck for 2 years without ever applying grease? I still have to do some research on the whole greasing process, and I'll have to shop around for good price on a grease gun and the grease itself. Any tips?

I snapped a couple pictures at the top of the coil spring. I was hoping to get some opinions on the rust present and whether or not this would require new coils altogether. If the springs are stiill going to function then no sweat, put my mind at ease. But I just don't want to install new struts with old springs which would bottleneck the suspension improvement I am after.

 

Here in Canuckistan, if you don't have rust like that, it has been sitting in a climate-controlled environment since it was winched off the delivery truck. Get in there with a pressure washer and see how it cleans up. I imagine that a lot of what you see is crud and dirt with corrosion products mixed in.