Can anybody give me any helpful tips in removing and replacing the front and rear shocks?

Thanks

 

Removing is pretty simple. Make sure you disconect them at the top first. Seemed to make mine much easier. The biggest tip that you can be offered with installing new shocks is to LEAVE THE WIRES ON THEM until you have one side mounted first. The front will be the biggest pain in the ***. When installing, connect them at the BOTTOM first. This way, when you cut the wire, all you have to do is guide the shock into the hole and sinch it up. Easy.

 

Oh, and I'm automatically assuming this is going to be on a 1/2 ton...

 

I squirted some penetrating oil on all the nuts and threads 2 x a week for a couple weeks before i did ours but i had no air tools. Did it by hand and it worked great- did all 4 in a day.

 

For the front, remove the little bolt that holds the brake line bracket to the spindle, then remove the long bolt that holds the upper control arm to the frame. Swing the control arm out of the way. That bolt has to go behind the plastic inner fender well, and can be a pain sometimes. Little hint: Make sure the washer at the head of the bolt stays close to the control arm, and doesn't slide back with the head of the bolt. Swing the control arm out of the way. Undo the bottom strut mount bolt, then remove the top nuts. Use spring compressors to clamp the spring, and change the struts. For the back, I popped the rear speaker covers, and trimmed the plastic back a bit(just in the corners, and only enough so that the speaker covers would still cover them) so I could get a socket and extension in there. You don't have to remove the upper control arms in the back. Remove the lower strut mount bolt, and pry the bottom of the strut out. There's a little spacer in one of the lower mount bolt holes. You'll need to move it back a little bit so that the new strut goes in easy. There are multiple ways to move them. I usually knock it back with a hammer and punch, but a search will turn up some easier ways. Undo the top three nuts. You might have to push the spindle down a bit, but you can pull the strut down and to the side. If you get it right, you can pull the strut out without removing the upper control arm.

Hope that helps
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Strut Mount Parts